Dishes you should try in Çayırlı: Tandır Kebabı (clay-oven lamb), Kesme Çorbası (hand-cut pasta soup) and Höşmerim (sweet fried cheese pastry). This guide also covers the local products to buy and what Çayırlı is famous for.
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Famous Dishes of Çayırlı
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Tandır Kebabı (clay-oven lamb)
Prepared by slowly cooking lamb in a clay tandır oven for hours, tandır kebab has a distinctive flavour from the meat of the sheep raised on Çayırlı's plateaus.
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Kesme Çorbası (hand-cut pasta soup)
A traditional soup made by cooking thinly cut pieces of dough in meat broth. Kesme çorbası is never missing from the tables of Çayırlı on cold winter days.
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Höşmerim (sweet fried cheese pastry)
A traditional sweet made with fresh cheese, flour and sugar, fried in butter. In Çayırlı it is served especially at festivals and wedding feasts.
Dishes from Erzincan Cuisine
What to eat in Erzincan →These dishes are known throughout Erzincan province; see the provincial food guide for details.
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Erzincan Tulum Peyniri (Erzincan goatskin-cured cheese)
A cheese with a registered geographical indication, matured in a skin tulum.
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Erzincan Kesme Kadayıfı (Erzincan cut kadayıf)
Kadayıf with a registered geographical indication.
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Kemaliye Lök Tatlısı (Kemaliye lök dessert)
An Eğin dessert with a registered geographical indication.
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Erzincan Üzümlü Sarucu (Erzincan sarucu with raisins)
A local dish with a registered geographical indication.
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Erzincan Sütlacı (Erzincan rice pudding)
A rice pudding (sütlaç) with a registered geographical indication.
What to Buy in Çayırlı: Local Products
- Çayırlı Balı (Çayırlı honey) Wildflower honey gathered on the high plateaus of the district. Thanks to its rich flora, it is an aromatic and natural variety of honey. Beekeeping is an important source of livelihood in the region.
- Tulum Peyniri (tulum cheese) Tulum cheese, made from goat's and sheep's milk by traditional methods, acquires its distinctive sharp flavour when matured on the Çayırlı plateaus.
What Çayırlı Is Famous For: Culture and Traditions
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Yayla Migration Tradition
For centuries the people of Çayırlı have migrated to the high plateaus in summer to practise livestock farming. This seasonal migration tradition shapes the social life, cuisine and handicrafts of the area and is a deep-rooted custom.
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Settlement History of the Karasu Basin
Because Çayırlı lies in the Karasu basin, a tributary of the Euphrates, it has been settled since ancient times. Various remains from the Urartian, Roman, Byzantine and Seljuk periods can be found in the region.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I eat in Çayırlı?
Çayırlı is known for 3 local dishes, above all Tandır Kebabı (clay-oven lamb), Kesme Çorbası (hand-cut pasta soup) and Höşmerim (sweet fried cheese pastry). Prepared by slowly cooking lamb in a clay tandır oven for hours, tandır kebab has a distinctive flavour from the meat of the sheep raised on Çayırlı's plateaus.
What is Çayırlı famous for?
Çayırlı is known for Tandır Kebabı (clay-oven lamb), Çayırlı Balı (Çayırlı honey) and Yayla Migration Tradition. Its best-known sights include Çayırlı Castle and Karasu Valley.
What to buy in Çayırlı?
Local products and souvenirs to buy in Çayırlı include Çayırlı Balı (Çayırlı honey) and Tulum Peyniri (tulum cheese).
Çayırlı Travel Guide
- Things to Do in Çayırlı 5 places to visit
- What to Eat in Erzincan All the famous dishes of the province
What to Eat in Other Districts of Erzincan
- Erzincan Central District 4 dishes Erzincan Tulum Peyniri (Erzincan tulum cheese), Kesme Çorbası (hand-cut pasta soup) and Tandır Kebabı (clay-oven lamb)
- İliç 3 dishes Tandır Kebabı (clay-oven lamb), Kesme Çorbası (hand-cut dough soup) and Tulum Peyniri
- Kemah 5 dishes Kemah Tandır Kebabı (tandoor-baked lamb), Kesme Çorbası (hand-cut noodle soup) and Tulum Peyniri (tulum cheese)
- Kemaliye 4 dishes Kemaliye Lök Tatlısı, Kemaliye Cevizli Sucuk (walnut and grape molasses sweet) and Tandır Kebabı (clay-oven lamb)
- Otlukbeli 3 dishes Kesme Çorbası (hand-cut pasta soup), Tandır Kebabı (clay oven lamb) and Höşmerim (fresh cheese dessert)
- Refahiye 4 dishes Refahiye Balı (Refahiye honey), Erzincan Tulum Peyniri and Kesme Çorbası (hand-cut dough soup)
- Tercan 4 dishes Tercan Honey, Tandır Kebabı and Kesme Çorbası (thin-cut dough soup)
- Üzümlü 4 dishes Tandır Kebabı (clay oven lamb), Üzüm Pekmezi (grape molasses) and Kesme Çorbası (hand-cut pasta soup)