Turkey's geography is a unique culinary culture and a marvel of local products, with the climate, characteristics and traditions of each region producing cuisine. The expansive landscapes of southeastern Turkey are no exception, so get an insight into the culinary wealth that three famous cities in southeastern Turkey offer – Diyarbakır, Chamleurfa and Mardin!
Authentic delicacies: Diyarbakır's food
Whether you start or end your tour in Diyarbakır, the city has a delicious heritage, with a warm climate and nearly 10,000 years of history. Diyarbakır is located at the intersection of mesopotamian and Anatolian civilizations, and its mixed culture is reflected in the city's gastronomy.
In Diyarbakır, meat dishes and kebab varieties dominate cooking, with lamb being a common ingredient. To make these savory dishes more delicious, spices such as sumac and coriander are used to add a hint of sourness. But Diyarbakır offers more than just meat: this agricultural region produces a variety of cereals and legumes, as well as pomegranates, grapes and walnuts. In addition, dried vegetables are also prominent on the table in the city.
Breakfast is an important meal for Diyarbakır, and the liver plays a leading role, especially the breakfast roast made with lamb liver. Other wonderful specialties include meftune (lamb and vegetables with garlic and sumac), pıçık (coarse grain cakes), nardanaş (meatballs and chickpeas with pomegranates), duvaklı pilav (rice with minced meat and almonds on top), patlıcan dizmesi (eggplant and meatballs with tomato sauce), kaburga dolması (lamb ribs stuffed with liver, rice, spices and nuts), elma düzmesi (roasted apples with cream) , cartlak kebabı (a liver roast), ayvalı kavurma (roasted olive), mumbar dolması (with stuffed lamb intestines) and bostana salatası (a salad of chopped parsley, purslane and green pepper in pomegranate syrup).
Live to old age to eat old Shangle Urfa cuisine
Now we come to Chamleurfa, home to one of the richest cuisines in Turkey. Lahmacun (minced meat crepes) and içli köfte (meatballs) are almost synonymous with Chamleurfa, and the cuisine here is said to be spectacular, with residents not just eating for the sake of living, but living for the sake of eating.
The food culture of Chamleufa showcases meat and legumes as well as spices such as the famous Urfa Isot pepper, sumu and Za'atar, as well as handmade sauces such as pomegranate syrup. Eggplant and onions in vegetables, very prominent in local dishes.
There is plenty to eat in Champraurfa, and if time is limited, we recommend focusing on the most famous and memorable dishes.
These include the following, all of which are characterized by local natural delicacies. söğürme (grilled eggplant), Urfa style kebabs, tirit (mixture of boiled meat and local flat bread), borani (cream spinach salad with lamb and vegetable cakes), kuru dolma (stuffed with dried vegetables), semsek (fried pastries), ağzı açık (small, fried lahmacun), lebeni (cold yogurt soup), kazan kebabı (grilled eggplant skewers), yumurtalı köfte (coarse grain cake with eggs), aya köftesi (hand-pressed meat and coarse grain cake), patlıcanlı kebap (eggplant and minced meat grilled meat), domates kebabı (tomato and meat grilled meat), Urfa külünçesi (a flat, crunchy biscuit, sweet and salty), şıllık tatlısı (crepes with syrup and walnuts), katmer (crunchy pancakes with urfa cheese and syrup), Peynirli kadayıf (sweet cake with cheese) and hırtlevik (a type of rolled scone). Most restaurants in Urfa have kebabs and ciiğ köfte (raw and spicy meatloaf, vegetarian version using whole grains).
The encounter of Mardin cultures: spices and herbs
Now we come to Mardin! While Mardin's local cuisine has regional features from the southeastern Anatolian region, it has a unique quality that owes it to the city's cultural fusion, including Muslim, Christian and Jewish traditions.
Like other cities in this southeastern Golden Triangle, meat is the main role in the kitchen, along with offal and coarse grains. But Mardin's dishes are characterized by the heavy use of spices, as well as the use of fruits in a variety of meat dishes. Well-known spices such as cinnamon, coriander, cardamom, ginger and five-spice powder are used here, as well as saltp (extracted from the roots of orchid plants) and mahalep (an aromatic spice made with cherry cores).
In addition, local herbs and vegetables are also widely used; These herbs and vegetables include: wild cucumber, tuja (an evergreen plant), licorice, gözdaşı (wild rue), sweet fennel, fenugreek, lemon balm, hibiscus, green chickpeas and gundelia (a vegetable).
In addition to the quaint stone houses, churches and mosques, Mardin's cuisine is also plentiful and seems to have no end. We have listed below some of the city's most popular dishes.
Soğan kebabı (onion grilled meat), Mardin kebabı (Mardin style barbecue), kaburga dolması (with stuffed ribs), kibbe (with stuffed tripe), dobo (with stuffed lamb), zıngıl (Turkish syrup donut), irok (Mardin style stuffed meatballs), alluciye (stewed plums), firkiye (fresh almond lamb), sembusek (a salty stuffed pastry) , killice (Mardin-style scones) and harire (a flour pudding containing glucose syrup).
Now that we've guided you down this wonderful southeast Anatolian gastronomic route, are you ready to discover these unique flavors?