Dishes you should try in Afyonkarahisar: Afyon Kaymağı (Afyon clotted cream), Afyon Sucuğu (Afyon spiced sausage), Sucuk Döner (sucuk döner kebab) and Afyon Pastırması (Afyon pastırma). This guide also covers the local products to buy and what Afyonkarahisar is famous for.
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A thick, glossy white clotted cream, best when made from buffalo milk; it received a geographical indication on 10 July 2009. It is eaten at breakfast with honey or alongside desserts.
A sucuk with a geographical indication, made in the traditional way from minced meat enriched with red pepper, black pepper and garlic.
A döner made from sucuk, unique to Afyonkarahisar cuisine.
One of the products with a geographical indication, Afyon pastırma (cured beef) is part of the province's meat-product tradition alongside sucuk.
A dessert with a geographical indication, served by topping syrupy bread kadayıf with Afyon kaymak.
Afyon lokum is both an everyday treat and the most popular souvenir.
A keşkek (wheat and meat dish) unique to Şuhut, with a geographical indication.
Afyonkarahisar's village bread made with potato, with a geographical indication.
Made with seeds from poppy, the signature plant of Afyonkarahisar, this pastry is baked in the city's bakeries using a traditional recipe. It is eaten at breakfast or at teatime.
Bükme, prepared with a minced meat or lentil filling, is a beloved pastry of Afyonkarahisar cuisine.
Tutmaç, made with homemade noodles and lentils and served with garlic yoghurt, is the traditional soup of the region.
Bolvadin Mantı was registered as a protected geographical indication on 1 December 2022 (TÜRKPATENT registration no. 1266). Product group: dishes and soups. Registered by: Bolvadin Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Bolvadin kaymak, produced from buffalo milk by traditional methods, is the region's most famous delicacy. Its thick, creamy texture makes it an essential part of breakfast tables, served with honey or jam.
Prepared with the seeds of poppy, the emblematic plant of Afyonkarahisar, this bun is baked in Bolvadin's bakeries using a traditional recipe. The mild, walnut-like aroma of the poppy seed gives the bun its distinctive taste.
Keşkek, prepared by boiling and pounding crushed wheat and meat for hours, is the traditional dish at weddings and religious holiday feasts in Bolvadin. It is served with butter.
This local dish, made by frying lamb on a griddle with vegetables, is the most beloved dish of Bolvadin's rural tables.
A pastry made with a paste from poppy seeds grown in the region, served with tea.
When served with syrup-soaked bread kadayıf and Afyon kaymak (clotted cream), it becomes the province's most famous dessert.
One of the essential dishes at Çay tables, often served alongside okra soup and cheese börek.
Prepared with minced meat or lentils, bükme is a popular pastry of the region.
Bükme, a beloved pastry of Afyonkarahisar cuisine, is also often prepared in the district.
Keşkek, prepared at weddings and bayram (religious holiday) celebrations, is one of the shared flavours of the Lakes Region.
Dinar Taptama Köfte was registered as a protected geographical indication on 6 June 2022 (TÜRKPATENT registration no. 1132). Product group: dishes and soups. Registered by: Dinar Municipality.
Dinar köftesi, the best-known dish of the district, is made by shaping minced meat blended with local spices by hand and grilling it. It is served with roasted peppers and tomatoes.
Prepared by simmering cracked wheat and meat for a long time and then pounding them with a wooden mallet, keşkek is the traditional dish of wedding and festival tables in Dinar. Melted butter is poured over it.
Prepared with the seeds of the poppy, the emblematic plant of the Afyonkarahisar region, this pide is baked in wood-fired ovens in Dinar's bakeries. The mildly nutty flavour of the poppy seed gives the pide a distinctive taste.
Made by simmering dried okra in meat broth, this soup is an essential part of Dinar's winter table. It is served with a squeeze of lemon.
Emirdağ Dolgulu Köftesi was registered as a protected geographical indication on 26 May 2021 (TÜRKPATENT registration no. 769). Product group: dishes and soups. Registered by: Emirdağ Municipality.
Emirdağ Yumurtalı Pidesi was registered as a protected geographical indication on 26 May 2021 (TÜRKPATENT registration no. 770). Product group: bakery and pastry products, dough products and desserts. Registered by: Emirdağ Municipality.
A beloved pastry of Afyonkarahisar cuisine.
The traditional dish of wedding feasts.
The region's folded pastry with minced meat or lentils.
Keşkek, prepared by long simmering and pounding of cracked wheat and meat, is the traditional dish of wedding and bayram feasts in İhsaniye. It is served with butter.
The poppy seed pastry, the signature flavour of the Afyonkarahisar region, is also prepared with a traditional recipe in İhsaniye's bakeries. The aroma of the poppy seeds gives the pastry a distinctive taste.
