Alaca Çılbır

Geographical Indicationana-yemek

Alaca Çılbır is a traditional dish unique to Alaca district, Çorum, prepared in three versions: plain egg, minced meat, or onion. Unlike the well-known Istanbul-style “çılbır” (poached eggs over yoghurt), Alaca’s version is built around eggs cooked in a tomato-paste sauce.

Geographical indication registration

Alaca Çılbır was registered as a mark of origin with the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office on 05.08.2024, registration no. 1624, following an application filed by Alaca Municipality on 27.02.2023 — registered on the same day as Alaca Hingali, a pairing that brought Alaca’s total registrations to eight. See our geographical indication products page for the full picture.

Three ways of preparation

• Plain: beaten eggs are cooked directly in the tomato-paste sauce.
• With minced meat: sautéed minced meat is combined with tomato paste, water and salt, then eggs are cracked in and cooked.
• With onion: sautéed onion forms the base of the same tomato-paste sauce, with eggs added the same way.

All three versions are finished with a sprinkle of red pepper flakes and served hot.

The Çorum interpretation

Though a simple, quick home dish, Alaca’s çılbır has a long history in the district’s culinary culture. Being adaptable with minced meat or onion makes it suitable for both breakfast and a main meal.

Cultural significance

The registration of Alaca Çılbır formally documents the district’s everyday culinary tradition. As one of Alaca’s eight geographically indicated products, it represents the district’s practical yet deep-rooted home cooking culture.

🍳 How to make it

Servings: 4 servingsTime: ~20 minutes

Ingredients

• 25 g butter
• 25 g tomato paste
• 3 eggs
• 250 ml hot water
• 5 g red pepper flakes
• 5 g salt
• For the minced-meat version: 250 g minced meat
• For the onion version: 500 g onion, chopped

Method

1. Melt the butter in a pan.
2. For the minced-meat version, add the minced meat; for the onion version, add the chopped onion, and sauté.
3. Add the tomato paste, hot water and salt and stir; cook for a few minutes.
4. While the mixture is simmering, crack in the eggs and cook until the whites are set.
5. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes and serve hot.

A traditional recipe; quantities and times are approximate and vary by household.

← All Çorum dishes