Dishes you should try in Kemaliye: Kemaliye Lök Tatlısı, Kemaliye Cevizli Sucuk (walnut and grape molasses sweet), Tandır Kebabı (clay-oven lamb) and Kemaliye Pekmezi. This guide also covers the local products to buy and what Kemaliye is famous for.
Last updated:
Kemaliye Lök Tatlısı was registered as a protected geographical indication on 21 August 2023 (TÜRKPATENT registration no. 1452). Product group: bakery and pastry products, dough products, sweets. Registered by: Kemaliye Municipality.
A traditional sweet made by dipping walnut kernels in grape molasses and drying them. It is one of Kemaliye's best-known delicacies and is eaten as an energy source during the winter months.
Prepared by slowly cooking lamb in a clay tandır oven for hours. Tandır kebab is prepared for special occasions in the villages of Kemaliye and is the most beloved dish of the region.
Grape molasses boiled by traditional methods from grapes grown in the region, eaten as an energy source during the winter months. It is an indispensable part of breakfast tables.
These dishes are known throughout Erzincan province; see the provincial food guide for details.
A cheese with a registered geographical indication, matured in a skin tulum.
Kadayıf with a registered geographical indication.
A local dish with a registered geographical indication.
A rice pudding (sütlaç) with a registered geographical indication.
Kemaliye's historic stone houses from the Ottoman period form the basis of the district's cultural identity. Preserved through restoration work, these houses are an important attraction for cultural tourism.
The Karanlık Canyon and the natural formations around it have made Kemaliye a centre of adventure tourism. Trekking, rock climbing and outdoor sports activities are organised.
Kemaliye is known for 4 local dishes, above all Kemaliye Lök Tatlısı, Kemaliye Cevizli Sucuk (walnut and grape molasses sweet), Tandır Kebabı (clay-oven lamb) and Kemaliye Pekmezi. Kemaliye Lök Tatlısı was registered as a protected geographical indication on 21 August 2023 (TÜRKPATENT registration no. 1452). Product group: bakery and pastry products, dough products, sweets. Registered by: Kemaliye Municipality.
Kemaliye is known for Kemaliye Lök Tatlısı, Kemaliye Dutu (Kemaliye mulberries) and Historic Stone Houses Heritage. Its best-known sights include Karanlık Canyon and Kemaliye Historic Houses.
Local products and souvenirs to buy in Kemaliye include Kemaliye Dutu (Kemaliye mulberries), Kemaliye Gazenne Weaving (Kemaliye Gazenne fabric), Kemaliye Kapı Tokmağı/Eğin Kapı Tokmağı (Kemaliye door knockers) and Kemaliye Kuru Kaymağı/Eğin Kuru Kaymağı (Kemaliye dried kaymak).