Food to Try in Trabzon 2026: Hamsi, Mıhlama and Black Sea Cuisine

Trabzon’s cuisine is one of Turkey’s most distinctive regional food cultures — shaped by the Black Sea climate (heavy rainfall enabling maize and tea cultivation), the sea (anchovy in extraordinary abundance in autumn and winter), and the mountain culture of the Kaçkar range. Eating in Trabzon means encountering foods that don’t exist anywhere else in Turkey: mıhlama (a molten corn and cheese dish), the specific textures of Black Sea cornbread, and the intensity of fresh hamsi (anchovies) prepared in dozens of ways.

For restaurants, see best restaurants in Trabzon.

Hamsi (Black Sea anchovy)

The Black Sea anchovy (hamsi) is the defining ingredient of the eastern Black Sea coast — so central to the culture that the people of the region are sometimes called “hamsi people.” The anchovy runs from October to February, producing an extraordinary seasonal abundance of fresh, small, intensely flavoured fish.

Hamsi in rice (hamsi pilavı): A rice pilaf with anchovies layered through and baked — the single most characteristic Trabzon dish.

Hamsi köfte: Ground anchovy meatballs — unusual texture, intense flavour.

Hamsi in bread (hamsi ekmek): Anchovies baked into cornbread — sold at bakeries during the season.

Fried hamsi (tava hamsi): Simple pan-fried anchovy with cornmeal coating — the standard fast presentation.

Raw hamsi salad: Fresh anchovy marinated in lemon and olive oil — only available with absolute freshness; ask whether it’s from today’s catch.

When to eat it: October–February for fresh hamsi. Outside this period, dried or frozen hamsi is available but the quality difference is significant.

Mıhlama (Kuymak)

Mıhlama (also called kuymak) is the most emblematic Black Sea dish — a hot, elastic mass of cornmeal cooked with butter and local Trabzon cheese until it becomes a viscous, fondue-like consistency. It is eaten with a spoon directly from the pan.

Character: Intensely rich, salty, slightly cheesy. The corn flour gives it a different texture from polenta — more elastic, less grainy. The butter quantity is significant.

Where to eat it: Every lokanta and traditional restaurant in Trabzon. ₺100–150 per portion. Best eaten at the table as it arrives from the kitchen — it sets as it cools.

The cheese: Local Trabzon kolot or tulum cheese melts differently from industrial cheese — the mıhlama quality depends heavily on using the right local cheese.

Laz böreği

Laz böreği is a Black Sea dessert pastry — unlike the savoury börek of the rest of Turkey, this is a sweet pastry filled with pastry cream (muhallebi), dipped in egg, and fried or baked. The name reflects the Laz people of the eastern Black Sea coast.

Character: Rich, eggy, custardy filling in thin pastry — a breakfast or dessert item. ₺50–80 per piece from bakeries.

Trabzon bread (Trabzon ekmeği)

Trabzon has a specific bread tradition — the city’s bread (karalahna or cornbread varieties) has a distinct texture from standard Turkish white bread. The corn cultivation of the region naturally enters the bread.

Karalahna: A specific cornbread variety from the Trabzon area. Dense, slightly sweet, excellent with butter and honey.

Where to buy: Bread shops throughout the city. ₺20–40 per loaf.

Akçaabat köfte

The neighbouring district of Akçaabat (15km west of Trabzon) is famous for its specific köfte preparation — Akçaabat köftesi are made from beef without egg or breadcrumb (just meat and salt), grilled over charcoal. Several restaurants in the district and in Trabzon specialise in this.

Price: ₺150–250 for a portion.

Black Sea dairy

The Black Sea mountains produce exceptional dairy — the cattle graze on the high yaylalar (summer pastures) with rich mixed-herb meadow grass. The result is intensely flavoured butter and cheese.

Kolot peyniri: A fresh unsalted white cheese specific to the Trabzon area. ₺80–150/kg.

Trabzon tereyağı: Trabzon butter — made from high-summer churned cream, yellow with intense flavour. ₺150–250/kg. One of the best food products to bring from Trabzon.

Çay (tea)

The eastern Black Sea coast (particularly Rize, an hour east of Trabzon) produces essentially all of Turkey’s tea — the steep hillsides covered in tea bushes visible from the coast road. The çay culture here is particularly strong.

Standard çay: ₺20–30 at any tea house. The tea here is brewed from locally grown leaves rather than blended imports.

Black Sea breakfast: Trabzon bread, kolot cheese, butter, local honey, walnut, çay — the complete Black Sea breakfast. ₺80–150/person at a market-area tea house.

Price summary

Food	Where	Cost
Mıhlama/kuymak	Lokanta	₺100–150
Hamsi pilavı	Restaurant	₺120–180
Fried hamsi (portion)	Restaurant	₺100–150
Akçaabat köfte	Restaurant	₺150–250
Laz böreği	Bakery	₺50–80
Black Sea breakfast	Tea house	₺80–150
Trabzon butter	Market	₺150–250/kg

For the cultural food background, see Trabzon food guide.