Dishes you should try in Giresun: Giresun Fındık Ezmeli Kadayıf Tatlısı (kadayıf with hazelnut paste), Görele Dondurması (Görele ice cream), Alucra Oğlak Kebabı (Alucra kid kebab) and Çavuşlu Ekmeği (Çavuşlu bread). This guide also covers the local products to buy and what Giresun is famous for.

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Famous Dishes of Giresun

  • Giresun Fındık Ezmeli Kadayıf Tatlısı (kadayıf with hazelnut paste)

    A kadayıf dessert made with hazelnut paste, registered as a geographical indication.

  • Görele Dondurması (Görele ice cream)

    Ice cream registered as a geographical indication.

  • Alucra Oğlak Kebabı (Alucra kid kebab)

    A kid-meat kebab registered as a geographical indication.

  • Çavuşlu Ekmeği (Çavuşlu bread)

    A bread specific to the town of Çavuşlu in Görele, registered as a geographical indication.

  • Karalahana Sarması (black cabbage rolls)

    An indispensable local dish of Black Sea cuisine.

Local Specialities from the Districts of Giresun

What to eat in Giresun Central District

  • Kuymak (Muhlama)

    Made by stirring corn flour, butter and fresh cheese together in a copper pan, kuymak is the best-known flavour of Black Sea cuisine.

  • Hamsili Pilav (anchovy rice)

    Anchovies baked together with rice pilaf. This dish is one of the signature flavours of Black Sea cuisine.

  • Pide

    Black Sea pide, made by filling a boat-shaped sheet of dough with minced meat, cheese or egg and baking it in a stone oven.

  • Yumurtalı Fasulye Kızartması

    Made by frying vegetables in Giresun cuisine; chard and salted beans are often used.

  • Isırgan Otu Çorbası (nettle soup)

    One of Giresun's best-loved flavours, said to strengthen the immune system.

  • Mısır Unu Helvası (corn flour halva)

    Millet flour has an important place in Giresun cuisine; it is also added to dolma and yağlaşa.

What to eat in Alucra

  • Alucra Mantısı

    Small dumplings made with hand-rolled thin dough, served with yoghurt and a buttery sauce. A traditional winter dish in Alucra.

  • Kaygana

    A fried batter made with eggs, flour and sugar, one of the traditional Black Sea breakfast dishes. In Alucra it is served with honey or grape molasses.

  • Mısır Çorbası

    A traditional soup made with maize flour and yoghurt, a staple of winter in the mountain villages of Alucra.

What to eat in Bulancak

  • Kuymak

    Made by cooking cornmeal, butter and fresh cheese in a copper pan. It is an indispensable part of breakfast tables in Bulancak.

  • Karalahana Çorbası (kale soup)

    This traditional soup is made with kale, cornmeal and beans. It is the most loved hot dish of the Black Sea's winter months.

  • Hamsi Tava (fried anchovies)

    Fresh anchovies coated in cornmeal and fried. Hamsi, the emblematic fish of the Black Sea, is never missing from tables in Bulancak in the winter months.

What to eat in Çamoluk

  • Çamoluk Mantısı

    Small mantı made with hand-rolled thin dough, served with yoghurt and a butter sauce. It is a traditional flavour of Çamoluk's winter tables.

  • Keşkek (wheat and lamb porridge)

    Prepared by boiling wheat and meat for a long time and then crushing them, keşkek is an indispensable dish at weddings and festive tables.

What to eat in Çanakçı

  • Kuymak (cornmeal, butter and cheese dish)

    Prepared by cooking cornmeal, butter and fresh cheese in a copper pan, kuymak is an essential part of Çanakçı's breakfast tables.

What to eat in Dereli

  • Kuymak (cornmeal and cheese dish)

    Kuymak, made by cooking cornmeal, butter and fresh cheese in a copper pan, is an essential part of Dereli's plateau tables.

  • Karalahana Yemeği (collard greens with beans)

    This traditional dish of collard greens cooked with cornmeal and beans is a staple winter dish in Dereli.

  • Mısır Ekmeği (cornbread)

    A traditional bread made from cornmeal, which has been a staple food in Dereli's mountain villages for centuries. Served with butter and cheese.

