Travel tips and city guides
Aksaray Cuisine and Local Flavours
Aksaray Guide ·
Aksaray’s cuisine is where the grain-and-livestock tradition of the Anatolian steppe meets the orchards and vineyards of Cappadocia. Much of the province’s workforce is still in farming and animal husbandry; wheat dominates, alongside barley, sugar beet, potatoes, onions, beans, grapes and apples — and that abundance shows on the table.
Ibn Battuta, visiting in the 14th century, wrote that the city was surrounded on every side by streams, vineyards and gardens. In this guide we gather Aksaray’s best-known local dishes and where to stop for a meal while sightseeing.
Aksaray’s signature dishes
Wikipedia’s Turkish article on Aksaray lists five highlights of local cuisine: Aksaray tava, sıkma, bulama helvası, saç böreği and şerbetli pide.
Aksaray tava
Named after the city, this dish is made by slow-cooking meat and vegetables in the oven for a long time. It is easy to find in the traditional restaurants (esnaf lokantası) of the centre, especially at lunchtime.
Sıkma and saç böreği
Sıkma is a thin griddle flatbread rolled around cheese, potato or greens — perfect food on the go. Saç böreği is made of thin filled sheets of dough cooked on the same convex griddle (sac), a staple of village breakfasts and tea time.
Şerbetli pide
Şerbetli pide, freshly baked pide soaked in syrup, is a dessert typical of Aksaray, often served during Ramadan and when entertaining guests.
Bulama helvası
In a region rich in vineyards, the tradition of grape molasses (pekmez) runs deep. Bulama helvası is the best-known sweet of this tradition in Aksaray and is counted among the province’s local specialities.
Gelveri bread
Gelveri bread, named after the old name of Güzelyurt, is one of the region’s best-known breads. Try it fresh from the town’s bakeries and restaurants on your Güzelyurt and Monastery Valley trip. See our Güzelyurt guide for more.
Riverside dining in Belisırma
Belisırma, halfway along the Ihlara Valley hike, is famous for restaurants on the banks of the Melendiz river. They usually serve trout, sac kavurma (pan-fried meat), stews and gözleme, and some tables sit on platforms right over the water.
Starting the hike at Ihlara and having lunch in Belisırma is one of the best-loved moments of a valley trip. Afterwards you can continue to Selime.
Where to eat in the city centre
The traditional restaurants around Neva Apart are the best places for Aksaray tava and home-style daily dishes. After dinner, have tea or coffee at Umbrella Street and the city-centre cafés, or visit the food court at Nora City shopping mall at the weekend.
With the fully equipped kitchens in our apartments, you can also cook with produce from the local market; ask our reception for market and grocery tips.
Food stops by itinerary
Depending on your plan, we suggest these stops. See our Aksaray itineraries for a day-by-day route.
- Ihlara–Selime day: riverside lunch in Belisırma
- City-centre day: Aksaray tava at a traditional restaurant, şerbetli pide for dessert
- Sultanhanı day: a short tea break among the carpet workshops
- Güzelyurt day: fresh Gelveri bread and tea in a stone-mansion courtyard
Where to stay in Aksaray
Neva Apart offers fully equipped serviced apartments with kitchens in Aksaray city centre, a few minutes’ walk from the Zinciriye Madrasa and the Grand Mosque. It is an ideal base for day trips to Ihlara, Selime, Güzelyurt and the Seljuk caravanserais.
Browse our apartments, read guest reviews or contact us for bookings and route tips. Every stop is listed on our things to do in Aksaray page.
Sources
Image credits
- Restaurants on the bank of the Melendiz stream in Belisırma – Ji-Elle, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- An old street between stone houses in Güzelyurt – Julia Maudlin, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Stone houses of Belisırma village in Ihlara Valley – Sonse, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- The Umbrella Street (Şemsiyeli Sokak) in Aksaray city centre – NuriCanY, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons