taste

Roasted Chickpea

Kütahya is famous for Tavşanlı roasted chickpea (leblebi); the chickpeas are roasted after undergoing many other treatments. Tavşanlı roasted chickpeas can be found in stores throughout Kütahya, sugared, salted or spiced, along with flavourings such as honey, sesame, chocolate, vanilla, clove, coffee, banana, orange, cherry and coconut.

Şaphane Cherry

The Kütahya cherry, rich in terms of taste, aroma, flavour, juiciness, and acidity, is registered as a geographical indication under the name of the Şaphane Cherry (Şaphane Vişnesi). Visitors can visit the cherry orchards and sample the fruit.

Poppy Seed Gözleme

Containing flour, salt, oil and poppy seed, this unique type of gözleme is a standout flavour in the Kütahya cuisine.

Cornelian Cherry Tarhana

A local tarhana-style soup made from sour cornelian cherry.

Sıkıcık Soup

The name of this soup, sıkıcık (squeek), derives from its ingredient of fine bulgur squeezed and rolled by hand. It is served with yoghurt and garlic sauce upon request.

Cimcik (Nip)

Resembling mantı, cimcik takes its name from the form of the dough. Made tiny to fit 40 pieces in a single spoon, cimcik is served with yogurt and butter sauce.

Şibit (Gözleme) with Spinach

This pastry type features a filling of spinach and onion. It is cooked on a sheet metal.

Clay Pot Kebab

This local kebab is made by cooking meat and various vegetables in a clay pot for three hours. It is usually accompanied by chips and rice.

Hekmane Plum Compote

This amazingly simple compote is easily prepared, with ingredients of dried plum, sugar and water.

Dövmeç

A salad containing eggs and greens, generally served with local gözleme.

Tray Mantı

This style of mantı is prepared on a tray (sini) and baked in the oven. Water is added to the mantı after it is baked. When the mantı softens, garlic and yoghurt sauce are added, and it is then served.

Phyllo Dessert

This dessert features eight layers of phyllo; the layers are stacked on a tray and each layer is filled with crushed walnut and starch, and then oiled. Cold sherbet is poured over the baked product and left to steep for a day. The resulting dessert is eaten with great pleasure.

Fig Dessert with Milk (Sütlü İncir Tatlısı)

This pudding is made by adding diced figs into a pudding cooked with milk and starch. It is topped with walnuts or hazelnuts.

Chicken Tirit with Şibit

Boiled chicken is placed in the centre of a pan. Dough cooked on sheet metal is cut in rolls and placed around the chicken. The chicken broth is then poured on it. It is served with yoghurt and garlic sauce.

Pide with Poppy Seeds

Pide with poppy seeds (Haşhaşlı pide) is both a tasty snack and a great gift to bring to the home of friends. It is made with bread dough infused with oil and poppy seeds.

Mousse Halva

This is a traditional dish in Kütahya and especially preferred in winter. Mousse halva (Köpük helva) is a mixture of sugar, lemon salt and gypsophila, beaten for several hours. It was registered under as Kütahya Mousse Halva in 2020 with a geographical indication certificate.