Dishes you should try in Edremit: Edremit Zeytinyağı (Edremit olive oil), Edremit Zeytinyağlı Yemekleri (vegetables cooked in olive oil), Kazdağı Alabalığı (Kazdağı trout) and Peynir Helvası (cheese halva). This guide also covers the local products to buy and what Edremit is famous for.
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Edremit Zeytinyağı was registered as a protected designation of origin on 13 December 2017 (TÜRKPATENT registration no. 273). Product group: solid and liquid fats, including butter. Registered by: Edremit Chamber of Commerce.
Olive oil-cooked artichokes, barbunya pilaki and stuffed vine leaves, prepared with Edremit's world-famous olive oil, are among the finest examples of Aegean cuisine.
Trout grown in the clear streams of Kazdağı, served grilled or pan-fried. Trout freshly caught and served at mountain restaurants is one of the region's most distinctive flavours.
Made by roasting fresh lor cheese with flour and sugar, peynir helvası is Edremit's traditional dessert. It is served warm and sprinkled with cinnamon.
Small papalina fish from the Edremit Gulf, coated in corn flour and fried in olive oil. Served with rocket and lemon, this dish is a classic of the seafront restaurants.
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.
After the Battle of Çaldıran in 1514, the Tahtacı Turkmen who settled at the foot of Kazdağı contribute to the region's cultural diversity with their distinctive beliefs and traditions. Semah ceremonies and traditional handicrafts are living examples of this culture.
The Edremit Gulf is a region where olives have been grown for thousands of years. The olive-growing tradition, from ancient Adramytteion to the present day, forms the basis of the region's economic and cultural identity.
The legend of Sarıkız, which gave its name to the highest peak of Kazdağı, tells the story of an innocent girl who was slandered. The traditional walk to Sarıkız Hill held every August is one of the region's most important cultural events.
Edremit is known for 5 local dishes, above all Edremit Zeytinyağı (Edremit olive oil), Edremit Zeytinyağlı Yemekleri (vegetables cooked in olive oil), Kazdağı Alabalığı (Kazdağı trout) and Peynir Helvası (cheese halva). Edremit Zeytinyağı was registered as a protected designation of origin on 13 December 2017 (TÜRKPATENT registration no. 273). Product group: solid and liquid fats, including butter. Registered by: Edremit Chamber of Commerce.
Edremit is known for Edremit Zeytinyağı (Edremit olive oil), Edremit Körfezi Yeşil Çizik Zeytini (Edremit Gulf green olives) and Tahtacı Turkmen Culture. Its best-known sights include Kazdağı (Mount Ida) National Park and Altınoluk Beach.
Local products and souvenirs to buy in Edremit include Edremit Körfezi Yeşil Çizik Zeytini (Edremit Gulf green olives), Edremit Zeytinyağı (Edremit olive oil), Kazdağı Kekik Balı (Kazdağı thyme honey) and Zeytin Sabunu (olive soap).