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Çiğ köfte
Middle Eastern raw meatball dish / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Çiğ köfte (Turkish pronunciation: [tʃiː cœfte]) or chee kofta[1] is a kofta dish that is a regional specialty of southeastern Anatolia in Urfa. The dish is served as an appetizer or meze, and it is closely related with kibbeh nayyeh from Levantine cuisine.[2]
![]() Çiğ köfte meal from Armenia | |
Course | Appetizer |
---|---|
Region or state | mainly Adıyaman |
Serving temperature | room temperature |
Main ingredients | Raw meat, Bulgur, onion, tomato paste, hot red pepper paste, urfa biber, salt |
Ingredients generally used | Fresh mint, parsley, spice, lemon, olive oil |
Variations | Vegetarian, Eggs |
Similar dishes | Kısır |
Other information | Lettuce or wrapped within tortilla with fresh lemon juice or pomegranate sauce |
Çiğ köfte is common to Armenian[1][3][4] and Turkish cuisines.[5]
Traditionally made with raw meat, there are vegetarian variations made with bulgur and in Urfa, a local meatless version is made with scrambled eggs.[6][7] In Diyarbakır province, locally prepared batches are sold by street vendors.[8]
In 2008 public sales of çiğ köfte with raw meat were banned by the Health Ministry of Turkey[9] due to health hazards, especially taeniasis,[10] thus leaving only plant-based versions in shops and restaurants.