I recently spent some time sampling some of the best cuisines in Turkey. The UNESCO world heritage site and gastronomic capital of Turkey, Gaziantep sits in the South Eastern region of the country (not too far from Syria). I’ve been longing to come here since I saw a clip of Rick Stein in a Beyran cafe immersed in a breakfast soup, even over a screen my mouth was watering. More importantly, it is the ‘Land of Pistachio‘(literally), my favourite nut and seas of it. It’s in most sweet dishes and some savoury ‘kebabs’ too. If you love pistachios like I, add this destination to your food bucket list – Gaziantep is a must visit!
Food in Gaziantep is seasonal and plentiful, every meal was outstanding and there’s just so much of it, so much to try. It is on the heavy side with meat (mainly lamb skewers or stewed), stuffed vegetables (patlican is popular), bread and dairy products. Might not be the best for coeliac (gluten free diets) and vegans I’m afraid.
Here’s my top five food highlights from Gaziantep and where to sample them:
Top Foods:
1. Katmer
The crispy pistachio pancake is synonymous with this region, you can find ‘katmerci’ cafes in every little corner so plenty of places to try this filo pastry dessert filled with pistachio obviously and ‘kaymak‘ -clotted cream equivalent. Locals eat this for breakfast with a cup of cold milk but a little sweet for me in the morning so having for dessert or a midday snack seems appropriate with Turkish tea ‘cay’!
Where to sample: Katmerci Zekeriya Usta in the old town, family run 4th generation cafe and featured in many food trails by vloggrs. I was fortunate to meet the owner and look through the historical pictures on the wall and see the katmer being made from a dough ball to a paper thin filo layer -amazing watch!Early 2022 due to local currency, a typical katmer will set you back £2-4 and they’re large enough to be shared between two to three people.
2. Beyran
A very traditional breakfast soup that originated in this region consists of a lamb fat base, shredded lamb meats (from slow cooking) topped with rice with the most delicious broth with herbs and light spices, The Beyran çorbas is eaten as breakfast as the region is colder than others during winter, it does warm up for stomach and gets you started for the day. This dish is very light and just right for a breakfast portion. Don’t leave Gaziantep without trying this! There’s plenty of restaurants that serve the Beyran soup where you can see it being made. Pop into Yesemek Restaurant in the old town to try this alongside some of the other stews and delicious food they have here.
3. Kunéfe
Popular in the levant and middle east as well as Turkey and some regions of the Balkans (Ottoman influence) -Kunefe or Kunafa/ Knafeh is a sweet cheese filled pastry with a vermicelli top, sprinkled with ground pistachio and generous amount of syrup -this makes a very sweet dessert. Unlike the Kunefe and Baklava I’ve had in Istanbul and other regions of Turkey these were not as sweet or Syrupy. More importantly, the Kunefe was not as cheesy as I had hoped but did have generous amount of ground pistachio.
If you fancy trying out a unique Kunefe, pop into Cumba Kunefe and sample all the flavours in one. Shaped like pizza and larger base than usual single kunefes, you can choose classic, ground pistachio, whole nuts or all in one. These are larger than usual here so take others with you -it’s delicious but won’t be able to finish on your own!
4. Küsleme kebab
Made from lamb tenderloin, this is cooked in skewers like most kebabs and lightly spiced, it is the soft and tender texture that locals really enjoy and recommend for food lovers to try.
Where to sample: There are many places serving the Kusleme kebab alongside other delicious kebabs and stews, but would recommend the service at Küşlemeci Mehmet Usta.
5. Yuvalama
Another breakfast soup you must try is the Yuvalama simply because it is utterly delicious, the flavours of which you’re unlikely to have tasted or try elsewhere! Very unique to this region so don’t miss out! It is a light yoghurt soup (served warm) with a tangy citrus flavour served with tender lamb cubes and chickpeas and tender bulgur and rice balls. The small chickpea like balls made from either ground bulgur wheat or rice works very well and generous amounts of extra virgin olive oil sitting onto of the fine ‘aryan’ soup.Again, another dish very popular in Gaziantep and plenty of restaurants serving this, I tried it at Aşina Gaziantep Mutfağı which is a 10 min walk from old town.
Things to do in Gaziantep:
- Explore the old town and markets
- Panorama Museum for local history, visit this on your first day to get an idea about the local area and its most recent and ancient history.
- Copper Market (Bakircilar Carsisi)
- Gaziantep Castle (Kalesi)
- Food Musuem: Gaziantep Emine Göğüş Mutfak Müzesi
- Hamam Museum
- Oldest coffee shop in the world: Tahmis Kahvesi (serving pistachio coffee made from the seeds of Menengic tree so completely caffeine free).
- Zeugma Mosaic Museum (one of the biggest in Turkey, really worth a visit), a 15 min ride away from centre.
- Gaziantep Archeological Museum
- Famous Alinazik Kebab at Imam Cagdas
Halal Foodie Travel 