İmam bayıldı facts for kids
A plate of İmam bayıldı served with yogurt and rice
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| Alternative names | İmambayıldı |
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| Place of origin | Turkey |
| Region or state | Former Ottoman countries (Turkey, Greece, Bulgaria, Armenia) |
| Associated national cuisine | Ottoman |
| Serving temperature | Room temperature or warm |
| Main ingredients | Eggplant, onions, garlic, tomatoes, olive oil |
İmam bayıldı is a super yummy dish from Turkey. It's made mainly with eggplant (also called aubergine). This dish is stuffed with tasty things like onions, garlic, and tomatoes. Then, it's cooked slowly in lots of healthy olive oil. You can eat İmam bayıldı warm or at room temperature. It's a popular food in many countries that were once part of the old Ottoman Empire.
Contents
Why is it called İmam Bayıldı?
The name 'İmam bayıldı' is quite funny! It means 'the imam fainted' in Turkish. There are a few fun stories about how it got this name.
The Imam's Delight
One story says a Turkish imam (a religious leader) tried this dish for the first time. He loved the amazing taste so much that he fainted from pure joy!
The Costly Ingredients
Another funny story suggests he fainted when he found out how much the ingredients cost. Or maybe it was because of how much olive oil was used to cook it!
Too Much to Eat!
Some people say he just ate so much of this delicious food that he passed out from being too full!
The Olive Oil Dowry
There's also a folk tale about an imam who married the daughter of an olive oil seller. Her wedding gift included twelve jars of the best olive oil. Every night, she would cook him a special eggplant dish with tomatoes and onions using this oil. But on the thirteenth day, there was no eggplant dish. When he learned all the olive oil was gone, the imam fainted!
Where is İmam Bayıldı Popular?
İmam bayıldı is well-known in many countries. You can find it in places like Bulgaria, Israel, North Macedonia, and Greece. It's also popular in Albania, Armenia, and many Arab countries. Even the Pontic Greeks, who lived in Anatolia during Ottoman times, have their own version of the dish.
Different Kinds of Stuffed Eggplant
If you add ground meat to an İmam bayıldı, it changes into a different dish. This meaty version is called a karnıyarık.
Images for kids
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A plate of İmam bayıldı served with yogurt and rice
See also
In Spanish: İmam bayıldı para niños
