Dishes you should try in Kovancılar: Harput Köftesi (bulgur and minced meat dumplings), Üzüm Pekmezi (grape molasses) and Tandır Kebabı. This guide also covers the local products to buy and what Kovancılar is famous for.
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Famous Dishes of Kovancılar
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Harput Köftesi (bulgur and minced meat dumplings)
Made with fine bulgur and minced meat, Harput köftesi is cooked in water with a tomato sauce. A traditional flavour of the Elazığ region, it is never missing from the tables in Kovancılar.
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Üzüm Pekmezi (grape molasses)
Making use of Kovancılar's abundant grape production, pekmez is boiled down using traditional methods. Consumed as an energy source in the winter months, it is an essential part of breakfast tables.
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Tandır Kebabı
Prepared by slow-cooking lamb for hours in a clay tandır oven. Made on special occasions in the villages of Kovancılar, tandır kebabı is the most beloved flavour of the region.
Dishes from Elazığ Cuisine
What to eat in Elazığ →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.
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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.
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Elazığ Çedene Kahvesi (menengiç coffee)
Coffee made from menengiç (terebinth), with a registered geographical indication.
What to Buy in Kovancılar: Local Products
- Öküzgözü Grapes Kovancılar is one of Elazığ's most important centres for Öküzgözü grape production. The wine and pekmez made from these grapes are the most valuable products of the region.
- Pekmez Pekmez made from Öküzgözü and Boğazkere grapes using traditional methods is Kovancılar's best-known local product.
What Kovancılar Is Famous For: Culture and Traditions
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Grape Harvest Tradition
The grape harvest held in the autumn months is Kovancılar's most important community event. The grape picking, pekmez boiling and şıra (grape must) making are carried out using traditional methods.
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Winemaking Tradition
Viticulture and winemaking, practised in Kovancılar for centuries, are an important part of the region's cultural heritage. Öküzgözü wine has gained international recognition.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I eat in Kovancılar?
Kovancılar is known for 3 local dishes, above all Harput Köftesi (bulgur and minced meat dumplings), Üzüm Pekmezi (grape molasses) and Tandır Kebabı. Made with fine bulgur and minced meat, Harput köftesi is cooked in water with a tomato sauce. A traditional flavour of the Elazığ region, it is never missing from the tables in Kovancılar.
What is Kovancılar famous for?
Kovancılar is known for Harput Köftesi (bulgur and minced meat dumplings), Öküzgözü Grapes and Grape Harvest Tradition. Its best-known sights include Kovancılar Vineyards and Kovancılar Plains.
What to buy in Kovancılar?
Local products and souvenirs to buy in Kovancılar include Öküzgözü Grapes and Pekmez.
Kovancılar Travel Guide
- Things to Do in Kovancılar 6 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)
- Keban 5 dishes Keban Balığı (Keban lake fish), Harput Köftesi (bulgur and mince meatballs) and Tandır Ekmeği (clay-oven bread)
- 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)