Şanlıurfa's Taste of 4 Thousand Years

I know the cultural values of Turkey astonishing just as history springs from across the country. However, when it comes to the flavour, we need to “Stop” there. Every region has its precious taste lingering and own plates creating myths...

Yes, the scene of this post is Şanlıurfa! Şanlıurfa will welcome you with “Craaazyyy” tastes as the new generation calls it. Besides, shouldn’t we talk about Balıklıgöl or remember Göbeklitepe as the symbol of the city? What about the City of Prophets? Of course, we should, but I want to say hello to this city, the homeland of çiğ köfte and paint the spicy taste in glowing colours...

I claim you don't know that çiğ köfte offers a 4 thousand-year-old history with its spicy taste. The ones fond of hot enjoy this taste passionately rather than a just food, and it turns into a delicious bomb with simple ingredients. It can be found in all 81 provinces, but it is known that the most popular version is the one in Urfa tradition. 

As I have mentioned at the beginning of the post, it is a taste for 4 thousand years... I keep on telling its history becoming a legend:

A hunter from Urfa used to live during the time of Prophet Abraham. He used to go to the forest and hunt, and then he would feed his wife and him with whatever he hunted. One day the man came back from hunting and gave his wife the gazelle, which he hunted... But the woman could not find any wood or stick to cook the meat despite all her efforts. Because King Nemrut had collected all the wood of the villagers to throw Prophet Abraham into the fire. The desperate woman came up with an idea while running around to find a solution. She went to the kitchen, took a piece from the gazelle meat and started to crush the meat on the stone! She kept on grinding the meat and added in bulgur, pepper and salt... Then the meat roasted with salt after kneading with for hours. Since then, this taste has become an ancient food, and it has been enjoyed in friends gatherings.

That is how this 4 thousand-year-old taste was born...

Yes, I am nearing the end of my post. However, I won’t end without giving a few clues about the çiğ köfte. Please be all ears:

1.  Çiğ köfte is always prepared as you eat in the restaurants, buuut the local people in Urfa has come up with a different kind at their homes. I now disclose your secret, dear friends in Urfa: They call this çiğ köfte with eggs. In the last phase of kneading, they add deep-fried eggs and knead one last time in this form. Even though it sounded strange to me, after I tried this taste, it raised my expectations. If you come across with these hospitable people, ask them to tell you.
2. Çiğ Köfte is one of the famous delicacies of Adıyaman as much as it is famous in Şanlıurfa. As you know, the King Nemrut I mentioned in the legend lived in Adıyaman. But this two geography have their own styles: While the çiğ köfte of Adıyaman is without meat, Şanlıurfa adds meat to this taste; and then they throw a piece to the ceiling to understand whether it is ready or not.