Dessert
Katmer
Origin: Gaziantep, Southeastern Anatolia
Paper-thin pastry folded around Antep pistachio, kaymak, sugar and clarified butter, baked for a few minutes and eaten at breakfast.
Katmer is a thin sweet pastry from Gaziantep. The dough is only wheat flour, water and salt, and it rests in the fridge for 8–10 hours. The baker rolls it out, then stretches it by hand into a sheet about 140 cm across. Antep pistachio, sugar, kaymak (clotted cream) and clarified butter go in the middle. The sheet is folded like a square envelope, 20–25 cm wide, and baked for 7–8 minutes at 200 °C. No syrup is added; the sugar melts inside during baking.
The name Antep katmeri has been a registered geographical indication since 2017. In Gaziantep people eat katmer at breakfast and on special days. On the morning after a wedding it is sent to the bride's house and to both families. For serving it can be cut into squares of 3–5 cm.
Dietary notes: wheat flour (gluten), pistachios (nuts), kaymak and butter (dairy), and sugar. The registered recipe lists no meat or egg.