Dishes you should try in Sivas: Sivas Köftesi (Sivas meatballs), Sivas Katmeri (Sivas katmer), Sivas Pastırması (Sivas pastırma) and Divriği Pilavı (Divriği rice pilaf). This guide also covers the local products to buy and what Sivas is famous for.
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Meatballs with a registered geographical indication.
Katmer (flaky pastry) with a registered geographical indication.
Pastırma (cured beef) with a registered geographical indication.
A pilaf with a registered geographical indication, also known as Alatlı pilavı.
Döner with a registered geographical indication.
Bread with a registered geographical indication.
Made with local madımak herb, bulgur and yoghurt, this soup is Sivas's best-known traditional flavour.
Katmer, thin yufka dough spread with butter, folded and cooked on a griddle, is Sivas's breakfast treat.
Prepared by slow-cooking wheat and meat and then pounding them, keşkek is indispensable at wedding feasts. It is prepared with a communal spirit.
Prepared by slow-cooking wheat and meat and then pounding them, keşkek is indispensable at wedding feasts. Pounding the wheat and boiling it with meat for hours is a process that requires patience.
Divriği Pilavı was registered as a protected geographical indication on 9 October 2020 (TÜRKPATENT registration no. 564). Product group: dishes and soups. Registered by: Divriği Kaymakamlığı.
Prepared with minced meat and spices, Divriği köftesi is served grilled.
Prepared by simmering wheat and meat for a long time and then pounding them, keşkek is an indispensable dish at wedding tables. Serving it with melted butter poured over it is part of the tradition.
Prepared by slow-cooking wheat and meat and then pounding them, keşkek is indispensable at wedding feasts. Listed on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage List, it is a source of pride for Turkish cuisine.
A cold soup with ayran and mint, made in rural areas in summer.
One of the dough-based foods commonly made in Doğanşar.
The text also counts Bal helvası, Bulgur Köftesi, Çirli Et and Madımak among the main dishes made in Doğanşar.
Prepared by simmering wheat and meat for a long time and then pounding them, keşkek is indispensable at wedding tables. Small differences in each village's keşkek recipe add to the richness of the dish.
Guelder rose fruit grown in Gemerek; according to the source, it is a fleshy, juicy, thin-skinned product with large grains.
Keşkek, made by slow-cooking wheat and meat and then pounding them together, is an essential dish at wedding feasts. Prepared in a communal spirit, it is a must at wedding tables.
Gürün Dut Pekmezi was registered as a designation of origin on 30 September 2021 (TÜRKPATENT registration no. 906). Product group: processed and unprocessed fruit and vegetables, and mushrooms. Registered by: Gürün District Governorship.
Gürün pastırması is prepared by drying beef marinated in special spices. It is one of Sivas's best-known gastronomic treasures.
Gürün's famous apples are used in desserts and dishes. Prepared using recipes passed down through generations, this dish is an important part of the local food culture.
A soup made with local wild madımak herb, bulgur and yoghurt. It is a traditional delicacy of Hafik.
A dish made with lamb and vegetables, seasoned with spices specific to the region.
A product made in the district; sources note that it is famous.
Prepared by slow-cooking wheat and meat and then pounding them, keşkek is indispensable at wedding feasts. Pounding the wheat and boiling it with meat for hours is a process that requires patience.
Kangal Balıklı Hot Springs was registered as a protected designation of origin on 7 April 2003 (TÜRKPATENT registration no. 46). Product group: other products. Registered by: Kangal District Governorship.
Made with local madımak herb, bulgur and yoghurt, this soup is a traditional flavour of Kangal.
Keşkek, made by slow-cooking and pounding wheat and meat, is an essential at wedding tables. Serving it drizzled with melted butter is part of the tradition.
A local tomato grown from heirloom seed in Koyulhisar, registered with a geographical indication.
Keşkek, prepared by cooking wheat and meat for a long time and pounding them, is indispensable at wedding tables. Small differences in each village's keşkek recipe add to the richness of the dish.
Keşkek, made by cooking wheat and meat for a long time and then pounding them, is indispensable at wedding feasts. Listed on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list, keşkek is a source of pride in Turkish cuisine.
Ulaş Etli Pidesi was registered as a protected geographical indication on 14 July 2020 (TÜRKPATENT registration no. 502). Product group: bakery and pastry products, dough products, desserts. Registered by: Ulaş District Governorship.
Keşkek, made by cooking wheat and meat for a long time and then pounding them, is indispensable at wedding feasts. A must at wedding tables, keşkek is prepared in a spirit of community.
A soup made with local wild madımak herb, bulgur and yoghurt, a traditional dish of Yıldızeli.
A dish made from wild herbs, usually cooked in the region with dried meat (kakç) or pastırma with çemen (fenugreek).
A soup made in winter from kışlık katık, a winter staple obtained by straining, salting and cooking spring yoghurt and drying it in the sun, then dissolving it in water.
A dough dish, folded larger than classic mantı, filled with potato or minced meat.
A traditional sweet that requires skill to make, pulled by hand in the communal imece method.
Natural mineral water from Kaman village, within the district boundaries.
Zara Balı was registered as a protected geographical indication on 26 April 2022 (TÜRKPATENT registration no. 1095). Product group: honey. Registered by: Zara Chamber of Agriculture.
A soup made with local madımak herb, bulgur and yoghurt, Zara's traditional delicacy.
The living tradition of folk poets in Şarkışla, where Âşık Veysel was born.
The 13th-century madrasas of Sivas and the stonework of Divriği.
A shepherd dog named after the Kangal district, defined by the FCI in 2018.
Sivas is known for 6 local dishes, above all Sivas Köftesi (Sivas meatballs), Sivas Katmeri (Sivas katmer), Sivas Pastırması (Sivas pastırma) and Divriği Pilavı (Divriği rice pilaf). Meatballs with a registered geographical indication.
Sivas is known for Sivas Köftesi (Sivas meatballs), Kangal Koyunu (Kangal sheep) and Âşık tradition. Its best-known sights include Divriği Grand Mosque and Hospital and Divriği Castle.
Local products and souvenirs to buy in Sivas include Kangal Koyunu (Kangal sheep), Zara Balı (Zara honey), Gemerek Gilaburusu (Gemerek gilaburu) and Gürün Dut Pekmezi (Gürün mulberry molasses).