Dishes you should try in Trabzon: Akçaabat Köftesi (Akçaabat meatballs), Hamsiköy Sütlacı (Hamsiköy rice pudding), Trabzon Kuymağı (Trabzon cornmeal and cheese fondue) and Vakfıkebir Ekmeği (Vakfıkebir bread). This guide also covers the local products to buy and what Trabzon is famous for.

Share with friends

Last updated:

Famous Dishes of Trabzon

  • Akçaabat Köftesi (Akçaabat meatballs)

    Köfte (meatballs) with a registered geographical indication.

  • Hamsiköy Sütlacı (Hamsiköy rice pudding)

    Rice pudding with a registered geographical indication.

  • Trabzon Kuymağı (Trabzon cornmeal and cheese fondue)

    Kuymak (muhlama) with a registered geographical indication.

  • Vakfıkebir Ekmeği (Vakfıkebir bread)

    Bread with a registered geographical indication.

  • Sürmene Pidesi

    Pide with a registered geographical indication.

  • Çarşıbaşı Keşanı

    Keşan with a registered geographical indication.

Local Specialities from the Districts of Trabzon

What to eat in Akçaabat

  • Kuymak (Muhlama)

    Made by stirring cornmeal and Trabzon cheese into melted butter and cooking them together, kuymak is an essential breakfast dish on Akçaabat's tables.

  • Hamsi Tava (fried anchovies)

    Fresh anchovies fried in cornmeal, the most loved dish in Akçaabat during the winter months. It is served with cornbread and pickles.

What to eat in Araklı

  • Hamsi Pilavı

    Fresh anchovies baked with rice pilaf. It is the most loved winter dish in Araklı.

  • Kuymak

    Made by stirring cornmeal and Trabzon cheese together in butter. It is an indispensable part of breakfast tables in Araklı.

  • Tutamaç çorbası

    A soup made from bread dough, flavoured with mint and garlic, with yoghurt poured over it.

  • Tirma

    Made by adding water to melted butter in a pan and bringing it to the boil.

  • Zumur

    Made by mixing corn bread with melted butter and aged cheese.

  • Kavut (Gavut)

    Made from kavut flour and served with syrup poured over it.

  • Kabak yahnisi

    A dish of meat and white squash cooked together.

  • Kara lahana

    A dish made from finely chopped black cabbage.

What to eat in Arsin

  • Kuymak (cornmeal and cheese)

    Kuymak, made by cooking cornmeal and Trabzon cheese mixed in butter, is an essential part of Arsin's breakfast tables.

  • Hamsi Tava (fried anchovy)

    Fresh anchovies fried in cornmeal, the most loved dish in the winter months. It is served with cornbread.

  • Arsin Foşa Fındığı (Arsin Foşa hazelnut)

    A geographically protected product that is named in the gastronomy tourism project promoting Trabzon's geographically protected flavours.

What to eat in Beşikdüzü

  • Kuymak (cornmeal and cheese dish)

    Kuymak, prepared by stirring cornmeal and Trabzon cheese together in butter, is an essential flavour of Beşikdüzü's breakfast tables.

  • Hamsi Ekmeği (anchovy cornbread)

    A local delicacy made by placing anchovies on cornbread dough and baking it in the oven. It is one of the most frequently eaten dishes in the winter months.

  • Trabzon ekmeği (Trabzon bread)

    A bread baked in stone ovens and produced across the province. It is said to be most produced in Beşikdüzü.

What to eat in Çarşıbaşı

  • Kuymak (cornmeal and cheese dish)

    Made by stirring cornmeal and Trabzon cheese into melted butter and cooking them together, kuymak is an essential breakfast dish on Çarşıbaşı's tables.

  • Hamsi Tava (fried anchovies)

    Fresh anchovies fried in cornmeal, the most loved dish during the winter months. It is served with cornbread. Anchovies caught in the cold waters of the Black Sea reach their most delicious state in winter.

