Dishes you should try in Çankırı: Çankırı Bütün Et (whole meat dish), Çankırı Kıymalısı (Kapalı Pide) (closed minced-meat pide), Çankırı Yumurta Tatlısı (Çankırı egg dessert) and Çerkeş Lokumu (Çerkeş Turkish delight). This guide also covers the local products to buy and what Çankırı is famous for.
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A meat dish with a registered geographical indication.
A minced-meat pide with a registered geographical indication.
A dessert with a registered geographical indication.
Turkish delight (lokum) with a registered geographical indication.
Keşkek (wheat and meat stew) with a registered geographical indication.
A soup with a registered geographical indication.
Çankırı pastırması is prepared by coating beef with a spiced mixture called çemen and drying it. It is the city's most famous traditional meat product.
Banduma, prepared by soaking stale bread in meat broth and butter, is one of Çankırı's distinctive flavours. It is often eaten in the winter months.
Çankırı simidi differs from Istanbul simit in its thin, crispy texture. It is prepared with sesame or nigella seeds.
Stale bread soaked in meat broth and butter. It is one of the traditional flavours of the Çankırı region.
Prepared by cooking cracked wheat and meat for a long time and then pounding them together. It is the traditional dish of weddings and festive meals. Pounding the wheat and boiling it with meat for hours is a process that requires patience.
Thick bread baked on a sac (griddle). It is the staple of village breakfasts, and is eaten with fresh butter and honey.
The traditional dish of weddings and festive meals.
A bükme, made from thin dough baked with a minced meat filling.
Çerkeş Flower Honey was registered as a protected designation of origin on 7 January 2026 (TÜRKPATENT registration no. 1811). Product group: honey. Registered by: Çerkeş Municipality.
Çerkeş Pırasa Dolması was registered as a protected geographical indication on 7 March 2024 (TÜRKPATENT registration no. 1557). Product group: dishes and soups. Registered by: Çerkeş Municipality.
Çerkeş Sırma Baklavası was registered as a protected geographical indication on 9 February 2024 (TÜRKPATENT registration no. 1539). Product group: bakery and pastry products, dough products, desserts. Registered by: Çerkeş Municipality.
Stale bread soaked in meat broth and butter. It is one of the traditional flavours of the Çankırı region. Its preparation with fresh and natural ingredients makes the dish a healthy choice.
Prepared by cooking cracked wheat and meat for a long time and then pounding them together. It is the traditional dish of weddings and festive meals. It is traditionally served with melted butter poured over it.
Yufka dough filled with cheese, spinach or potato and cooked on a sac (griddle). It is an essential flavour of village breakfasts.
Small pieces of dough are filled with minced meat, boiled, and served with a yoghurt and garlic sauce. Ilgaz mantısı is known for its thin dough and generous filling.
Stale bread soaked in meat broth and butter. It is one of the traditional flavours of the Çankırı region. Passed down from generation to generation, the recipe varies slightly in every family.
Prepared by cooking cracked wheat and meat for a long time and then pounding them together. It is an indispensable dish at weddings and festive meals. Keşkek, an essential part of wedding feasts, is prepared in a communal spirit.
This dish is included in the list of Ilgaz regional flavours.
The traditional dish of wedding and festival feasts.
A minced-meat pastry.
The minced-meat pastry of the Çankırı region.
The traditional dish of wedding feasts.
Kurşunlu Çiçek Balı was registered as a protected designation of origin on 21 April 2025 (TÜRKPATENT registration no. 1725). Product group: honey. Registered by: Kurşunlu Municipality.
Prepared by soaking stale bread in meat broth and butter. It is one of the traditional flavours of the Çankırı region and can be tasted in its most authentic form at local markets and home restaurants.
Small pieces of dough filled with minced meat, boiled and served with a yoghurt and garlic sauce.
Filled with cheese, spinach or potato on dough sheets and cooked on a griddle. It is an essential flavour of village breakfasts. Gözleme prepared on a griddle by village women is the most sought-after treat at markets.
Prepared by soaking stale bread in meat broth and butter. It is one of the traditional flavours of the Çankırı region. Prepared with seasonal ingredients, the dish offers a different flavour in every season.
Prepared by cooking cracked wheat and meat for a long time and then pounding them. It is the traditional dish of wedding and festival feasts. Listed on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list, keşkek is a source of pride in Turkish cuisine.
Thick bread baked on a griddle, it is the basic food of village breakfasts. It is eaten with fresh butter and honey. Prepared by local people on special occasions, this treat is a symbol of hospitality.
Şabanözü Dondurma Helvası was registered as a protected geographical indication on 28 August 2024 (TÜRKPATENT registration no. 1634). Product group: bakery and confectionery products, pastries, sweets. Registered by: Şabanözü Municipality.
Prepared by soaking stale bread in meat broth and butter. It is one of the traditional flavours of the Çankırı region. As an essential part of the district's gastronomic identity, this dish is a favourite with visitors.
Prepared by cooking cracked wheat and meat for a long time and then pounding them. It is the traditional dish of wedding and festival feasts. Small differences in each village's keşkek recipe add to the richness of the dish.
Filled with cheese, spinach or potato on dough sheets and cooked on a griddle. It is an essential flavour of village breakfasts. Rolling the dough thinly takes skill and is perfected in experienced hands.
Green beans, famous in the district.
Yapraklı Panayır Halva was registered as a protected geographical indication on 29 March 2024 (TÜRKPATENT registration no. 1561). Product group: bakery and pastry products, dough dishes and desserts. Registered by: Yapraklı Municipality.
Made by soaking stale bread in meat broth and butter. It is one of the traditional flavours of the Çankırı region. Prepared by local people on special occasions, this dish is a symbol of hospitality.
Small pieces of dough filled with minced meat, boiled and served with a yoghurt and garlic sauce. Prepared by local people on special occasions, this dish is a symbol of hospitality.
Filo dough filled with cheese, spinach or potato and cooked on a griddle. It is an essential part of village breakfasts. Fillings vary with the season, including spinach, cheese or herbs.
Inscribed in 2010 on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity under the name 'Traditional Conversation Meetings'.
The dragon and snake reliefs at Taş Mescit.
Çankırı is known for 6 local dishes, above all Çankırı Bütün Et (whole meat dish), Çankırı Kıymalısı (Kapalı Pide) (closed minced-meat pide), Çankırı Yumurta Tatlısı (Çankırı egg dessert) and Çerkeş Lokumu (Çerkeş Turkish delight). A meat dish with a registered geographical indication.
Çankırı is known for Çankırı Bütün Et (whole meat dish), Çankırı Kaya Tuzu (Çankırı rock salt) and Yâran Sohbetleri. Its best-known sights include Çankırı Salt Cave and Taş Mescit (Cemaleddin Ferruh Hospital).
Local products and souvenirs to buy in Çankırı include Çankırı Kaya Tuzu (Çankırı rock salt), Eldivan Kirazı (Eldivan cherries), Ilgaz Sarıkılçık Pirinci (Ilgaz Sarıkılçık rice) and Çerkeş Çiçek Balı (Çerkeş blossom honey).