Dishes you should try in Bodrum: Bodrum Çökertme Kebabı, Bodrum Kebabı (lamb casserole), Çökertme Kebabı (fried beef with yoghurt and potatoes) and Keşkek. This guide also covers the local products to buy and what Bodrum is famous for.
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Famous Dishes of Bodrum
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Bodrum Çökertme Kebabı
Bodrum Çökertme Kebabı was registered as a geographical indication on 14 August 2025 (TÜRKPATENT registration no. 1759). Product group: dishes and soups. Registered by: Bodrum Chamber of Commerce.
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Bodrum Kebabı (lamb casserole)
Lamb slowly cooked in a casserole with onion, tomato and pepper. The traditional winter dish of Bodrum, its flavour is enhanced by cooking in a wood-fired oven.
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Çökertme Kebabı (fried beef with yoghurt and potatoes)
A dish specific to Bodrum, made with finely minced beef that is fried and served on yoghurt and fried potatoes. It is among the geographically indicated dishes of Muğla.
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Keşkek
Cracked wheat and meat boiled for hours until they reach a porridge-like consistency. Keşkek, essential at weddings and festive tables, is listed on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list.
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Bodrum Ahtapot Pilavı (octopus pilaf)
A type of seafood pilaf specific to Bodrum cuisine.
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Bodrum Tarama
A meze made with three ingredients, the main one being caviar.
Dishes from Muğla Cuisine
What to eat in Muğla →These dishes are known throughout Muğla province; see the provincial food guide for details.
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Muğla Köftesi (Muğla meatballs)
Meatballs with a registered geographical indication.
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Muğla Saraylısı (Muğla pastry dessert)
A dessert with a registered geographical indication.
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Milas Tepsi Böreği (Milas tray börek)
A börek with a registered geographical indication.
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Bodrum Tırhandili (Bodrum fish dish)
A fish dish with a registered geographical indication.
What to Buy in Bodrum: Local Products
- Bodrum Guleti Bodrum Guleti was registered as a geographical indication on 9 October 2024 (TÜRKPATENT registration no. 1647). Product group: other products. Registered by: Bodrum Chamber of Commerce.
- Bodrum Mandarini (Bodrum mandarins) Bodrum Mandarini was registered as a protected designation of origin on 20 November 2012 (TÜRKPATENT registration no. 162). Product group: processed and unprocessed fruits and vegetables, and mushrooms. Registered by: Bodrum Citrus Producers' Union.
- Bodrum Tırhandili Bodrum Tırhandili was registered as a geographical indication on 17 September 2025 (TÜRKPATENT registration no. 1776). Product group: other products. Registered by: Bodrum Chamber of Commerce.
What Bodrum Is Famous For: Culture and Traditions
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Bodrum Maritime Tradition
Bodrum is where the concept of the 'blue voyage' (mavi yolculuk) was born in Türkiye. The blue voyage tradition started in the 1940s by the writer Cevat Şakir Kabaağaçlı (Halikarnas Balıkçısı, the Fisherman of Halicarnassus) has become a worldwide tourism brand.
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Whitewashed Houses (Beyaz Badanalı Evler)
The whitewashed stone houses with blue windows, the symbol of Bodrum, have been under protection since the 1970s. Buildings taller than two storeys are banned in the district, and this architectural fabric helped Bodrum be included on UNESCO's Tentative World Heritage List.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I eat in Bodrum?
Bodrum is known for 6 local dishes, above all Bodrum Çökertme Kebabı, Bodrum Kebabı (lamb casserole), Çökertme Kebabı (fried beef with yoghurt and potatoes) and Keşkek. Bodrum Çökertme Kebabı was registered as a geographical indication on 14 August 2025 (TÜRKPATENT registration no. 1759). Product group: dishes and soups. Registered by: Bodrum Chamber of Commerce.
What is Bodrum famous for?
Bodrum is known for Bodrum Çökertme Kebabı, Bodrum Guleti and Bodrum Maritime Tradition. Its best-known sights include Bodrum Castle (Underwater Archaeology Museum) and Mausoleum at Halicarnassus (Halikarnas Mozolesi).
What to buy in Bodrum?
Local products and souvenirs to buy in Bodrum include Bodrum Guleti, Bodrum Mandarini (Bodrum mandarins) and Bodrum Tırhandili.
Bodrum Travel Guide
What to Eat in Other Districts of Muğla
- Dalaman 3 dishes Dalaman Çupra Izgara (grilled gilthead bream), Otlu Gözleme and Kabak Çiçeği Dolması (stuffed squash flowers)
- Datça 3 dishes Datça Bademi ile Yapılan Tatlılar (sweets made with Datça almonds), Zeytinyağlı Ot Yemekleri (wild herbs cooked in olive oil) and Balık Güveç (fish casserole)
- Fethiye 4 dishes Fethiye Tarhanası (tarhana soup), Fethiye Mezes and Kuzugöbeği Mantarı Sote (sautéed kuzugöbeği mushrooms)
- Kavaklıdere 3 dishes Kavaklıdere Tandır Eti (lamb cooked in a tandır oven), Keçi Sütü Yoğurdu and Otlu Gözleme
- Köyceğiz 5 dishes Köyceğiz Kefali, Sığla Yağlı Yemekler (dishes made with sığla oil) and Çıtırma (corn bread)
- Marmaris 4 dishes Marmaris Çam Balı (Marmaris pine honey), Marmaris Ahtapot Güveç (octopus casserole) and Çökertme Kebabı (fried beef with yoghurt and potatoes)
- Menteşe 3 dishes Muğla Tava Kebabı, Kızılcık Şerbeti and Patlıcan Böreği
- Milas 7 dishes Milas Ciğer Kavurması, Milas Çıntar Kavurması and Milas Ekşili Köfte
- Ortaca 5 dishes Dalyan Levreği (sea bass), Ortaca Zeytinyağlı Enginar (artichokes cooked in olive oil) and Kabak Çiçeği Dolması (stuffed courgette flowers)
- Seydikemer 3 dishes Yaka Trout, Tandır Ekmeği (clay oven bread) and Keşkek (wheat and lamb dish)
- Ula 4 dishes Ula Bazlaması (thick griddle bread), Akyaka Seafood and Zeytinyağlı Ot Kavurması (wild herbs sautéed in olive oil)
- Yatağan 3 dishes Yatağan Tandır Kebabı (slow-cooked lamb from an earth oven), Keşkek (wheat and meat porridge) and Patlıcan Musakka (aubergine musakka)