This soup is made from the liquid obtained by cooking lamb with its bones in a tandır oven, thickened with flour and yoghurt, and is indispensable on İhsaniye's winter tables.
This traditional bread, cooked on a griddle (sac), is an indispensable part of village tables in İhsaniye. It is eaten at breakfast with fresh butter and honey.
İscehisar Mermer Kebabı was registered as a protected geographical indication on 7 July 2023 (TÜRKPATENT registration no. 1404). Product group: dishes and soups. Registered by: İscehisar Municipality.
Made by slowly boiling pounded wheat (dövme buğday) and meat and then beating them together, keşkek is the traditional dish of weddings and festivals in İscehisar. It is served with butter.
The signature treat of the Afyonkarahisar region, haşhaşlı çörek is also prepared by İscehisar bakeries using the traditional recipe. It is the essential companion of afternoon tea.
A regional dish of lamb fried with vegetables on a griddle, it is the most loved dish on İscehisar's rural tables.
Tarhana dough made in summer is dried and stored for winter. This soup, made by blending yoghurt, tomato and spices, is an essential of İscehisar's winter tables.
A variety of bükme with a geographical indication belonging to İscehisar district.
A distinctive charcoal-grilled dish prepared in the marble quarry region.
A beloved pastry of Afyonkarahisar cuisine.
Sandıklı Alacaşı was registered as a protected geographical indication on 30 January 2023 (TÜRKPATENT registration no. 1329). Product group: dishes and soups. Registered by: Sandıklı Municipality.
Sandıklı Haşhaşlı Tahinli Pidesi was registered as a protected geographical indication on 19 January 2024 (TÜRKPATENT registration no. 1523). Product group: bakery and pastry products, dough products and desserts. Registered by: Sandıklı Municipality.
Sandıklı Kapama Yemeği was registered as a protected geographical indication on 17 December 2021 (TÜRKPATENT registration no. 972). Product group: dishes and soups. Registered by: Sandıklı Municipality.
Sandıklı Kürek Helvası was registered as a protected geographical indication on 20 January 2022 (TÜRKPATENT registration no. 1000). Product group: chocolate, confectionery and derived products. Registered by: Sandıklı Municipality.
Syrup-soaked bread kadayıf served with Afyon kaymak (clotted cream).
Traditional dishes prepared in the Sinanpaşa region; bişi is made on special occasions.
Keşkek, prepared by boiling and pounding hulled wheat with beef for hours, is the most important dish at weddings and festive tables in Sultandağı. It is served with browned butter.
Preserves, compotes and cake varieties made with Sultandağı's world-famous cherries form the basis of the region's sweet tradition. Prepared in the fresh cherry season, these desserts are visitors' favourites.
Prepared by slow-cooking lamb in a clay tandoor oven for hours, this kebab is the most loved flavour of Sultandağı's rural tables. Cooking the meat in its own juices gives it a soft, flavourful texture.
A traditional delicacy of the Afyonkarahisar region, haşhaşlı çörek is also carefully prepared in Sultandağı's bakeries. The aroma of the poppy seeds gives the bun its distinctive flavour.
Tandır kebabı, made by slow-cooking lamb in a clay tandoor oven for hours, is the most popular meat dish in Şuhut. Cooking the meat in its own juices gives it a soft, flavourful texture.
Haşhaşlı çörek, a traditional delicacy of the Afyonkarahisar region, is also carefully prepared in Şuhut's bakeries. It is eaten at breakfast or at tea time.
This soup, made by boiling dried okra in meat stock, is one of the traditional winter dishes of Şuhut.
The offensive that began at Kocatepe on 26 August 1922, and the day of liberation on 27 August, are commemorated with ceremonies every year.
Afyonkarahisar joined the UNESCO Creative Cities Network in the field of gastronomy in 2019.
The Mevlevihane founded in 1316 and the tradition of aşure with forty Qur'an recitations are the city's spiritual heritage.
Afyonkarahisar is known for 8 local dishes, above all Afyon Kaymağı (Afyon clotted cream), Afyon Sucuğu (Afyon spiced sausage), Sucuk Döner (sucuk döner kebab) and Afyon Pastırması (Afyon pastırma). A thick, glossy white clotted cream, best when made from buffalo milk; it received a geographical indication on 10 July 2009. It is eaten at breakfast with honey or alongside desserts.
Afyonkarahisar is known for Afyon Kaymağı (Afyon clotted cream), İscehisar Mermeri (İscehisar marble) and The Great Offensive and 30 August. Its best-known sights include Afyonkarahisar Castle and Afyonkarahisar Grand Mosque.
Local products and souvenirs to buy in Afyonkarahisar include İscehisar Mermeri (İscehisar marble), Kızılay Maden Suyu (Gazlıgöl) (Kızılay mineral water), Çay Vişnesi (Çay sour cherries) and Haşhaş (poppy).