Dishes you should try in Gülağaç: Testi Kebabı, Arabaşı Çorbası, Mantı and Tandır Ekmeği. This guide also covers the local products to buy and what Gülağaç is famous for.
Last updated:
Famous Dishes of Gülağaç
-
Testi Kebabı
Testi kebabı, prepared by baking lamb and vegetables in a clay pot (testi), is a signature dish of the Cappadocia region.
-
Arabaşı Çorbası
Arabaşı is prepared by adding a mixture of flour and yoghurt to chicken stock, and is the traditional winter soup of Gülağaç.
-
Mantı
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.
-
Tandır Ekmeği
This traditional bread, baked in a clay tandır oven, is indispensable on village tables in Gülağaç.
Dishes from Aksaray Cuisine
What to eat in Aksaray →These dishes are known throughout Aksaray province; see the provincial food guide for details.
-
Aksaray Tava (baked meat and vegetable casserole)
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 İnceelek Tatlısı (nut-layered filo dessert)
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.
-
Aksaray Tahinlisi (tahini pastry)
A tahini-filled pastry registered as a protected geographical indication on 25 May 2021.
-
Aksaray Köpük Helva (soapwort foam halva)
A traditional foam halva made by whisking soapwort root (çöven otu) with sugar and water; it has a geographical indication.
What to Buy in Gülağaç: Local Products
- Kabak Çekirdeği Pumpkin seeds grown in Gülağaç are one of the region's important agricultural products. They are dried and eaten as a snack.
- Buğday Wheat grown on the Gülağaç plain is the region's main agricultural product.
- Pekmez Grape molasses (pekmez) is produced using traditional methods. It is consumed as an energy source in the winter months.
What Gülağaç Is Famous For: Culture and Traditions
-
Kapadokya Kaya Kültürü
Gülağaç is one of the important centres of Cappadocia's rock-cut settlement tradition. Açıksaray and the rock churches are witnesses to this unique culture.
-
Volkanik Miras
The tuff rocks formed by the volcanic activity of Mount Hasan have created a unique landscape that people have used as a living space for thousands of years.
-
Kırsal Yaşam Geleneği
A traditional rural way of life based on farming and livestock continues in Gülağaç.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I eat in Gülağaç?
Gülağaç is known for 4 local dishes, above all Testi Kebabı, Arabaşı Çorbası, Mantı and Tandır Ekmeği. Testi kebabı, prepared by baking lamb and vegetables in a clay pot (testi), is a signature dish of the Cappadocia region.
What is Gülağaç famous for?
Gülağaç is known for Testi Kebabı, Kabak Çekirdeği and Kapadokya Kaya Kültürü. Its best-known sights include Açıksaray (Açık Saray) Harabeleri and Hasan Dağı Etekleri.
What to buy in Gülağaç?
Local products and souvenirs to buy in Gülağaç include Kabak Çekirdeği, Buğday and Pekmez.
Gülağaç Travel Guide
- Things to Do in Gülağaç 7 places to visit
- What to Eat in Aksaray All the famous dishes of the province
What to Eat in Other Districts of Aksaray
- Aksaray Central District 4 dishes Aksaray Tava, Arabaşı Çorbası and Bamya Çorbası
- Ağaçören 4 dishes Arabaşı Çorbası, Tandır Kebabı and Mantı
- Eskil 4 dishes Arabaşı Çorbası, Tandır Kebabı and Tarhana Çorbası
- Güzelyurt 6 dishes Testi Kebabı (clay-pot kebab), Arabaşı Çorbası (chicken and yoghurt soup) and Mantı
- Ortaköy 4 dishes Arabaşı Çorbası (chicken and flour soup), Tandır Kebabı (tandoor-baked lamb) and Mantı
- Sarıyahşi 4 dishes Arabaşı Çorbası, Tandır Kebabı and Bazlama
- Sultanhanı 3 dishes Aksaray Tava, Testi Kebabı and Sultanhanı Aşı