What to Eat in Mersin?

The question of what to eat in Mersin is this Mediterranean It is a great start for those who want to discover the rich cuisine of the city. Mersin offers many different flavors, from fresh seafood to desserts, from appetizers to local dishes. The traditional flavors in the city are shaped by the cultural diversity of the region and the abundance of agriculture. The answer to the question of what to eat in Mersin is not just a food list, but also a taste journey.

Anamur Banana

Banana production is carried out in limited regions in Turkey, and some cities on the Mediterranean coast have become the center of this production. Mersin is one of these cities and has an important place in domestic banana production.

When you come to Mersin, if you want to buy fresh and delicious bananas at an affordable price, you can choose Anamur bananas. Known for its unique flavor, Anamur bananas have been produced since the 1960s and contribute greatly to Turkey's banana needs. In addition, this type of banana has been registered with a geographical indication.

Sunken

Batırık is a dish that is as interesting as its name and is quite common especially in Mersin and the surrounding cities. Batırık is a flavor that can be prepared both as a squash and as a soup. When it is made in the form of a squash, it has a structure similar to lentil patties, but the tahini added to it gives it a unique flavor and distinguishes it from lentil patties. Since tahini is a frequently used ingredient in Mersin cuisine, this feature is quite common. Those who want to consume it as a soup can easily find this flavor in the tradesmen restaurants in the city.

Batirik, which uses fine bulgur as the main ingredient, keeps you full for a long time with its nutritious and filling structure, so it is usually preferred as a main dish. Batirik can be called either meatballs or soup depending on how it is made. It also includes different ingredients such as sesame and peanuts. This local dish, which finds its place on tables throughout the year, is an important part of Mersin's culinary culture.

Bici Bici

Bici bici dessert, usually Adana Although it is identified with, it is also quite popular in Mersin and Hatay. It is consumed frequently in both patisseries and restaurants, thanks to its light texture, which is especially preferred in the summer months.

This traditional dessert, made with rose flavored syrup, ice and sugar, consists of a mixture of finely crushed ice and starch. Bici bici is in serious competition with karsambaç and can be diversified with different flavors.

cezerye

One of the most well-known gifts that travelers to Mersin bring to their loved ones on their return journeys is the city-identified dessert called cezerye. This healthy and delicious dessert, prepared with carrots, is also widely consumed in Adana. Cezerye becomes more intense by enriching it with ingredients such as carrots, hazelnuts, biscuits and peanuts.

Cezerye, which can be sold in gift packages, is also offered in the form of döner in some places. Boiled carrots are pureed and combined with walnuts and sugar to create this traditional dessert.

Wheat Rice

Wheat pilaf is an ideal option for those looking for a different pilaf experience that you can easily find in Mersin restaurants. In this type of pilaf, cubed meat is used as well as rich ingredients such as wheat, chickpeas and butter.

Wheat pilaf, which is usually served to guests during holidays and weddings, is widely consumed in Adana as well as Mersin. Ring-shaped peppers are traditionally placed on the pilaf. This flavor, which combines various ingredients, is sometimes known as Ashura pilaf. Wheat pilaf, which can also be prepared with chicken meat in different regions, is a filling and delicious alternative.

Lake Lake

The local cuisine of Mersin, the dish called “gölevez” takes its name from the plant of the same name. Gölevez is a plant that grows in many cities in the Mediterranean region and is also known as “taro”. This plant, which stands out with both its flavor and healing properties, is the main ingredient of one of Mersin’s most popular dishes.

Gölevez dish is not only in Mersin, Antalya It is also popular in its surroundings. In this dish, the taro plant is blended with spinach and meat to create a flavor with high nutritional value. With its taste and texture resembling celery, taro is used in many different dishes. Recently, taro has been preferred especially in dishes such as beans, and is among the favorite dishes of the local people.

Humus

Hummus, especially Hatay, Mersin, Adana and Gaziantep It is a very popular dish in southern cities like Antalya. While most restaurants serve hummus as an appetizer before the main meal, there are also places that focus solely on hummus. Although Antakya is known as the homeland of hummus, it is also a very popular and widely consumed flavor in Mersin. Hummus, which is usually served as an appetizer, cold or hot, in Hatay, is sometimes served as a main course in Mersin.

