Dishes you should try in Niğde: Niğde Tavası (Niğde pan dish), Bor Söğürmesi, Niğde Tahinlisi (Niğde tahini pastry) and Niğde Sarım Burma Tatlısı. This guide also covers the local products to buy and what Niğde is famous for.
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Famous Dishes of Niğde
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Niğde Tavası (Niğde pan dish)
A pan-cooked dish with a registered geographical indication.
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Bor Söğürmesi
A local dish with a registered geographical indication.
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Niğde Tahinlisi (Niğde tahini pastry)
A tahini pastry with a registered geographical indication.
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Niğde Sarım Burma Tatlısı
A dessert with a registered geographical indication.
Local Specialities from the Districts of Niğde
What to eat in Niğde Central District
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Niğde Mantısı
Prepared by boiling small hand-rolled dough pieces filled with minced meat. Served with a garlic yoghurt and red-pepper butter sauce. Prepared by local people on special occasions, this dish is a symbol of hospitality.
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Arabaşı Çorbası (chicken and flour soup)
A thick soup made from chicken broth and flour, the traditional dish of Niğde's winter tables.
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Niğde Elma Tatlısı (apple dessert)
Prepared by cooking locally grown apples with sugar and serving them with walnuts and cinnamon.
What to eat in Bor
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Bor Mantısı
Small pieces of hand-rolled dough filled with minced meat and boiled. Served with a sauce of yoghurt and butter, it can be tasted in its most authentic form at local markets and home-style restaurants.
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Arabaşı (thick chicken soup)
A thick soup made from chicken stock and flour, the traditional winter dish of Bor.
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Bor Sucuğu (walnut strings dipped in grape molasses)
Walnut strings dipped in grape molasses and dried. It is Bor's traditional winter sweet and is made during the grape harvest season.
What to eat in Çamardı
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Çamardı Tandır Eti
Prepared by slow-cooking lamb for hours in a clay tandır oven. It is a traditional dish of the mountain villages.
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Keşkek
Prepared by simmering cracked wheat and lamb for a long time until it reaches a porridge-like consistency.
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Dağ Alabalığı
Trout raised in the cold streams of the Aladağlar, served grilled or pan-fried in butter.
What to eat in Çiftlik
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Çiftlik Mantısı
Prepared by boiling small hand-rolled dough pieces filled with minced meat. Served with a yoghurt and butter sauce. Preparing it with seasonal ingredients means the dish offers a different flavour in every season.
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Patates Yemeği (potato dish)
Prepared by baking locally grown potatoes with minced meat and onion. Made with fresh and natural ingredients, the dish is a healthy choice.
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Arabaşı (chicken and flour soup)
A thick soup made from chicken broth and flour, the traditional dish of winter tables.
What to eat in Ulukışla
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Ulukışla Tandır Eti (tandır-baked lamb)
Prepared by slowly baking lamb in a clay tandır oven for hours. It is a traditional dish of the mountain villages. The meat takes on a unique aroma as it absorbs the earthy smell of the tandır.
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Tarhana Çorbası (dried yoghurt and wheat soup)
A soup made from tarhana, which is yoghurt, tomato and wheat flour dried together. It is essential to winter tables.
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Keşkek (wheat and lamb porridge)
Prepared by boiling cracked wheat and lamb for a long time until it becomes a porridge. Keşkek is an essential dish at weddings and is prepared in a communal spirit.
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Kiraz (Darboğaz) (Darboğaz cherries)
Cherries grown in Ulukışla have been promoted for 16 years through a cherry festival organised by the district governorship in Darboğaz village.
What to Buy in Niğde: Local Products
- Niğde Geven Balı (Niğde geven honey) Honey with a registered geographical indication.
- Darboğaz Kirazı (Darboğaz cherries) Cherries with a registered geographical indication.
- Obruk (Arısama) Halısı (Obruk (Arısama) carpet) A hand-woven carpet with a registered geographical indication.
- Niğde Kalsiti (Niğde calcite) A natural stone with a registered geographical indication.
What Niğde Is Famous For: Culture and Traditions
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Mountaineering
The culture of mountaineering and climbing that has developed in the Aladağlar and at Demirkazık.
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Potato and apple harvests
The autumn harvests that shape the province's economy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I eat in Niğde?
Niğde is known for 4 local dishes, above all Niğde Tavası (Niğde pan dish), Bor Söğürmesi, Niğde Tahinlisi (Niğde tahini pastry) and Niğde Sarım Burma Tatlısı. A pan-cooked dish with a registered geographical indication.
What is Niğde famous for?
Niğde is known for Niğde Tavası (Niğde pan dish), Niğde Geven Balı (Niğde geven honey) and Mountaineering. Its best-known sights include Gümüşler Monastery and Alaeddin Mosque.
What to buy in Niğde?
Local products and souvenirs to buy in Niğde include Niğde Geven Balı (Niğde geven honey), Darboğaz Kirazı (Darboğaz cherries), Obruk (Arısama) Halısı (Obruk (Arısama) carpet) and Niğde Kalsiti (Niğde calcite).