What to eat in Doğankent

  • Kuymak (cornmeal and cheese dish)

    Made by cooking corn flour, butter and fresh cheese in a copper pan, kuymak is an essential part of Doğankent's breakfast tables.

  • Karalahana Çorbası (collard greens soup)

    Prepared with karalahana (collard greens), corn flour and beans, this traditional soup is the staple of Doğankent's winter tables.

What to eat in Espiye

  • Kuymak

    Kuymak, made by cooking maize flour, butter and fresh cheese in a copper pan, is an essential part of Espiye's breakfast tables.

  • Hamsi Tava

    Fresh anchovies (hamsi) coated in maize flour and fried. This dish reflects Espiye's fishing tradition and is a favourite in the winter months.

  • Dible (Lahanalı Pilav, cabbage pilaf)

    Dible, made by cooking collard greens and maize flour together with rice, is one of Espiye's traditional dishes.

  • Espiye pidesi

    It is said to have a history of about 100 years and is notable as the first pide registered in the region.

What to eat in Eynesil

  • Kuymak (cornmeal and cheese)

    Kuymak, made by cooking cornmeal, butter and fresh cheese in a copper pan, is an essential part of Eynesil's breakfast tables.

  • Hamsi Buğulama (steamed anchovy)

    Fresh anchovies steamed with onion and pepper. It reflects the fishing tradition of Eynesil.

  • Mısır Ekmeği (cornbread)

    Traditional bread made from cornmeal, served in Eynesil with butter and cheese as a staple food.

What to eat in Görele

  • Kuymak

    Made by cooking cornmeal, butter and fresh cheese in a copper pan, kuymak is indispensable on Görele's breakfast tables.

  • Hamsili Ekmek (anchovy bread)

    Prepared by baking anchovies laid into cornmeal dough. A reflection of Görele's fishing tradition, it is a favourite in the winter months.

  • Kaygana (sweet fried dough)

    A fried dough made with egg, flour and sugar, served in Görele with honey or grape molasses. It is a traditional breakfast delicacy.

  • Görele Pidesi

    A type of pide made in many pide restaurants in Görele, whose recipe appears on the municipality's website.

What to eat in Güce

  • Kuymak (cornmeal and cheese dish)

    Made by cooking corn flour, butter and fresh cheese in a copper pan, kuymak is an essential part of Güce's breakfast tables.

  • Mısır Ekmeği (corn bread)

    Traditional bread made from corn flour, it is a staple food in Güce's mountain villages.

  • Chestnut honey

    A honey made from chestnut blossom, very famous in the district.

What to eat in Keşap

  • Kuymak (cornmeal and cheese dish)

    Made by cooking corn flour, butter and fresh cheese in a copper pan, kuymak is an essential part of Keşap's breakfast tables.

  • Hamsi Tava (fried anchovies)

    Fresh anchovies coated in corn flour and fried. It reflects Keşap's fishing tradition.

  • Keşap hazelnut

    A product of the district, whose economy relies largely on hazelnut farming.

What to eat in Piraziz

  • Kuymak (cornmeal and cheese dish)

    Made by cooking corn flour, butter and fresh cheese in a copper pan, kuymak is an essential part of Piraziz's breakfast tables.

  • Hamsi Buğulama (steamed anchovies)

    Fresh anchovies steamed with onion and pepper. It reflects Piraziz's fishing tradition.

  • Pide

    Black Sea pide, made by filling a boat-shaped sheet of dough with minced meat or cheese and baking it in a stone oven.

  • Fındık (hazelnut)

    A product of the district, whose economy relies largely on hazelnut farming.

What to eat in Şebinkarahisar

  • Şebinkarahisar Mantısı (small dumplings)

    Small dumplings made from hand-rolled thin dough, served with yoghurt and a butter sauce. A traditional flavour of Şebinkarahisar's winter tables.

  • Keşkek (wheat and meat porridge)

    Keşkek, made by cooking wheat and meat for a long time and pounding them, is an indispensable dish at weddings and holiday tables in Şebinkarahisar.

  • Tarhana Çorbası (tarhana soup)

    Tarhana, made by drying yoghurt, tomato and wheat flour and grinding it to powder, is the staple soup of the winter months.

  • Şebinkarahisar Pestili (fruit leather)

    Named as Şebinkarahisar's pestil in the Giresun Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism's description of local flavours.

