1. The pillars
Eastern Black Sea cuisine stands on four pillars:
- Butter and dairy — minci, kolot cheese, clotted cream, butter.
- Cornmeal — corn bread, muhlama, pepeçura.
- Black Sea kale (karalahana) — from soup to dolma.
- Anchovy (hamsi) — 40+ preparations Nov-Mar.
The climate is wet and cool, so dishes are fatty, calorific and warming. Alcohol is traditionally low; ayran, tea and grape must are abundant.
2. Muhlama / Kuymak / Mıhlama
Three regional names for one dish:
- Muhlama / Mıhlama — Rize variant.
- Kuymak — Trabzon variant.
- Muhlama — Artvin variant.
Preparation
- Butter → cornmeal → fresh minci / kolot cheese. Cooked in a copper pan.
- Cheese melts into long stretchy strings.
- A successful muhlama has visibly stringy cheese when you lift a spoonful.
Where to try
- Ayder centre — on every menu.
- Çamlıhemşin stone-bridge restaurants — alongside trout.
- Uzungöl lakeside — breakfast classic.
- Boztepe (Trabzon) — city panorama bonus.
Price: ₺250-500 per portion (2025-2026).
3. Anchovy — the silver of the Black Sea
Season
- Official: Sep 1 – Apr 15.
- Best taste: mid-November to February.
- Out-of-season catch is a slightly different subtype, sometimes called “gavur hamsisi”.
40+ preparations
- Pan-fried — classic, cornmeal + pan.
- Stewed (buğulama) — tomato-sauce casserole.
- Rice dish (hamsi pilavı) — rice pilaf with anchovy on top.
- Anchovy kuşu — two anchovies joined, baked.
- Street sandwich — between bread.
- Anchovy pastry — as filling.
- Anchovy dessert — yes, really: sweet dough + anchovy.
- Anchovy cornbread — chunks baked into cornbread dough.
Where to try
- Trabzon Fish Hall area, Of, Sürmene, Rize Taşhan area, Ardeşen coast.
4. Trout
Local freshwater fish — rainbow trout farmed along Fırtına River and the valleys.
Preparations
- Butter trout — the classic; pan-fried in butter, light salt, lemon.
- Ember-grilled — over pine/spruce wood.
- In parchment — baked with herbs and butter.
Where
- Çamlıhemşin riverside restaurants, Ayder centre, Uzungöl lakeside, Çaykara.
Price: ₺300-500 per portion (2025-2026).
5. Akçaabat köftesi
- Geo-indicated meatballs.
- Ground beef + bread + onion + spices.
- Specialist shops in Akçaabat district.
- Classic service: yoghurt + rice + pickles + pepper.
Famous spots
- Traditional masters in Akçaabat centre.
- City version along Uzun Sokak in Trabzon.
6. Sweets
Laz böreği
- Sweet layered pastry; milk custard + cinnamon + sugar between layers. Dusted with powdered sugar.
- Served cool with water.
Pepeçura
- Cornmeal + grape molasses; winter traditional.
- Common across Rize–Artvin.
Hoşmeri
- Butter + cornmeal + honey dough. Early-autumn traditional.
Hasuta (Artvin)
- Wheat-milk pudding with molasses.
Molasses (pekmez)
- Dark grape, mulberry, fig molasses — homemade quality from village markets.
7. Cheeses
- Minci (Rize) — soft; used in muhlama.
- Kolot (Tonya-Maçka) — stringy, excellent melter.
- Civil / Çeçil — thread cheese (Erzurum heartland but also in Artvin).
- Şavşat cheese — highland, semi-hard.
- Çerkez cheese — unsalted, mild.
8. Georgian influence (Artvin-Hopa corridor)
Along the Sarp border, Georgian traces are strong:
- Khachapuri — Georgian cheese bread; the boat-shaped Acharuli version is iconic.
- Khinkali — Georgian steamed dumplings.
- Kaygana — herb omelette.
- Borano / Laz boranisi — bean stew.
Common in Hopa and Arhavi restaurants.
9. Highland & mountain foods
- Karalahana soup — kidney beans + corn + kale; winter staple.
- Karalahana dolma — with meat or cracked wheat.
- Karalahana stir-fry — from winter stock.
- Minci herb dolma — fresh herb rolls.
- Corn bread — on every table; hardens quickly, softens when warmed.
10. Drinks
- Tea — 3-5 glasses per meal.
- Ayran — essential with fatty dishes.
- Grape must (şıra) — summer fresh at village markets.
- Pepsi-family sodas — popular where Arab tourists cluster.
11. Halal / Arab-traveller notes
- Black Sea cuisine is traditionally alcohol-light — all restaurants serve halal meat.
- In summer, Arabic menus and signage are widespread in Uzungöl, Ayder and Trabzon centre.
- Halal-certified restaurants exist; certification is renewed annually.
12. One-week tasting plan
- Mon: Muhlama breakfast (Ayder) + trout lunch.
- Tue: Trabzon pide + Akçaabat meatball dinner.
- Wed: Anchovy rice + Black Sea kale.
- Thu: Highland breakfast (Pokut/Sahara): minci, honey, fresh butter.
- Fri: Laz böreği + tea garden.
- Sat: Uzungöl ember-grilled trout.
- Sun: Georgian breakfast (Hopa) + khachapuri.
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