Baktat Ajvar

Vegans do love a good condiment. I’m always looking for new and exciting sauces, spreads, or dips to add to my food repertoire. I got my first taste of Ajvar when my friends from Gewoon Vegan came to visit and brought me a jar. Ajvar is a a thick relish originally from the Balkan region. The brand I’ve run into mostly here is Baktat, and it’s made of roasted red peppers, eggplant, oil, salt, sugar, vinegar, and garlic. It comes in mild or spicy. I like them both, and switch them off basically depending on what’s available in any given store where I happen to be.

It works great as a bread spread or dip for pita, but I also really like to use it mixed in with couscous and veggies. I bet it would be nice with rice or pasta too. Oh, and it’s palm-oil free and soy free as well.

Ajvar is available at most supermarkets that have international food sections (I got the jar pictured here at the Delhaize) but also at pretty much any Turkish market.