Dishes you should try in Maden: Tandır Kebabı (clay-oven lamb), Harput Köftesi (bulgur and mince meatballs) and Ayran Aşı (yoghurt and wheat soup). This guide also covers the local products to buy and what Maden is famous for.
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Famous Dishes of Maden
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Tandır Kebabı (clay-oven lamb)
Prepared by slowly cooking lamb in a clay tandır oven for hours. Tandır kebab is prepared for special occasions in the villages of Maden and is the most beloved dish of the region.
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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 Maden.
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Ayran Aşı (yoghurt and wheat soup)
A traditional soup made with yoghurt, bulgur and mint, one of the winter dishes of Eastern Anatolia. In Maden it is often eaten on cold winter days.
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 Maden: Local Products
- Copper Working Maden's copper mining tradition has brought with it the working of copper. Handmade copper vessels and decorative objects are among the district's traditional crafts.
- Livestock Products Milk, cheese and butter produced in the district, where small livestock farming is widespread, are made using traditional methods.
What Maden Is Famous For: Culture and Traditions
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Mining Heritage
The district takes its name from the copper mines worked since the Ottoman period. The mining tradition is the basic element that shapes Maden's economic and cultural identity.
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Copper Working Tradition
The art of copper working, which developed alongside copper mining, forms the basis of Maden's traditional crafts. Handmade copper products are part of the district's cultural heritage.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I eat in Maden?
Maden is known for 3 local dishes, above all Tandır Kebabı (clay-oven lamb), Harput Köftesi (bulgur and mince meatballs) and Ayran Aşı (yoghurt and wheat soup). Prepared by slowly cooking lamb in a clay tandır oven for hours. Tandır kebab is prepared for special occasions in the villages of Maden and is the most beloved dish of the region.
What is Maden famous for?
Maden is known for Tandır Kebabı (clay-oven lamb), Copper Working and Mining Heritage. Its best-known sights include Maden Copper Mine Area and Maden Stream Valley.
What to buy in Maden?
Local products and souvenirs to buy in Maden include Copper Working and Livestock Products.
Maden Travel Guide
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)
- Kovancılar 3 dishes Harput Köftesi (bulgur and minced meat dumplings), Üzüm Pekmezi (grape molasses) and Tandır Kebabı
- 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)