Main dish
Akçaabat köfte
Origin: Trabzon, Black Sea
Small beef patties with stale bread, suet and garlic, grilled over charcoal and served with grilled peppers and tomato.
Akçaabat köfte contains only beef, stale bread, beef suet, garlic and salt. The mixture is put through a mincer and kneaded for about an hour. The patties are shaped by hand: round, 33–40 g each and no more than 2 cm thick. They rest for two hours before cooking and are grilled over wood charcoal without a fan.
The köfte is named after Akçaabat, a district west of Trabzon city centre. The name was registered as a geographical indication in 2010, held by the Trabzon Chamber of Commerce and Industry. It comes with grilled long green peppers and tomatoes. Piyaz bean salad, bread and ayran are usually served alongside.
Dietary notes: contains beef and beef suet. The stale bread means it contains gluten. It contains no dairy.