Top 12 Black Sea Foods

Yavuzkan Hazel Fındık is a Turkish company founded in 1933, specializing in the procurement, processing, and export of hazelnuts from the Black Sea region, one of the world’s most renowned areas for hazelnut cultivation. The company combines decades of experience with modern technological processes, carefully sorting, blanching, roasting, or grinding the nuts depending on the required form. Its product range includes raw and roasted whole kernels, chopped hazelnuts, hazelnut flour, and paste, all intended for the food industry, confectionery production, and international markets. With an annual processing capacity of several tens of thousands of tons, Yavuzkan is positioned as one of Turkey’s significant hazelnut exporters. The company emphasizes sustainability and social responsibility, including ethical sourcing practices throughout its supply chain. Through the combination of long-standing tradition, industrial reliability, and a broad product portfolio, Yavuzkan Hazel Fındık stands out as a dependable producer whose hazelnuts are recognized in global markets.Expand

Ekizbey Fındık is a family-owned Turkish company based in Görele, Giresun Province, with more than five decades of experience in sourcing and processing hazelnuts, positioning it as a recognized producer in one of the world’s most important hazelnut-growing regions. Its production process includes careful raw-material selection, mechanical and optical cleaning, blanching, roasting, and size calibration to achieve standardized products suitable for both industrial and artisanal applications. The product range includes raw and roasted kernels, in-shell hazelnuts, blanched kernels, chopped and ground hazelnuts, as well as hazelnut flour and pastes intended for confectionery and bakery use. The facility operates in line with modern hygienic and technological standards, ensuring consistent quality and full traceability of each batch. Ekizbey emphasizes the combination of tradition and contemporary processing, with the ambition to establish its brand as synonymous with premium Giresun hazelnuts. Through its broad assortment and reliable quality, the company has become a dependable supplier for both domestic and international markets.Expand

Altun Gıda is a Turkish food company founded in 1981 in İskenderun, Hatay Province, specializing in the sourcing, processing, and export of fresh fruit, vegetables, and hazelnut-based products. Today, the company operates through modern production facilities equipped with mechanical and optical systems for sorting, roasting, and packaging, ensuring consistent quality and full traceability of each batch. Its product range includes raw and roasted hazelnut kernels, chopped and ground hazelnuts, pastes, flours, and specialty blends designed for both industrial use and direct consumption. Altun Gıda positions itself as a flexible supplier capable of delivering large-scale quantities with stable standards, making its products suitable for confectionery brands, bakery producers, and gourmet manufacturers. Through a combination of long-standing experience, modern technology, and a clear focus on quality, the company has built a strong reputation as a reliable producer and exporter from Turkey’s Mediterranean region.Expand

Safran Üretim Çiftliği is a family-run farm from Safranbolu specializing in the cultivation of authentic Turkish saffron, with a focus on small-scale, controlled production and hand-picking of the flowers. The saffron is grown on fields that turn purple in autumn, when crocus blossoms cover the terrain, and the stigmas are carefully separated and dried to preserve their intense aroma and high levels of safranal, picrocrocin, and crocin. The farm offers saffron in various package sizes, with clearly stated origin and traditional cultivation methods that position it within the premium spice segment. In addition to pure saffron, the farm produces a range of related items - teas, spice blends, dried fruits, jams, soaps, and other natural products based on local ingredients. Visitors can tour the plantation during the flowering season to observe the harvesting and processing steps, highlighting the transparent and handcrafted nature of the production. Through the combination of traditional know-how, limited quantities, and direct sales, Safran Üretim Çiftliği stands as a representative example of a regional agricultural producer whose identity is deeply rooted in the terroir of Safranbolu.Expand

İslamoğlu Gıda is a family-owned company established in the 1960s in Vakfıkebir, Trabzon, Turkey. Initially operating in wholesale and retail sectors, the company transitioned in the 1990s to focus on dairy products under the name İslamoğlu Gıda Sanayi Ticaret Şirketi. They specialize in traditional Turkish dairy items, notably Vakfıkebir Tereyağı (butter), and have expanded their offerings to include olives and other regional products.Expand

Çaykur is Turkey’s leading tea producer and one of the most recognizable names in the country’s tea industry, closely associated with the Black Sea region around Rize, the heart of Turkish tea cultivation. The company was formally established in 1983 as Çay İşletmeleri Genel Müdürlüğü (Çaykur), although the roots of organized state tea production in Turkey go back much earlier, with the first tea harvest in 1938 and the first tea processing factory opening in 1947. As a state-owned company, Çaykur played a central role in developing Turkey’s domestic tea industry and helping transform the country into one of the world’s largest tea-consuming markets. The brand is best known for its traditional black teas designed for preparation in the classic Turkish çaydanlık double teapot method, producing a strong, full-bodied, and characteristically brisk cup. In addition to black tea, its portfolio includes green teas, organic tea lines, herbal infusions, and ready-to-drink iced tea products. Çaykur operates dozens of tea processing facilities across northeastern Turkey and remains the dominant force in the national tea sector. Deeply embedded in Turkish daily life, the brand represents not just tea production, but an essential part of Turkish hospitality and social culture.Expand

The Anzer Balı Cooperative is the central institution responsible for the production, verification, and certification of authentic Anzer honey, bringing together beekeepers from the Anzer plateau in the Rize region. The cooperative oversees the entire process - from managing beehives on high-altitude alpine meadows and monitoring floral conditions throughout the season, to collecting the honey and conducting mandatory laboratory analyses that confirm its authenticity and botanical composition. Every jar of Anzer honey undergoes strict verification in collaboration with university and state institutions, after which the cooperative issues an official certificate and seal as proof of origin. This rigorous control and transparent production system make the cooperative essential in preserving the reputation of Anzer honey, preventing counterfeits, and maintaining the high quality standards that position it among Türkiye’s most esteemed honey varieties.Expand

Lazika is a Turkish brand known for producing high-quality products from the Black Sea region, with a focus on unique flavors. They specialize in various food items, including traditional regional specialties. Their products are crafted with care, maintaining authenticity and quality. Lazika aims to provide consumers with the essence of Turkish culinary heritage, particularly emphasizing natural ingredients.Expand

This traditional Turkish dish combines coarsely-ground cornmeal and (oftentimes) aged local cheeses such as trabzon or kashar. Grated cheese is mixed into piping hot cornmeal until it turns stringy, and the dish is then typically enriched with butter or kaymak—Turkish clotted cream. Kuymak is typical of the area surrounding the Black Sea, where it is mainly enjoyed for breakfast. It always needs to be served warm and freshly prepared.Expand

Akçaabat köftesi is a traditional dish originating from the eponymous town in Trabzon. The dish consists of fried meatballs. They are unique in a way because the locals only use the veal of the calves they breed and slaughter. The meatballs are made from ground veal, bread crumbs, grated onions, garlic, salt, and pepper. Once formed into patties, the meatballs are grilled or cooked in a skillet until golden brown. It's recommended to serve these meatballs with a green salad, bulgur pilaf, roasted vegetables, and ayran on the side.Expand

Bafra pidesi, a traditional Turkish savory pie from Bafra, is known for its unique canoe shape and is about 1 meter (3.2 ft) long and 2.5 cm (1 inch) wide. The dough, made from flour, water, yeast, and salt, is rolled into an oval shape and filled with a mixture of medium-fat ground beef, which has been previously roasted and drained of fat, finely chopped onions, salt, and black pepper. Once filled, it is sealed by pinching the ends together at the top and baked in a wood-fired oven (kara fırın) until browned. After baking, excess flour is brushed off, and the warm pita is opened and topped with small chunks of butter. It's then sliced into squares or baklava-like pieces for serving. Expand