What to eat in Tirebolu

  • Kuymak (cornmeal and cheese dish)

    Kuymak, made by cooking cornmeal, butter and fresh cheese in a copper pan, is an essential at Tirebolu's breakfast tables.

  • Hamsi Buğulama (steamed anchovies)

    Prepared by steaming fresh anchovies with onion, tomato and pepper. A reflection of Tirebolu's fishing tradition, this dish is a favourite in the winter months.

  • Laz Böreği

    Laz böreği, baked with custard between thin layers of yufka and sweetened with syrup, is one of the distinctive desserts of the Black Sea.

  • Isırgan Yemeği (nettle dish)

    A dish made from stinging nettle, mentioned among the flavours of the district's cuisine on the "Tirebolu Cuisine" page of the Tirebolu District Governorship.

  • Kiraz Tuzlusu Kavurması (salted cherry dish)

    Featured on the "Tirebolu Cuisine" page of the Tirebolu District Governorship; a dish prepared from salted cherries.

  • Taflan Tuzlusu Kavurması (taflan fish dish)

    Featured on the "Tirebolu Cuisine" page of the Tirebolu District Governorship; a dish prepared with taflan, onion and oil.

  • Hamsi Böreği (anchovy pie)

    Referred to as the "famous anchovy pie" on the "Tirebolu Cuisine" page of the Tirebolu District Governorship; a local speciality.

What to eat in Yağlıdere

  • Kuymak (cornmeal and cheese dish)

    Made by cooking corn flour, butter and fresh cheese in a copper pan, kuymak is an essential part of Yağlıdere's breakfast tables.

  • Karalahana Çorbası

    Prepared with karalahana (collard greens), corn flour and beans, this traditional soup is the staple of Yağlıdere's winter tables.

What to Buy in Giresun: Local Products

  • Giresun Tombul Fındığı (Giresun tombul hazelnuts) Round hazelnuts with a thin shell and a high kernel ratio; registered as a geographical indication.
  • Giresun Fındık Ezmesi (Giresun hazelnut paste) Hazelnut paste registered as a geographical indication.
  • Şebinkarahisar Karadutu (Şebinkarahisar black mulberries) Black mulberries registered as a geographical indication.
  • Piraziz Elması (Piraziz apples) Apples registered as a geographical indication.
  • Çamoluk Şeker Kuru Fasulyesi (Çamoluk sugar beans) Beans registered with a protected designation of origin.
  • Tamzara Dokuması (Tamzara weaving) Weaving specific to the village of Tamzara in Şebinkarahisar, registered as a geographical indication.

What Giresun Is Famous For: Culture and Traditions

  • Aksu Festival (20 May)

    A spring festival that begins on the banks of the Aksu Stream and continues with boats circling Giresun Island.

  • Hazelnut harvest

    A harvest season that begins in late August and continues in the villages with communal work and threshing floors.

  • Horon and kemençe

    The music and folk-dance tradition of the coastal districts.

  • Highland festivals

    Festivals held in July–August on the Kümbet, Bektaş and other highland pastures.

Frequently Asked Questions

What should I eat in Giresun?

Giresun is known for 5 local dishes, above all Giresun Fındık Ezmeli Kadayıf Tatlısı (kadayıf with hazelnut paste), Görele Dondurması (Görele ice cream), Alucra Oğlak Kebabı (Alucra kid kebab) and Çavuşlu Ekmeği (Çavuşlu bread). A kadayıf dessert made with hazelnut paste, registered as a geographical indication.

What is Giresun famous for?

Giresun is known for Giresun Fındık Ezmeli Kadayıf Tatlısı (kadayıf with hazelnut paste), Giresun Tombul Fındığı (Giresun tombul hazelnuts) and Aksu Festival (20 May). Its best-known sights include Giresun Island and Giresun Castle.

What to buy in Giresun?

Local products and souvenirs to buy in Giresun include Giresun Tombul Fındığı (Giresun tombul hazelnuts), Giresun Fındık Ezmesi (Giresun hazelnut paste), Şebinkarahisar Karadutu (Şebinkarahisar black mulberries) and Piraziz Elması (Piraziz apples).

Giresun Travel Guide

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