Dishes you should try in Marmara: Ada Balığı (island fish), Avşa Şarabı Eşliğinde Meze (meze with Avşa wine) and Gözleme. This guide also covers the local products to buy and what Marmara is famous for.
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Famous Dishes of Marmara
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Ada Balığı (island fish)
Fresh fish from the clean waters of the Sea of Marmara, prepared grilled or steamed. Bluefish, bonito and sea bass are the most popular species.
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Avşa Şarabı Eşliğinde Meze (meze with Avşa wine)
Local wine made from grapes grown on Avşa Island, served with seafood mezes. The island's winemaking tradition goes back centuries.
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Gözleme
Gözleme cooked on the griddle by island women, in cheese, spinach and herb varieties, are an essential part of island breakfasts.
Dishes from Balıkesir Cuisine
What to eat in Balıkesir →These dishes are known throughout Balıkesir province; see the provincial food guide for details.
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Balıkesir Höşmerim (cheese and semolina dessert)
A dessert made with cheese, semolina and syrup, with a registered geographical indication.
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Balıkesir Kaymaklısı (clotted-cream dessert)
A clotted-cream dessert with a registered geographical indication.
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Susurluk Ayranı and Tostu
Frothy Susurluk ayran, served with the Susurluk toasted sandwich (tost); both are registered.
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Balıkesir Düğün Çorbası (wedding soup)
A traditional soup with a registered geographical indication.
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Ayvalık Lor Tatlısı (curd-cheese dessert)
An Ayvalık dessert made with lor (curd) cheese, with a registered geographical indication.
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Balıkesir Tombul Bamyası (Balıkesir plump okra)
Small-podded okra registered with a protected designation of origin.
What to Buy in Marmara: Local Products
- Marmara Island Marble / Marmara Marble Marmara Island Marble was registered as a protected geographical indication on 16 October 2018 (TÜRKPATENT registration no. 387). Product group: other products. Registered by: Erdek Chamber of Commerce.
- Marmara Marble White marble extracted from Marmara Island, famous worldwide since ancient times. It was used in Roman temples and Ottoman palaces.
- Avşa Wine Local wine made from grapes grown on Avşa Island, the island's best-known product. A small-scale winemaking tradition is maintained.
What Marmara Is Famous For: Culture and Traditions
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Marble Mining Heritage
Marmara Island owes its name and fame to its marble quarries. The quarries, worked since Roman times, have shaped the island's economic and cultural identity.
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Island Way of Life
Fishing, winemaking and seafaring traditions have been maintained for generations on the Marmara Islands. The calm, nature-centred lifestyle of the islanders offers visitors an authentic experience.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I eat in Marmara?
Marmara is known for 3 local dishes, above all Ada Balığı (island fish), Avşa Şarabı Eşliğinde Meze (meze with Avşa wine) and Gözleme. Fresh fish from the clean waters of the Sea of Marmara, prepared grilled or steamed. Bluefish, bonito and sea bass are the most popular species.
What is Marmara famous for?
Marmara is known for Ada Balığı (island fish), Marmara Island Marble / Marmara Marble and Marble Mining Heritage. Its best-known sights include Marmara Island and Saraylar.
What to buy in Marmara?
Local products and souvenirs to buy in Marmara include Marmara Island Marble / Marmara Marble, Marmara Marble and Avşa Wine.
Marmara Travel Guide
- Things to Do in Marmara 9 places to visit
- What to Eat in Balıkesir All the famous dishes of the province
What to Eat in Other Districts of Balıkesir
- Altıeylül 4 dishes Balıkesir Bandırma Köftesi (Bandırma meatballs), Höşmerim (cheese dessert) and Keşkek (cracked wheat and meat dish)
- Ayvalık 5 dishes Ayvalık Kelle Peyniri/Ayvalık Sepet Peyniri, Ayvalık Lor Tatlısı and Ayvalık Zeytinyağı (Ayvalık olive oil)
- Balya 5 dishes Keşkek, Höşmerim and Ev Eriştesi
- Bandırma 3 dishes Bandırma Pidesi, Kuş Gölü Levreği and Keşkek
- Bigadiç 4 dishes Keşkek (wheat and meat porridge), Mantı (dumplings) and Gözleme (savoury flatbread)
- Burhaniye 5 dishes Burhaniye Olive Oil, Zeytinyağlı Enginar and Papalina Tava
- Dursunbey 5 dishes Keşkek (pounded wheat and meat), Çullama (lamb on yufka) and Höşmerim
- Edremit 5 dishes Edremit Zeytinyağı (Edremit olive oil), Edremit Zeytinyağlı Yemekleri (vegetables cooked in olive oil) and Kazdağı Alabalığı (Kazdağı trout)
- Erdek 7 dishes Erdek Kapıdağ Zeytinyağı, Erdek Balık Çorbası (fish soup) and Çinekop Tava (fried çinekop fish)
- Gömeç 5 dishes Olive Oil Wild Herb Dishes, Papalina Tava and Gözleme
- Gönen 4 dishes Balıkesir Gönen Pirinci (Gönen rice), Gönen Pidesi and Keşkek (cracked wheat and meat dish)
- Havran 4 dishes Zeytinyağlı Enginar (artichokes in olive oil), Keşkek (cracked wheat and meat dish) and Gözleme (stuffed flatbread)
- İvrindi 5 dishes İvrindi Kelle Peyniri, Keşkek (pounded wheat and meat) and Höşmerim (sweet cheese dessert)
- Kareşi 4 dishes Balıkesir Köftesi (grilled beef meatballs), Höşmerim (fresh cheese dessert) and Keşkek (pounded wheat and lamb)
- Kepsut 3 dishes Kepsut Bükdere Küflü Katık Peyniri, Höşmerim (cheese and semolina dessert) and Balıkesir Tiridi (lamb and bread stew)
- Manyas 4 dishes Manyas Kelle Peyniri, Göl Levreği (Lake sea bass) and Keşkek (wheat and lamb porridge)
- Savaştepe
- Sındırgı 3 dishes Keşkek (wheat and lamb porridge), Çullama (lamb and onion on yufka) and Höşmerim (cheese and semolina dessert)
- Susurluk 4 dishes Susurluk Ayranı, Susurluk Tostu and Keşkek (wheat and lamb porridge)