  • Trabzon Bread

    This bread, baked in a stone oven and famous for staying fresh for a long time, is also produced in large quantities in Çarşıbaşı.

What to eat in Çaykara

  • Kuymak

    Kuymak, made by stirring cornmeal and Trabzon cheese in butter as they cook, is an indispensable flavour of Çaykara's plateau breakfasts.

  • Alabalık (trout)

    Trout raised in Uzungöl and the streams around it, served grilled or fried in a pan. Freshly caught fish offers a gastronomic experience specific to the region.

What to eat in Dernekpazarı

  • Kuymak (cornmeal and cheese dish)

    Made by stirring cornmeal and Trabzon cheese into melted butter and cooking them together, kuymak is an essential breakfast dish on Dernekpazarı's tables.

  • Karalahana Sarması (stuffed kale leaves)

    A local dish made by wrapping kale leaves around rice and minced meat and cooking them, served with butter.

What to eat in Düzköy

  • Kuymak (cornmeal and cheese dish)

    Made by stirring cornmeal and Trabzon cheese into melted butter and cooking them together, kuymak is an essential breakfast dish on Düzköy's tables.

  • Karalahana Çorbası (kale soup)

    Prepared with kale, cornmeal and beans, this soup is one of the most characteristic dishes of Black Sea cuisine.

What to eat in Hayrat

  • Kuymak (cornmeal and cheese dish)

    Made by stirring cornmeal and Trabzon cheese into melted butter and cooking them together, kuymak is an essential breakfast dish on Hayrat's tables.

  • Corn Bread

    A traditional bread made from cornmeal, an essential part of everyday meals in Hayrat. It is eaten together with kuymak and butter.

What to eat in Köprübaşı

  • Kuymak (cornmeal and cheese dish)

    Made by stirring cornmeal and Trabzon cheese into melted butter and cooking them together, kuymak is an essential breakfast dish on Köprübaşı's tables.

  • Karalahana Sarması (stuffed kale leaves)

    A local dish made by wrapping kale leaves around rice and minced meat and cooking them, served with butter. The meeting of kale and cornmeal creates one of the most characteristic flavours of Black Sea cuisine.

What to eat in Maçka

  • Kuymak (Muhlama)

    Made by stirring cornmeal and Trabzon cheese into melted butter and cooking them together, kuymak is an indispensable flavour of Maçka's plateau breakfasts.

  • Karalahana Çorbası (collard green soup)

    Prepared with collard greens, cornmeal and beans, this soup is one of the most characteristic dishes of Black Sea cuisine. Collard greens paired with cornmeal create the most distinctive flavour of Black Sea cooking.

What to eat in Of

  • Kuymak

    Prepared by stirring cornmeal and Trabzon cheese together in butter, kuymak is an essential dish of Of's highland breakfasts.

  • Pide

    Of pide is prepared in a closed, boat-shaped form, with minced meat and cheese varieties, and is baked and served from a stone oven.

What to eat in Ortahisar

  • Trabzon Pide

    Prepared closed and boat-shaped, Trabzon pide is the best-known flavour of Black Sea cuisine, in minced meat, cheese and egg varieties. It is baked in a stone oven and served with butter.

  • Kuymak (Muhlama)

    Made by stirring cornmeal and Trabzon cheese into melted butter and cooking them together, kuymak is an indispensable dish on Black Sea breakfast tables.

  • Karadeniz Hamsisi (Black Sea anchovy)

    Trabzon's emblematic fish, the hamsi, is prepared in dozens of different ways: fried, steamed, with rice or with bread. It is at its most delicious from November to March.

  • Trabzon Karalahana Sarması (stuffed kale leaves with Trabzon butter)

    A local dish made by wrapping kale leaves around rice and minced meat and cooking them. It is served with Trabzon butter.

What to eat in Sürmene

  • Kuymak (Muhlama)

    Made by stirring cornmeal and Trabzon cheese into melted butter and cooking them together, kuymak is an indispensable dish on Sürmene's breakfast tables.

