top of page

Pekmez

Pekmez

The Besparmak Mountains are swarming with carob trees and the sweet thick syrup extracted from the pods are exceptionally tasty. Pods are gound into powder, then boiled in water which reduces them to dark harnup pekmez (carob molasses).

Carob syrup can be found in most health food stores globally, but the local version of pekmez can only be found in local supermarkets.

Pekmez is used in soups and stews, spread on bread, poured over ice cream, mixed with yoghurt or trickled over pastry and fruit.

Restaurants sell desserts made of pekmez, such as gullurikya. In villages such as Tatlisu and Ozankoy which hold annual Carob Festivals, a sweet fermented drink is also brewed with pekmez and drank ice cold. Locals believe that a teaspoon a day of pekmez keep colds and flu away.

The fruit of this tree contain vitamins A, B, B2, B3 and D, as well as zinc, useful for both children and adults suffering from anaemia. Harnup Pekmez is also believed to show positive effects in treating impotence and infertility.

bottom of page