What to Eat in Keban: Famous Dishes and Local Products

Famous Dishes of Keban

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  Keban Balığı (Keban lake fish)

  Carp and trout caught in Lake Keban are served grilled or pan-fried. In a district where freshwater fishing has developed, eating fresh fish is an important experience.

• 🥩

  Harput Köftesi (bulgur and mince meatballs)

  Made with fine bulgur and minced meat, Harput köftesi is cooked in water with a tomato sauce. A traditional dish of the Elazığ region, it is never missing from tables in Keban.

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  Tandır Ekmeği (clay-oven bread)

  Bread baked in a clay tandır oven, known for its thick, soft texture. It is still made by the traditional method in the villages of Keban.

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  Alabalık (trout)

  Trout farming has come to the fore in the Keban and Karakaya dam lakes.

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  Keban Biberi (Keban pepper)

  A geographically indicated pepper variety specific to Elazığ cuisine.

These dishes are known throughout Elazığ province; see the provincial food guide for details.

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  Elazığ Orciği (walnut and grape-must sweet)

  A traditional sweet made with walnuts and grape must, with a registered geographical indication.

• 🥘

  Sırın

  An Elazığ dish with a registered geographical indication.

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  Palu Tava (Palu pan dish)

  A pan-cooked dish with a registered geographical indication.

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  Taş Ekmeği Tatlısı (stone-bread dessert)

  A dessert with a registered geographical indication.

• ☕

  Elazığ Çedene Kahvesi (menengiç coffee)

  Coffee made from menengiç (terebinth), with a registered geographical indication.

What to Buy in Keban: Local Products

• Keban Biberi (Keban pepper) Keban Biberi was registered as a protected geographical indication on 4 November 2024 (TÜRKPATENT registration no. 1657). Product group: processed and unprocessed fruit and vegetables and mushrooms.
• Dam Lake Fish Trout and carp farmed in Lake Keban are among the district's important local products. Fish farms also operate on the lake.
• Kayısı (apricots) Apricots grown in line with the district's climate are eaten fresh and dried. They are one of the region's important fruit products.

What Keban Is Famous For: Culture and Traditions

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  Dam and Migration Story

  During the construction of the Keban Dam, the old town of Keban was submerged and its people moved to a new settlement area. This migration experience holds an important place in the collective memory of the district's people.

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  Euphrates River Civilisations

  Keban has been a settlement in the Euphrates valley for thousands of years. The region, which bears traces of the Urartian, Roman and Ottoman periods, lies on the northern edge of the Mesopotamian civilisations.

Frequently Asked Questions

Keban Travel Guide

• 📍 Things to Do in Keban 7 places to visit →
• 🗺️ What to Eat in Elazığ All the famous dishes of the province →

What to Eat in Other Districts of Elazığ

• Elazığ Central District 3 dishes Harput Köftesi (bulgur and mince meatballs), Elazığ Oruk (stuffed bulgur dough parcels) and Tandır Kebabı (clay-oven lamb)
• Ağın 8 dishes Keban Balığı (Keban fish), Tandır Kebabı and Bulgur Pilavı
• Alacakaya 3 dishes Tandır Kebabı (clay-oven lamb), Bulgur Pilavı and Ayran Aşı (yoghurt and wheat soup)
• Arıcak 3 dishes Tandır Kebabı (clay-oven lamb), Kelecoş (lentil, bulgur and yoghurt soup) and Bal ve Kaymak (honey and clotted cream)
• Baskil 4 dishes Harput Köftesi (bulgur and mince meatballs), Tandır Kebabı (clay-oven lamb) and Kayısı Tatlısı (syrup-soaked dried apricots)
• Karakoçan 3 dishes Karakoçan Köftesi (meatballs with fine bulgur and minced meat), Tandır Kebabı (lamb baked in a clay oven) and Karakoçan Balı (Karakoçan honey)
• Kovancılar 3 dishes Harput Köftesi (bulgur and minced meat dumplings), Üzüm Pekmezi (grape molasses) and Tandır Kebabı
• Maden 3 dishes Tandır Kebabı (clay-oven lamb), Harput Köftesi (bulgur and mince meatballs) and Ayran Aşı (yoghurt and wheat soup)
• Palu 4 dishes Palu Köftesi (Palu meatballs), Tandır Kebabı (tandoor-baked lamb) and Kelecoş (lentil and bulgur soup)
• Sivrice 3 dishes Hazar Gölü Balığı (Lake Hazar fish), Harput Köftesi (bulgur and mince meatballs) and Tandır Ekmeği (clay-oven bread)