Dishes you should try in Aksaray: Aksaray Tava (baked meat and vegetable casserole), Aksaray İnceelek Tatlısı (nut-layered filo dessert), Aksaray Tahinlisi (tahini pastry) and Aksaray Köpük Helva (soapwort foam halva). This guide also covers the local products to buy and what Aksaray is famous for.
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A regional dish in which tomatoes, capia and green peppers, garlic and plenty of meat are mixed with spices and baked in a clay pot with butter.
A dessert of thin filo layers sprinkled with walnuts, hazelnuts or almonds, baked and soaked in syrup; it received its geographical indication on 17 October 2019.
A tahini-filled pastry registered as a protected geographical indication on 25 May 2021.
A traditional foam halva made by whisking soapwort root (çöven otu) with sugar and water; it has a geographical indication.
Arabaşı is prepared by adding a mixture of flour and yoghurt to chicken stock, and is the traditional winter soup of Aksaray. It is served with shredded chicken.
This soup, made by boiling dried okra in meat broth, is an indispensable flavour of Aksaray cuisine.
Tarhana dough is prepared in summer, dried and stored for winter. Aksaray tarhana offers a distinctive flavour through a special blend of yoghurt, tomato and spices.
Arabaşı is prepared by adding a mixture of flour and yoghurt to chicken stock, and is the traditional winter soup of Ağaçören.
Tandır kebabı, made by slow-cooking lamb for hours in a clay tandır oven, is the most popular meat dish in Ağaçören.
Mantı, small pieces of dough filled with minced meat and cooked, is served with yoghurt and garlic sauce.
Tarhana dough is prepared in summer, dried and stored for winter. It is an indispensable flavour of Ağaçören's winter tables.
Arabaşı is prepared by adding a mixture of flour and yoghurt to chicken stock, and is the traditional winter soup of Eskil.
Tandır kebabı, made by slow-cooking lamb for hours in a clay tandır oven, is the most popular meat dish in Eskil.
Tarhana dough is prepared in summer, dried and stored for winter. It is an indispensable flavour of Eskil's winter tables.
This traditional bread, cooked on a griddle (sac), is an inseparable part of village tables in Eskil.
Testi kebabı, prepared by baking lamb and vegetables in a clay pot (testi), is a signature dish of the Cappadocia region.
Arabaşı is prepared by adding a mixture of flour and yoghurt to chicken stock, and is the traditional winter soup of Gülağaç.
Mantı, small pieces of dough filled with minced meat and cooked, is served with yoghurt and garlic sauce. Prepared by local people on special occasions, this dish is a symbol of hospitality.
This traditional bread, baked in a clay tandır oven, is indispensable on village tables in Gülağaç.
Testi kebabı, made by baking lamb and vegetables in a clay pot, is the signature dish of the Cappadocia region. The pot is broken open when the dish is served.
Arabaşı, made by adding a mixture of flour and yoghurt to chicken broth, is the traditional winter soup of Güzelyurt.
Small pieces of dough filled with minced meat, cooked and served with yoghurt and garlic sauce. Güzelyurt's home-made mantı is known for its thin dough and generous filling.
This traditional bread, baked in a clay tandoor, is an essential part of village tables in Güzelyurt.
A bread specific to Güzelyurt (formerly Gelveri), known for the way it is made and for staying fresh for a long time. It holds a protected geographical indication.
A pastry baked in a stone oven in Güzelyurt over oak wood, which stays fresh for a long time.
Prepared by adding a mixture of flour and yoghurt to chicken broth, arabaşı is the traditional winter soup of Ortaköy's tables.
Prepared by slow-cooking lamb in a clay tandır oven, tandır kebabı is the most loved meat dish in Ortaköy.
Small pieces of dough filled with minced meat and cooked, then served with yoghurt and a garlic sauce. Its preparation with fresh, natural ingredients makes it a healthy choice.
Tarhana dough is prepared in summer, dried and stored for winter. It is an indispensable flavour of Ortaköy's winter tables.
Arabaşı is prepared by adding a mixture of flour and yoghurt to chicken stock, and is the traditional winter soup of Sarıyahşi.
Tandır kebabı, made by slow-cooking lamb for hours in a clay tandır oven, is the most popular meat dish in Sarıyahşi.
This traditional bread, cooked on a griddle (sac), is an inseparable part of village tables in Sarıyahşi.
Tarhana dough is prepared in summer, dried and stored for winter. It is an indispensable flavour of Sarıyahşi's winter tables.
Testi kebabı, the kebab cooked in a clay pot typical of the Cappadocia region, can be found in local restaurants.
Chickpeas are soaked in water overnight and then cooked with bone-in lamb, and rice (zer pilav) is placed on top. It was once cooked in caravanserais for charity and distributed to those who came.
The rock-cut churches of Ihlara and Güzelyurt, and the memory of Gregory of Nazianzus.
Somuncu Baba, the teacher of Hacı Bayram-ı Veli, lived and was buried in Aksaray.
Aksaray is known for 4 local dishes, above all Aksaray Tava (baked meat and vegetable casserole), Aksaray İnceelek Tatlısı (nut-layered filo dessert), Aksaray Tahinlisi (tahini pastry) and Aksaray Köpük Helva (soapwort foam halva). A regional dish in which tomatoes, capia and green peppers, garlic and plenty of meat are mixed with spices and baked in a clay pot with butter.
Aksaray is known for Aksaray Tava (baked meat and vegetable casserole), Aksaray İnceelek Tatlısı (Aksaray inceelek dessert) and Cappadocian Christian heritage. Its best-known sights include Ihlara Valley and Selime Cathedral.
Local products and souvenirs to buy in Aksaray include Aksaray İnceelek Tatlısı (Aksaray inceelek dessert), Aksaray Tahinlisi (Aksaray tahini pastry) and Aksaray Köpük Helva (Aksaray foam halva).