Basic ingredients such as boiled chickpeas, cumin, lemon, tahini and garlic are used in making hummus. Apart from plain hummus, there are also various types such as buttered, sausage and pastrami. Hot oil with hot peppers is prepared as a special sauce and poured over the hummus, adding a different flavor to it. Hummus, which can be preferred both hot and cold, is one of the indispensable appetizers of Turkish cuisine.

Karsambac

Karsambaç is a cold alternative to bici bici, one of Adana's popular desserts. Karsambaç, which resembles bici bici in both appearance and content, is a perfect combination of ice cream, ice and molasses. This dessert is a preferred flavor to cool off, especially in the summer months. Eastern AnatoliaIt is also consumed fondly in some regions of Turkey. Karsambaç is usually prepared by collecting newly fallen white snow or shaving ice blocks. This local dessert, sweetened by adding a special syrup, is served with Mediterranean fruits to create a feast of flavor.

Rock Wood Pickle

Rockwort, which is quite popular in Mersin and surrounding provinces, is a type of herb that comes from the sea. Although it is used in various dishes, it creates a unique flavor especially when pickled. In some regions, rockwort salad is also frequently preferred. This healthy herb, which is widely consumed on the Mediterranean and Aegean coasts, offers a different taste thanks to its pickle. Rockwort is also known as sea buckthorn and is known by this name.

Kerebic

Kerebiç, one of the most established desserts of Mersin, is a flavor that has almost settled at the top for dessert lovers. Kerebiç, prepared with pistachios or walnuts, is visually appealing with its special foam on top. This foam is prepared using soapwort and adds a unique touch to the dessert. It will be quite difficult to be satisfied with one portion due to its magnificent flavor. Kerebiç, which is basically a cookie, is prepared with ingredients such as powdered sugar, semolina, flour, oil and soapwort. This traditional dessert, which is consumed more frequently especially during Ramadan, gains a completely different flavor with cinnamon sprinkled on top.

Bird's Eye Lahmacun

Bird's eye lahmacun, also known as "hazelnut lahmacun" in Mersin, is a geographically registered flavor and is especially famous for its Tarsus style. The origin of this special lahmacun dates back to the 1900s. Prepared with a diameter of approximately 8 cm, bird's eye lahmacun has a high meat content and a very tasty filling. The dough of this lahmacun, which also contains tail fat, is kneaded with fresh yeast so that it does not dry out. Bird's eye lahmacun, cooked in a stone oven, is one of the most popular flavors of the region with its soft texture and intense meat flavor.

Manufactured

Mamül is a dessert that is generally similar to kerebiç in terms of taste and ingredients. The filling of the mamul dessert is made from specially pureed dates. The top is traditionally shaped with a fork and is usually consumed with tea. This dessert, which can be presented in different ways, also attracts attention with its visuality. When adding the mamul to their menus, bakeries and restaurants serve it with powdered sugar sprinkled on top. Special pattern boards are used to shape the mamul, which gives the dessert a unique appearance.

Myrtle Liver

Mersin liver is a popular delicacy in many cities of our country and is quite common in Mersin. As in the surrounding cities, liver is often consumed in portions or as a wrap in Mersin. When you walk around the markets of Mersin, you can find a liver shop on almost every corner. Fresh lamb liver is cooked by putting it on long skewers and this method enhances its flavor.

An interesting feature of liver in Mersin is that it can be consumed in breakfast. This is the case in Adana, Gaziantep and Diyarbakir It is also seen in a similar way in other southern cities such as Mersin. Mersin liver is usually served with different appetizers and there are quite ambitious restaurants in the city that serve this delicacy.

Mersin Style Kunefe

Mersin's dessert culture is particularly notable for its künefe. Although künefe is not a dessert specific to Mersin, there are many künefe shops and masters in the city, so when visiting Mersin, künefe is a must-try. There is serious competition between Hatay and Mersin for künefe. The differences in the balance of cheese and shredded wheat distinguish the künefe of both regions.

In Mersin style kunefe, cheese plays a more dominant role compared to kadaif and its syrup is thicker than in Hatay style. Also, kadaif is rolled much thinner in Mersin style kunefe, which gives the dessert a different texture.

Squeezing

Sıkıma, sometimes known as “yörük sıkma”, is one of the prominent traditional flavors of Mersin. Basically, this dish is prepared by roasting onions or potatoes, and can be enriched with minced meat according to taste. Although there is some debate about which region it belongs to, it is one of the indispensable parts of Mersin cuisine.

