Ask "What is Akçakoca's dessert?" and everyone gives the same answer: melengüççeği. A Manav pastry with geographical indication, made with dartı from water-buffalo cream. Alongside it, depending on the season, there are hazelnuts, chestnuts and honey.
Melengüççeği: Akçakoca's dessert with geographical indication
| What | A pastry dessert of the Manav Turks |
|---|---|
| Geographical indication | Registration no. 279, 18 December 2017 (designation of origin); geographical area: Akçakoca district |
| Main ingredient | Dartı: made by frying water-buffalo cream down to a rich residue |
| Filling | Finely ground walnuts or hazelnuts |
| When it's made | At weddings, religious holidays and when there are guests |
The dessert's name is said to come from the local Melen River and an old word meaning "little bread". Cream from the milk of water buffalo raised on the banks of the Melen is fried down to a residue; this residue is called "dartı". The dough is rolled out with a long rolling pin and spread with dartı, with walnuts or hazelnuts added if you like. It is said to be around 700 years old and to have entered the Ottoman palace kitchen.
Illustration: Visit Akçakoca · no photo of this place yet
Where to find it?
The easiest way is to buy it from local women at the market held in Yukarı Mahalle on Saturdays and Sundays. Try it with a glass of strong tea.
Sweet treats by season
- Yellow hazelnuts (harvest late August–September): roasted Akçakoca yellow hazelnuts with geographical indication stand in for dessert; they also go into melengüççeği.
- Kaplan Dede chestnuts (October): the Kaplan Dede chestnut, awarded geographical indication in 2022, is autumn's sweet treat.
- Chestnut honey (June): honey from the forested slopes; at breakfast or with clotted cream.
- Wild strawberries (May) and blackberries (August): found in season along village roads and at the market.
The rest of Akçakoca's cuisine
On the savoury side there is mancarlı pide with geographical indication and, in season, Black Sea fish. We have gathered them all on the local food page.
Frequently asked questions
What is Akçakoca's dessert?
Akçakoca's dessert is melengüççeği: a Manav pastry made with dartı from water-buffalo cream, which received geographical indication in 2017.
Where can you buy melengüççeği?
You can find it from local women at the Yukarı Mahalle Market, held on Saturdays and Sundays. It is also made at home for weddings and religious holidays.