Maraş Sour Soup

Maraş ekşili çorba is a traditional soup prepared in Kahramanmaraş province using dövme (ashure wheat), lentils, chickpeas, crushed garlic, Maraş sumac vinegar, and seasonal or preferred vegetables such as purslane, beet, beet greens, or eggplant, which are cooked together and topped with a seasoned sauce.

Maraş ekşili çorba belongs to the food and soup product group. It has been registered by the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office as a "geographical name." A geographical name is a type of geographical indication used when all stages of production, processing, and preparation of a product occur within a defined geographical area, and the product’s distinctive characteristics are directly attributable to this geographical origin. This registration confirms that the unique taste and qualities of Maraş ekşili çorba are directly linked to the raw materials and traditional production knowledge of the Kahramanmaraş region.

^{Maraş Ekşili Çorba (Generated by Artificial Intelligence.)}

Maraş ekşili çorba is a deeply rooted dish with an important place in the culinary culture of Kahramanmaraş province. It is commonly served as a starter course. The soup’s sauce is prepared by adding mint and red pepper flakes to heated butter, or by sautéing crushed garlic, mint, and red pepper flakes in heated butter. It is served hot. One of its distinctive features is the use of the registered geographical indication product Maraş sumac vinegar (registration no: 343). Additionally, the registered geographical indication product Maraş pepper (registration no: 43) may optionally be used in flake form.

All stages of production for Maraş ekşili çorba are carried out within the defined geographical boundary of Kahramanmaraş province. The ingredients and production method for a six-serving batch are outlined below:

• 150 g lentils
• 90 g dövme (ashure wheat)
• 60 g boiled chickpeas
• 5–6 cloves crushed garlic
• 20 g butter
• 5 g salt
• 5 g dried mint
• 5 g red pepper flakes (preferably Maraş Pepper)
• 5 ml Maraş sumac vinegar (can be increased to taste)
• Seasonally or according to preference: 1–2 bunches purslane, 500 g finely chopped beet or beet greens, or 2–3 cubed eggplants
• 2 l water

1. The dövme is washed the night before and soaked in water to a depth of 1.5–2 cm above the grain.
2. The following day, the soaked dövme is drained and combined with washed lentils in a pot, then boiled with additional water.
3. Once the dövme is cooked, the boiled chickpeas are added.
4. Seasonally or according to preference, purslane, beet, beet greens, or eggplant are added.
5. After the vegetables are cooked, salt, crushed garlic, and Maraş sumac vinegar are added sequentially and the mixture is boiled for an additional five minutes.
6. For the sauce: mint and red pepper flakes are added to heated butter, or optionally crushed garlic is added as well, and the garlic, mint, and red pepper flakes are sautéed in the butter.
7. The prepared sauce is drizzled over the hot soup before serving.

The geographical boundary for Maraş ekşili çorba is defined as Kahramanmaraş province. This means that the primary ingredients—particularly Maraş sumac vinegar and, preferably, Maraş pepper—must be sourced within the province’s boundaries, and all production processes must take place within this geographical area.

The application for the geographical indication registration of Maraş ekşili çorba was submitted by the Kahramanmaraş Metropolitan Municipality. The application, numbered C2021/000457, was filed on 3 November 2021. Following the evaluation process, the product was officially registered on 15 June 2023 under registration number 1387 as a "geographical name." The applicant’s address is recorded as 25-A Dulkadiroğlu, Azerbaycan Bulvarı, İsmet Paşa Mahallesi, Kahramanmaraş.