Dishes you should try in İliç: Tandır Kebabı (clay-oven lamb), Kesme Çorbası (hand-cut dough soup) and Tulum Peyniri. This guide also covers the local products to buy and what İliç is famous for.
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Famous Dishes of İliç
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Tandır Kebabı (clay-oven lamb)
Lamb meat slow-cooked for hours in a clay tandır oven. Prepared on special occasions in İliç's villages, it is the region's most loved dish.
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Kesme Çorbası (hand-cut dough soup)
A traditional soup of thinly cut pieces of dough cooked in meat broth. It is an essential part of İliç's winter tables.
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Tulum Peyniri
Tulum cheese made from goat and sheep's milk from İliç's highland pastures, part of the Erzincan tulum cheese tradition.
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 İliç: Local Products
- Tulum Peyniri Tulum cheese produced on İliç's highland pastures, an important part of the Erzincan tulum cheese tradition.
- Hayvansal Ürünler (animal products) Milk, cheese and butter produced in the district, where small livestock farming is widespread, prepared by traditional methods.
What İliç Is Famous For: Culture and Traditions
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Fırat Vadisi Yaşamı
İliç has been a place of settlement in the Euphrates River valley for centuries. Farming and livestock rearing, intertwined with the river, have shaped the district's cultural identity.
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Maden İşçiliği Hafızası
The gold mine in İliç is an important part of the district's modern history. The mining disaster of 2024 has left a deep mark on the collective memory of local people.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I eat in İliç?
İliç is known for 3 local dishes, above all Tandır Kebabı (clay-oven lamb), Kesme Çorbası (hand-cut dough soup) and Tulum Peyniri. Lamb meat slow-cooked for hours in a clay tandır oven. Prepared on special occasions in İliç's villages, it is the region's most loved dish.
What is İliç famous for?
İliç is known for Tandır Kebabı (clay-oven lamb), Tulum Peyniri and Fırat Vadisi Yaşamı. Its best-known sights include Fırat Nehri Valley and İliç Castle.
What to buy in İliç?
Local products and souvenirs to buy in İliç include Tulum Peyniri and Hayvansal Ürünler (animal products).
İliç Travel Guide
- Things to Do in İliç 6 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)
- Çayırlı 3 dishes Tandır Kebabı (clay-oven lamb), Kesme Çorbası (hand-cut pasta soup) and Höşmerim (sweet fried cheese pastry)
- 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)