Dishes you should try in Kareşi: Balıkesir Köftesi (grilled beef meatballs), Höşmerim (fresh cheese dessert), Keşkek (pounded wheat and lamb) and Ayvalık Tostu (toasted sandwich). This guide also covers the local products to buy and what Kareşi is famous for.
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Finely minced beef kneaded with bread crumbs and spices and grilled. It is Balıkesir's most famous dish and is served with the traditional recipe at Karesi's historic köfte shops.
A traditional Balıkesir dessert made by melting fresh cheese in butter and cooking it with flour and sugar. It is served hot, with a caramelised surface.
Keşkek, made by boiling and pounding wheat and lamb for hours, is the traditional dish of wedding and festival tables in Balıkesir.
Ayvalık tostu, made with sucuk, kaşar cheese, tomato and sauces, is a common street food throughout Balıkesir. It is also served with the traditional recipe at Karesi's toastie shops.
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.
Karesi district takes its name from the Karasi Principality, which ruled between 1297 and 1360. Karasi, the first Turkish principality to join the Ottoman State, played a strategic role in the Ottoman crossing into Rumelia.
During the War of Independence, congresses held in Balıkesir in 1919 played an important role in organising the national struggle. The congress building is open to visitors as a museum.
Kareşi is known for 4 local dishes, above all Balıkesir Köftesi (grilled beef meatballs), Höşmerim (fresh cheese dessert), Keşkek (pounded wheat and lamb) and Ayvalık Tostu (toasted sandwich). Finely minced beef kneaded with bread crumbs and spices and grilled. It is Balıkesir's most famous dish and is served with the traditional recipe at Karesi's historic köfte shops.
Kareşi is known for Balıkesir Köftesi (grilled beef meatballs), Dairy Products and Karasi Principality Legacy. Its best-known sights include Balıkesir Castle (Karesi Castle) and Zağnos Paşa Mosque and Complex.
Local products and souvenirs to buy in Kareşi include Dairy Products and Balıkesir Kaymağı (Balıkesir clotted cream).