Tastes of the Black Sea region: Culinary stops in Bartın and Çankırı

Situated about 80 kilometers east of Zonguldak on the Black Sea, the province of Bartın is one of the newest provinces created in Turkey. The history of the city itself is centuries old, but it came under Ottoman rule in the 1390s. The cuisine of the area reflects many of the tastes known throughout Turkey, yet over 100 dishes are proudly claimed as local. Fresh produce is used wherever available, especially in the summer, when the season's best is used in a range of vegetable and salad dishes to accompany fish and other meats. At the same time preparations for winter include making sausage (sucuk), drying tomatoes and beans, preparing homemade pasta (erişte) and dried unleavened flat bread (kuru yufka), drying curd for soup (tarhana), pickling and preserving fruits and vegetables in jams (reçel), making marmalades... [read full story]