Dishes you should try in Altıeylül: Balıkesir Bandırma Köftesi (Bandırma meatballs), Höşmerim (cheese dessert), Keşkek (cracked wheat and meat dish) and Papalina Tava (fried papalina fish). This guide also covers the local products to buy and what Altıeylül is famous for.
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Finely minced beef is kneaded with bread crumbs and spices and then grilled. It is the best-known meat dish of Balıkesir and is served in Altıeylül's köfte shops using a traditional recipe.
A traditional Balıkesir dessert made by melting fresh cheese in butter and cooking it with flour and sugar. Served with a caramelised surface, höşmerim is especially preferred in the winter months.
Made by simmering and pounding cracked wheat and lamb for hours, keşkek is an essential dish at weddings and festivals in Balıkesir. It is served with sizzling butter drizzled over it.
Small papalina fish from the Sea of Marmara are floured and fried. It is one of the most characteristic flavours of Balıkesir's seafood cuisine.
These dishes are known throughout Balıkesir province; see the provincial food guide for details.
A dessert made with cheese, semolina and syrup, with a registered geographical indication.
A clotted-cream dessert with a registered geographical indication.
Frothy Susurluk ayran, served with the Susurluk toasted sandwich (tost); both are registered.
A traditional soup with a registered geographical indication.
An Ayvalık dessert made with lor (curd) cheese, with a registered geographical indication.
Small-podded okra registered with a protected designation of origin.
The date 6 September 1922, from which the district takes its name, is the day Balıkesir was liberated from enemy occupation during the War of Independence. It is celebrated every year with ceremonies, concerts and cultural events.
Balıkesir was the capital of the Karasi Principality between 1341 and 1922. The Karasi Principality is distinguished as the first Turkish principality to join the Ottoman State, and this heritage forms the basis of the city's cultural identity.
Dairy farming, maintained for generations in Altıeylül's rural neighbourhoods, is an integral part of the region's economic and cultural life.
Altıeylül is known for 4 local dishes, above all Balıkesir Bandırma Köftesi (Bandırma meatballs), Höşmerim (cheese dessert), Keşkek (cracked wheat and meat dish) and Papalina Tava (fried papalina fish). Finely minced beef is kneaded with bread crumbs and spices and then grilled. It is the best-known meat dish of Balıkesir and is served in Altıeylül's köfte shops using a traditional recipe.
Altıeylül is known for Balıkesir Bandırma Köftesi (Bandırma meatballs), Milk and Dairy Products and 6 September Liberation Day. Its best-known sights include Değirmenboğazı Nature Park and Zağnos Paşa Mosque.
Local products and souvenirs to buy in Altıeylül include Milk and Dairy Products, Balıkesir Kaymağı (clotted cream) and Chestnuts.