Dishes you should try in Otlukbeli: Kesme Çorbası (hand-cut pasta soup), Tandır Kebabı (clay oven lamb) and Höşmerim (fresh cheese dessert). This guide also covers the local products to buy and what Otlukbeli is famous for.
Last updated:
Famous Dishes of Otlukbeli
-
Kesme Çorbası (hand-cut pasta soup)
Traditional soup made by cooking thin-cut pieces of dough in meat broth, an essential of winter tables in the Erzincan region. Served with butter and mint.
-
Tandır Kebabı (clay oven lamb)
Lamb slow-cooked for a long time in a clay tandır oven. It gains a special flavour from the sheep raised on the high plateaus of Otlukbeli.
-
Höşmerim (fresh cheese dessert)
Traditional dessert made from fresh cheese, flour and sugar, fried in butter and served. Specific to the Erzincan region, it is prepared especially for festival meals.
Dishes from Erzincan Cuisine
What to eat in Erzincan →These dishes are known throughout Erzincan province; see the provincial food guide for details.
-
Erzincan Tulum Peyniri (Erzincan goatskin-cured cheese)
A cheese with a registered geographical indication, matured in a skin tulum.
-
Erzincan Kesme Kadayıfı (Erzincan cut kadayıf)
Kadayıf with a registered geographical indication.
-
Kemaliye Lök Tatlısı (Kemaliye lök dessert)
An Eğin dessert with a registered geographical indication.
-
Erzincan Üzümlü Sarucu (Erzincan sarucu with raisins)
A local dish with a registered geographical indication.
-
Erzincan Sütlacı (Erzincan rice pudding)
A rice pudding (sütlaç) with a registered geographical indication.
What to Buy in Otlukbeli: Local Products
- Yayla Balı (plateau honey) Flower honey gathered on the plateaus at the foot of the Mercan Mountains. The rich flora of the high altitude gives it an aromatic, high-quality character.
- Tulum Peyniri (tulum cheese) Tulum cheese, made locally by traditional methods from goat and sheep milk and matured in animal-skin tulum sacks.
What Otlukbeli Is Famous For: Culture and Traditions
-
Legacy of the Battle of Otlukbeli
The Battle of Otlukbeli of 1473, in which Fatih Sultan Mehmed defeated the Aq Qoyunlu ruler Uzun Hasan, is a historic turning point that confirmed Ottoman dominance in Eastern Anatolia. This battle is the most important historical event that shaped the identity and name of the district.
-
Plateau Culture
For centuries the people of Otlukbeli have migrated to the plateaus in summer, raising livestock and producing dairy products. This plateau tradition is a longstanding custom that deeply shapes the social life and cuisine of the area.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I eat in Otlukbeli?
Otlukbeli is known for 3 local dishes, above all Kesme Çorbası (hand-cut pasta soup), Tandır Kebabı (clay oven lamb) and Höşmerim (fresh cheese dessert). Traditional soup made by cooking thin-cut pieces of dough in meat broth, an essential of winter tables in the Erzincan region. Served with butter and mint.
What is Otlukbeli famous for?
Otlukbeli is known for Kesme Çorbası (hand-cut pasta soup), Yayla Balı (plateau honey) and Legacy of the Battle of Otlukbeli. Its best-known sights include Otlukbeli Battlefield and Otlukbeli Lake.
What to buy in Otlukbeli?
Local products and souvenirs to buy in Otlukbeli include Yayla Balı (plateau honey) and Tulum Peyniri (tulum cheese).
Otlukbeli Travel Guide
- Things to Do in Otlukbeli 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)
- Çayırlı 3 dishes Tandır Kebabı (clay-oven lamb), Kesme Çorbası (hand-cut pasta soup) and Höşmerim (sweet fried cheese pastry)
- 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)
- 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)