Tokat kebabı is a traditional kebab variety originating from Tokat. It's made with lamb shanks, potatoes, eggplants, tomatoes, green peppers, garlic, and olive oil. The meat is cut into chunks, the eggplants into large slices, and the potatoes and tomatoes into thick vertical slices. The ingredients are placed side by side in a baking dish or skewered, drizzled with olive oil, then roasted until tender. The dish is roasted under a whole bulb of garlic, and its juices drip down on the other ingredients. Traditionally, this type of kebab is prepared in special clay ovens in old Tokat houses. The dish is highly praised because of the high-quality, local ingredients used in its preparation. It's recommended to serve it over lavash flatbread.Expand

Hamsi tava is a traditional Turkish dish of battered and fried fish featuring anchovies (hamsi), a staple in the Black Sea region. Fresh anchovies are cleaned, deboned, and lightly salted before being dredged in flour to create a thin, crispy coating. They are arranged in a circular pattern in a frying pan and shallow-fried in oil until golden brown and crispy, with both sides cooked evenly. Served hot with lemon wedges, fresh greens, onion salad, or yogurt sauce, hamsi tava is known for its crispy texture and rich, slightly salty flavor. This dish, a highlight of Turkish coastal cuisine, reflects the simplicity and freshness of the Black Sea region’s culinary traditions, where anchovies hold cultural and dietary importance.Expand

Nokul is a flavorful Turkish pastry that is visually reminiscent of a cinnamon roll. However, nokul consists of flour, salt, sugar, yeast, vegetable oil, and a flavorful poppy seed filling that is dispersed throughout the swirls. The pastry is baked until golden-brown in color, and it is then served hot, sometimes even as an appetizer instead of bread.Expand

Mısır ekmeği is a savory Turkish cornbread that is especially popular in the Black Sea region of the country. Its texture is usually hard and dry because it is prepared without a raising agent. The bread can be shaped into circles, tubes, oblongs, or plaits. Cheese, dill, sesame, poppy, and nigella seeds can all be added to the dough in order to enhance the flavors. A specialty of the region is cornbread with sardines, which are traditionally baked in the dough. If made this way, the bread is typically consumed with yogurt as a full meal. Mısır ekmeği is usually sliced into small pieces or broken in chunks, preferably with some butter, cheese, fruit jams, dips, or sauces on the side.Expand

Hamsili pilav is a visually attractive Turkish dish of oven-baked pilaf that is encased in anchovies. The pilaf is usually prepared with long-grain rice, onions, raisins, pine nuts, mint, lemon juice, and spices. In order to prepare hamsili pilav, a baking dish is first brushed with butter, then layered with anchovies so that they fill the whole bowl. The rice pilaf is placed over the anchovies, and the ends of anchovies are then folded towards the center of the bowl so that the rice is completely encased. After the baking process, the dish is typically turned upside down and served garnished with dill sprigs and slices of lemon. It is believed that the original recipe originates from the Laz, an ethnic minority in northeastern Türkiye.Expand

Karalahana Çorbası is a traditional soup from the Black Sea Region with kale as the primary ingredient. The name "karalahana" directly translates to "black cabbage" in Turkish, referring to the kale used in this dish. Apart from kale, the typical recipe also includes ingredients such as white beans, corn, onion, tallow/butter, and is seasoned with spices like red pepper flakes, red pepper paste, black pepper, and salt. Meat, such as beef or lamb, can also be added, although the soup is traditionally vegetarian. Some recipes incorporate cornmeal or flour mixed with water to make the soup richer and creamy in texture. Regional varieties exist; the best-known are the ones from the cities of Ordu, Giresun, Rizu, and Gümüşhane. This soup is typically enjoyed during the colder months, providing warmth and nutrition. It's a perfect example of Turkish regional cuisine's ability to highlight local ingredients in simple yet delicious dishes.Expand

Kır pidesi is a type of savory pie with many fillings, namely ground meat, potato, spinach, and cheese. It's a closed, canoe-shaped pie that is very popular as it's affordable and can be eaten on the go. The dough is similar to bread dough, and the fillings are enriched with ingredients like onions, paprika, red chili flakes, parsley, tomato paste, and peppers, depending on the filling. Kır pidesi is baked in a regular oven and brushed with butter once baked. It is typically served with ayran.Expand