Squeeze cooked on a sheet is most delicious when hot and is usually served as a wrap. In different regions, a different taste can be achieved by adding curd cheese. There is also a version made with butter. Squeeze, which is quite filling with its filling, can be easily consumed for breakfast or other meals and offers a delicious alternative.

Silifke Yogurt

Silifke is an important symbol of Mersin and is known for its unique gastronomic culture. When it comes to Silifke flavors, one of the first flavors that comes to mind is undoubtedly Silifke yogurt. The most distinctive features of this yogurt are both its flavor and its difference in consistency. Silifke yogurt is usually sold in packages and is a popular choice for visitors to the region to take to their loved ones on their return trip.

The milk of goats grazing on the natural vegetation in the Taurus Mountains creates the unique taste of Silifke yoghurt. This yoghurt, which has been meticulously prepared by the people of Silifke for centuries, is now produced with modern production methods, but it can be said that real Silifke yoghurt can only be tasted in the villages of Silifke.

Tantuni

Tantuni is a very delicious street food, consumed especially in Mersin and surrounding cities in Turkey. The cooking of lavash in hot oil and then the combination of lamb or beef with special sauces makes this dish unique. Enriched with garnishes such as hot pepper and lemon pickle, tantuni is sometimes prepared with chicken meat, offering a different flavor profile. You can often come across signs saying tantuni on the streets of Mersin, because the locals love this flavor.

Tantuni is traditionally cooked on a sac and with tail fat; the meat is prepared by cutting into cubes and wrapping it in lavash like a wrap. In addition, it can be preferred between bread, but wrap is the most popular form. Although it is served in portions, this option is less preferred. Tantuni is considered one of the street flavors of not only Mersin but also all of Turkey and is a dish that has passed from Middle Eastern cuisine to Anatolia. Tantuni, which means “soft food” in Arabic, is a favorite of the people for both its taste and its easy edibility.

Tarsus Kebab

Tarsus kebab is a flavor that is identified with Tarsus, one of the important districts of Mersin, but is not only encountered in Tarsus but also in the city center and other districts around it. Although it is similar to Adana kebab in terms of structure, the obvious difference of Tarsus kebab is the use of plenty of onion in its content. This kebab, which emphasizes the flavor of onion, can be consumed with or without spicy options.

Another feature that makes the taste of Tarsus kebab special is the addition of roasted tomatoes and peppers. These vegetables enrich the taste of the kebab and give it a unique taste. katar. The minced meat is prepared after resting for a long time, which deepens the flavor of the kebab. Tarsus kebab, which has become increasingly popular in recent years, has won the appreciation of both locals and guests.

Buckthorn Soup

Mersin cuisine is rich with local soups, as well as meat dishes and appetizers, and these soups are as popular as meat dishes. One of these soups specific to Mersin, topalak soup, is prepared with bulgur, chickpeas and meatballs.

Topalak soup is a popular dish not only in Mersin but also around Konya. The soup gets its name from the ball-shaped meatballs it contains. Different ingredients such as sweet and hot pepper paste can also be used in its content, which adds a unique flavor to the soup.

Thimble Soup

One of Mersin's most popular soups, the thimble soup, is distinctly different from other soups with its ingredients. This soup, which is also found in Adana cuisine, is considered an indispensable flavor among hot starters. This satisfying soup, prepared with a combination of chickpeas, dough and minced meat, can also be preferred as a main course.

During the winter months, it is possible to come across this soup in almost every corner of the tradesmen's restaurants in Mersin. The thimble soup is sometimes referred to as "manti soup" in the region. Cooked with meat broth, tomato paste and butter, this traditional soup offers a rich and delicious taste.

There are countless options to answer the question of what to eat in Mersin. Discovering Mersin's unique cuisine offers flavors that appeal to every palate, from desserts to main courses. Unique dishes such as Tantuni, Cezerye, Tarsus kebab and Batırık are just a few of the most important flavors that make this city stand out in terms of gastronomy. Experiencing Mersin's rich cuisine not only satisfies your palate, but also allows you to take a deep journey into the culture of the region.

Mersin is famous for its rich history and natural beauty as well as its delicious food. If you want to discover the unique cuisine of Mersin, you will have a great opportunity to discover places to visit after trying different tastes in the city. For more information about places to visit in Mersin "Places to Visit in Mersin" You can take a look at our article titled. In this article, you will find a detailed guide about the most popular tourist attractions, historical buildings and natural beauties of Mersin.