Dishes you should try in Malatya: Malatya Analı Kızlı Köfte (stuffed and plain meatballs in sour broth), Malatya Kağıt Kebabı (paper-wrapped kebab), Malatya İçli Köftesi (stuffed meatballs) and Yeşilyurt Kiraz Yaprağı Sarması (cherry-leaf dolma). This guide also covers the local products to buy and what Malatya is famous for.
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A dish with a registered geographical indication, in which stuffed and plain meatballs are cooked in a sour broth with chickpeas.
A kebab with a registered geographical indication.
Stuffed meatballs (içli köfte) with a registered geographical indication.
Dolma wrapped in cherry leaves, with a registered geographical indication.
A local dish with a registered geographical indication.
Akçadağ Pilavı was registered as a protected geographical indication on 8 July 2024 (TÜRKPATENT registration no. 1610). Product group: dishes and soups. Registered by: Akçadağ Municipality.
Lamb cooked with vegetables wrapped in greaseproof paper and baked in the oven. Prepared by local people on special occasions, this dish is a symbol of hospitality.
Traditional Malatya soup made with small meatballs and chickpeas, an indispensable part of winter tables.
Arapgir Balıklı Pilav was registered as a protected geographical indication on 10 February 2025 (TÜRKPATENT registration no. 1697). Product group: dishes and soups. Registered by: Arapgir Municipality.
Arapgir Deli Kız Baklavası was registered as a protected geographical indication on 23 July 2023 (TÜRKPATENT registration no. 1418). Product group: bakery and pastry products, dough products, desserts. Registered by: Arapgir Municipality.
Arapgir Gelin Kız Helvası was registered as a protected geographical indication on 17 April 2026 (TÜRKPATENT registration no. 1843). Product group: bakery and pastry products, dough products, desserts. Registered by: Arapgir Municipality.
Arapgir Pestil Kavurması was registered as a protected geographical indication on 27 September 2023 (TÜRKPATENT registration no. 1475). Product group: bakery and pastry products, dough products, desserts. Registered by: Arapgir Municipality.
Arapgir Peynirli Ekmek was registered as a protected geographical indication on 15 April 2024 (TÜRKPATENT registration no. 1567). Product group: bakery and pastry products, dough products, desserts. Registered by: Arapgir Municipality.
Arapgir Tandır Kebabı was registered as a protected geographical indication on 26 April 2021 (TÜRKPATENT registration no. 735). Product group: dishes and soups. Registered by: Arapgir Municipality.
Lamb cooked with vegetables wrapped in greaseproof paper and baked in the oven. Prepared with fresh, natural ingredients, it is a healthy option.
Traditional Malatya soup made with small meatballs and chickpeas. This dish, prepared from recipes passed down through generations, is an important part of the region's culinary culture.
Traditional Malatya soup made with small meatballs and chickpeas, indispensable on winter tables. Prepared by local people on special occasions, this dish is a symbol of hospitality.
Lamb cooked with vegetables wrapped in greaseproof paper and baked in the oven, a dish specific to Malatya.
A dessert made with Malatya's world-famous apricots, served with kaymak (clotted cream) or walnuts.
Grape and mulberry molasses is indispensable to Darende's traditional winter preparations. It is produced by natural methods.
Lamb cooked with vegetables wrapped in greaseproof paper and baked in the oven. The recipe, passed down through generations, varies slightly in each family.
Apricots are the district's biggest source of income. There are around 1.5 million apricot trees in the district.
An apricot dish named on Darende's table in a column in the newspaper Sabah. The recipe is not given in the source.
A dish made with flour that appears on the Darende table.
Lamb cooked with vegetables wrapped in greaseproof paper and baked in the oven. It can be tasted in its most authentic form at local markets and home restaurants.
Traditional Malatya soup made with small meatballs and chickpeas. This dish, prepared from recipes passed down through generations, is an important part of the region's culinary culture. Prepared by local people on special occasions, it is a symbol of hospitality.
