Kerebiç

Kerebiç is a baked sweet made in southern Turkey by wrapping a nut filling in dough. In Mersin, the baked pastries are served with a generous amount of white foam and sprinkled with cinnamon if desired. In a single bite, a pistachio or walnut filling emerges from the crumbly dough.

Wrapping Nuts and Adding White Foam

The outer dough is made with semolina. In Mersin, the root of a plant called çöven is boiled to make a white foam, which covers the lightly browned pastries. In the method presented by Turkey’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the roots are soaked in water overnight and then boiled for a long time, and the liquid is whipped into foam with sugar added.

In the method specified in Mersin’s geographical indication, the dough is rolled into balls in the palm of the hand and hollowed out, filled with coarsely ground pistachios or walnuts, and baked in a wood-fired oven. Before eating, enough foam is poured over to cover the pastries.

Doughs That Vary by Region, Finished with Foam or Powdered Sugar

Even for kerebiç, the dough and the way it is served differ from place to place. In Hatay, Gaziantep and Kilis, there are examples of adding sugar or leavening agents to the dough, and in Kilis and Gaziantep it is served dusted with powdered sugar. The dough of the style registered in Mersin contains no added sugar, and a small amount of pekmez is used for browning. The main source of sweetness is the foam added when serving. In Hatay, a foam called natif is served alongside, so the appearance on the plate changes as well.

From a Ramadan Sweet to a Taste of the Town

In Mersin, it is said that in the 1940s, families of Arab confectioners made it for Ramadan and the festival that follows, and sold it from handcarts. It later came to be made regardless of the season. In 2019, Zülküf Taş, who runs a shop that has been making it since 1978, said that orders also arrive from other cities and that it has come to be eaten throughout the year. In the same report, confectioner İtidal Polatoğlu described days spent preparing in the workshop from early in the morning. The regional method is not fixed as a single version; a survey of makers in Mersin also found differences in proportions and baking methods.

Glossary