What to eat in Şalpazarı

  • Kuymak

    Made by stirring cornmeal and Trabzon cheese into melted butter and cooking them together, kuymak is an indispensable dish on Şalpazarı's breakfast tables.

  • Karalahana Çorbası (collard green soup)

    Prepared with collard greens, cornmeal and beans, this soup is one of the most characteristic dishes of Black Sea cuisine. Warming on cold winter days, it is the local comfort food.

What to eat in Tonya

  • Tonya Tereyağı (Tonya butter)

    Tonya butter, made from the milk of cows grazing on the highland pastures using traditional methods, is a geographically protected product and one of the most famous butters in Türkiye.

  • Kuymak (cornmeal and cheese dish)

    Kuymak, made by cooking cornmeal and Trabzon cheese mixed in Tonya butter, is Tonya's most famous dish.

What to eat in Vakfıkebir

  • Vakfıkebir Külek Cheese (Vakfıkebir Külek Peyniri)

    Vakfıkebir Külek Cheese was registered as a protected geographical indication on 25 May 2021 (TÜRKPATENT registration no. 764). Product group: cheeses. Registered by: Vakfıkebir Municipality.

  • Kuymak (Muhlama)

    Made by stirring cornmeal and Trabzon cheese into melted butter and cooking them together, kuymak is an indispensable dish on Vakfıkebir's breakfast tables.

What to eat in Yomra

  • Kuymak

    Kuymak, made by stirring maize flour and Trabzon cheese into butter and cooking them, is an essential breakfast dish on Yomra tables.

  • Hamsi Tava

    Fresh anchovies fried in maize flour, the most loved flavour of the winter months. Served with maize bread. Coating them with maize flour and frying them in a pan is the most common cooking method.

  • Yomra Elması (Yomra apple)

    An apple variety that bears the name of the district; it is said not to grow outside the district. It has received a geographical indication registration from the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office.

What to Buy in Trabzon: Local Products

  • Tonya Tereyağı (Tonya butter) Butter registered with a geographical indication (designation of origin).
  • Vakfıkebir Külek Peyniri (Vakfıkebir barrel cheese) Cheese with a registered geographical indication.
  • Yomra Elması (Yomra apples) Apples with a registered geographical indication.
  • Arsin Foşa Fındığı (Arsin Foşa hazelnuts) Hazelnuts with a registered geographical indication.
  • Sürmene Bıçağı (Sürmene knife) A knife with a registered geographical indication.
  • Trabzon Telkariye ve Hasırı (Trabzon filigree and hasır) A handicraft with a registered geographical indication.

What Trabzon Is Famous For: Culture and Traditions

  • Horon

    A folk dance of the Eastern Black Sea, for which Akçaabat is also known.

  • Highland migration

    The summer migration to the highland pastures of Çaykara, Maçka and Tonya.

  • Heritage of the Empire of Trebizond

    Hagia Sophia and the monasteries.

Frequently Asked Questions

What should I eat in Trabzon?

Trabzon is known for 6 local dishes, above all Akçaabat Köftesi (Akçaabat meatballs), Hamsiköy Sütlacı (Hamsiköy rice pudding), Trabzon Kuymağı (Trabzon cornmeal and cheese fondue) and Vakfıkebir Ekmeği (Vakfıkebir bread). Köfte (meatballs) with a registered geographical indication.

What is Trabzon famous for?

Trabzon is known for Akçaabat Köftesi (Akçaabat meatballs), Tonya Tereyağı (Tonya butter) and Horon. Its best-known sights include Sumela Monastery and Uzungöl.

What to buy in Trabzon?

Local products and souvenirs to buy in Trabzon include Tonya Tereyağı (Tonya butter), Vakfıkebir Külek Peyniri (Vakfıkebir barrel cheese), Yomra Elması (Yomra apples) and Arsin Foşa Fındığı (Arsin Foşa hazelnuts).

Trabzon Travel Guide

Search 81 province guides and 968 district guides.