Giresun- The Hidden Cuisine of Black Sea

Regional Food Cultures of Turkey Seminar took place at YESAM on June 21st , 2012

 “Giresun- The Hidden Cuisine of Black Sea” seminar, presented by Nedim Atilla, a journalist and food culture researcher.

After the seminar guests tasted local dishes prepared by Ummuhan Aydin, a teacher from Giresun.

At the beginning of his speech, Mr. Atilla talked a little bit about the history of Giresun cuisine, indicating that the cuisine was as old as times of Emperor Mithridates, known for the medicines he invented. One must admit that the real wealth of the cuisine comes not from its long history, but from its unique geography.

“Once the word Giresun is uttered, the first dish that comes to mind is ‘dible’ (a vegetable dish usually with rice) which is a main staple of Giresun cuisine. The regional cuisine is largely composed of grains and vegetables. The eastern towns of Gorele and Espiyeare known for breadand pide (the flat bread with stuffing). The central towns Bulancak and Piraziz are known for dishes made with a variety of wild herbs, and Sebinkarahisar for grain dishes. In the east, Cavuslu bread, also known as Vakfikebir (a type of sourdough bread with a long shelf life), pide of Gorele and other bakery items of Sebinkarahisar are quite well known along with horticultural crops.”

The surrounding region has rich agriculture, growing most of Turkey's hazelnuts as well as corn on the sea coast, wheat, barley, legumes, potatoes, and various fruits and vegetables in the rest of the region.

Dible, which is the most popular dish of the region, can be made using various wild herbs and collard greens. White kidney beans, used in a “dible”, could very well be eaten on their own, like peas.

Pickled green beans, and other pickled vegetables play an important role in Giresun cuisine just like the rest of the Black Sea region. At the end of the seminar, the guests had a chance to taste some of the specialties of the region.

Among the traditional dishes sampled were:

Isırgan Çorbası (Nettle soup)
Isırgan Otu Kaygaşı (Nettle Stew)
Elma Dövmeçi (Apple Compote)
Kiraz Diblesi (Cherry Stew with rice)
Fasulye Diblesi (Green Bean Stew with rice)
Fındıklı Börek (Phyllo pastry with hazelnuts)

Lecture video is in Turkish.