The story
Ezogelin soup, 'the soup of Ezo the bride', is a red lentil and bulgur soup from the Gaziantep area of southeastern Turkey. It is named after Zöhre, known as Ezo Gelin, who was born in 1909 in the village of Uruş, now Dokuzyol, outside Gaziantep, and was famed for her beauty. Her life was hard: an unhappy first marriage, then a second that took her across the new border into Syria, where she is said to have died longing for home. Local accounts say she made the soup from simple pantry staples. The lentil soup itself is older; her name became attached in the mid-20th century.
Rival claims
The Ezogelin name dates from the mid-20th century; the soup is a traditional local lentil soup, and Ezo came from Dokuzyol village outside Gaziantep.
Also known as ezogelin çorbası, ezo gelin çorbası, Ezo the bride soup, Turkish red lentil soup.
On the Meridish menu
Ezogelin soup was the soup course on menu No. 20 on October 20, 2026. Its clue in the game, which hints at the place without naming it:
Red lentil and bulgur soup with mint and chili flakes. Named after Ezo, a beautiful village bride from near this foodie city, whose sad life is still sung in folk songs.
In Meridish, every dish is pinned to the town or city most widely credited with creating it. A guess within 25 km scores all 100 points. How scoring works.
Sources
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ezogelin_soup
- almostturkishrecipes.com/2006/09/ezo-bride-soup-ezo-gelin-orbas.html
Food history is often disputed. Think we've pinned it in the wrong place? Tell us at hello@meridish.com, ideally with a source.