Prepared by baking lamb with vegetables wrapped in greaseproof paper in the oven. Because it is made with seasonal ingredients, the dish offers a different flavour in each season.
A traditional dish made by simmering cracked wheat and meat for a long time. Prepared from recipes passed down through generations, it is an important part of the local food culture.
Prepared by wrapping lamb with vegetables in greaseproof paper and baking it in the oven. This dish, an important part of the district's gastronomic identity, is a favourite of visitors.
A traditional dish prepared by boiling cracked wheat and meat for a long time. Made using recipes passed down through the generations, this dish is an important part of the region's culinary culture. Keşkek, an essential dish at weddings, is prepared in a communal spirit.
Listed under the heading 'Hekimhan Katmeri' on the Malatya Governorship's page, a pastry recipe prepared by spreading melted butter over yufka flatbread.
Walnuts grown in the district and its surroundings find buyers for their size and quality.
Prepared by baking lamb with vegetables wrapped in greaseproof paper in the oven. Prepared by local people on special occasions, this dish is a symbol of hospitality.
A traditional Malatya soup made with small meatballs and chickpeas. Prepared from recipes passed down through generations, it is an important part of the local food culture. Its fresh, natural ingredients make it a healthy choice.
Prepared by baking lamb with vegetables wrapped in greaseproof paper in the oven. Its fresh, natural ingredients make it a healthy choice.
A traditional dish made by simmering cracked wheat and meat for a long time. Prepared from recipes passed down through generations, it is an important part of the local food culture. Cracking the wheat and simmering it with meat for hours is a process that requires patience.
Prepared by baking lamb with vegetables wrapped in greaseproof paper in the oven. The recipe, passed down through generations, varies slightly from family to family.
A traditional Malatya soup made with small meatballs and chickpeas. Prepared from recipes passed down through generations, it is an important part of the local food culture. The recipe, passed down through generations, varies slightly from family to family.
Prepared by baking lamb with vegetables wrapped in greaseproof paper in the oven. It can be tasted in its most authentic form at local markets and home restaurants.
A traditional Malatya soup made with small meatballs and chickpeas. Prepared from recipes passed down through generations, it is an important part of the local food culture. It can be tasted in its most authentic form at local markets and home restaurants.
Yeşilyurt Kiraz Yaprağı Sarma Köftesi was registered as a protected geographical indication on 9 October 2020 (TÜRKPATENT registration no. 570). Product group: dishes and soups. Registered by: Yeşilyurt Municipality.
A Malatya speciality prepared by baking lamb with vegetables wrapped in greaseproof paper in the oven.
A traditional Malatya soup made with small meatballs and chickpeas, an essential part of winter tables. Its fresh, natural ingredients make it a healthy choice.
An apricot festival celebrated with the harvest in late June–July.
Events held in Darende in memory of Somuncu Baba.
Excavations carried out by Italian teams since the 1960s.
Malatya is known for 5 local dishes, above all Malatya Analı Kızlı Köfte (stuffed and plain meatballs in sour broth), Malatya Kağıt Kebabı (paper-wrapped kebab), Malatya İçli Köftesi (stuffed meatballs) and Yeşilyurt Kiraz Yaprağı Sarması (cherry-leaf dolma). A dish with a registered geographical indication, in which stuffed and plain meatballs are cooked in a sour broth with chickpeas.
Malatya is known for Malatya Analı Kızlı Köfte (stuffed and plain meatballs in sour broth), Malatya Kayısısı (Malatya apricots) and Apricot harvest and festival. Its best-known sights include Arslantepe Mound and Battalgazi Grand Mosque.
Local products and souvenirs to buy in Malatya include Malatya Kayısısı (Malatya apricots), Malatya Köpük Pestili (Malatya foam fruit leather), Hekimhan Cevizi (Hekimhan walnuts) and Malatya Dalbastı Kirazı (Malatya Dalbastı cherries).