Maraş Çöreği

Maraş Çöreği is a round, mildly salty biscuit specific to Kahramanmaraş province in south-central Turkey, defined by its ingredients, its shaping with a grooved hornbeam rolling pin, and its baking in an oak wood-fired stone oven. The European Commission entered it in the Union register of geographical indications on 1 December 2025 by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/2422, published in the Official Journal L series. The application was submitted by the Kahramanmaraş Union of Chamber of Tradesmen and Craftsmen on behalf of the province's Maraş Çöreği producers. The Turkish domestic GI registration number is 361, approved by TÜRKPATENT on 13 June 2018.

The product is made from six ingredients: standard wheat flour, vegetable margarine, fine salt, fresh Nigella sativa seeds, fresh live yeast, and fresh potable water. No other ingredients are used. The specification defines the production proportions as 10 kg flour, 4 kg margarine, 120–130 g salt, 20–30 g Nigella sativa seeds, 250 g fresh yeast, and 4 litres of water per batch.

What makes it distinct

Three features define Maraş Çöreği and are inseparable from its geographical origin: the grooved hornbeam rolling pin, the oak-fired stone oven, and the craftspeople's skill acquired through long apprenticeship in Kahramanmaraş.

The rolling pin must be made of hornbeam (Carpinus betulus), a durable hardwood native to the mountainous forests of Kahramanmaraş. The specification sets its dimensions at 8 cm width and 33 cm length, with groove depth and spacing of 0.5 mm. These handcrafted pins, made exclusively by local craftsmen, create the characteristic surface indentations that give Maraş Çöreği its distinctive appearance and ensure even heat distribution during baking. Rolling pins of the correct dimensions and material are a prerequisite verified during inspections.

The stone oven must be fired with oak wood. Kahramanmaraş forests historically contained kermes oak, gall oak (Quercus infectoria subsp. veneris), and Persian oak (Quercus brantii), and oak firing is the traditional and specified baking method. Baking temperature is approximately 250°C for 3–5 minutes.

The craftspeople's skill — forming the dough into balls of approximately 110 g, rolling to circles of a maximum 15 cm diameter and 2 mm thickness, and managing the stone oven — is acquired through apprenticeship from an early age in Kahramanmaraş and cannot be replicated with the same results elsewhere.

Physical characteristics

• Shape: Round with surface indentations from the grooved rolling pin

• Diameter: 10–15 cm

• Thickness after cooking: 8 mm (average)

• Colour: Creamy golden

• Aroma: Nigella sativa seeds and salt

• Flavour: Mildly salty

• Texture: Packed and grainy

Nutritional values per 100 g: Energy 519 kcal / 2,175 kJ; fat 32.1 g; carbohydrate 50.4 g; protein 8.2 g; salt 1.6 g.

Production zone

The production area is the whole of Kahramanmaraş province, located in the Eastern Mediterranean Region of southeastern Anatolia at coordinates 37°35'4.92"N, 36°55'35.08"E. The province covers 14,346 km² with a city population of approximately 1.2 million.

All production stages — preparation of the dough, forming, baking, and cooling — must take place within Kahramanmaraş province.

Production method

1. Mixing: Water, salt, yeast, and Nigella sativa seeds are combined in a kneading bowl for a few minutes. Margarine is added and mixing continues. All flour is added and the dough is kneaded until a smooth surface is achieved, approximately 10–15 minutes.

2. Resting and forming: After a 5–10 minute rest, craftspeople shape the dough by hand into balls of approximately 110 g each. These are opened and left for a further 10 minutes before cooking.

3. Rolling: Each ball is rolled with the grooved hornbeam rolling pin into a circle approximately 2 mm thick and a maximum of 15 cm in diameter. The rolling pin creates the characteristic surface indentations. After rolling, the surface is gently struck with the tip of the rolling pin in several places to prevent swelling or doming during baking.

4. Baking: The çöreks are baked in a stone oven preheated by burning oak wood at approximately 250°C for 3–5 minutes until a distinctive creamy golden colour is achieved.

5. Cooling: The baked çöreks are removed from the oven and left to cool on wooden grills. The product may be consumed hot or cold.

Cultural and historical context

Maraş Çöreği is particularly associated with Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr, when it is consumed in large quantities across Kahramanmaraş. Historical records indicate its presence in the province since the Ottoman period. In the past, it was prepared at home by housewives for family consumption or sold through local bakeries and confectioners as a source of household income. Commercial production in Kahramanmaraş enterprises began approximately 30 years ago. The product is also traditionally distributed to guests at funerals. A local products catalogue published by the Eastern Mediterranean Development Agency on 15 September 2018 identifies Maraş Çöreği as a product unique to Kahramanmaraş that cannot be replicated with ingredients from other locations.

Control and certification

Control is carried out by a three-member commission comprising:

• Directorate of Municipal Police Department of Kahramanmaraş Metropolitan Municipality — Egemenlik, Gazi Mustafa Kemal Blv. No. 17, Dulkadiroğlu, Kahramanmaraş

• Kahramanmaraş Provincial Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry — same address

• Kahramanmaraş Sütçü İmam University Food Engineering Department — Avşar Yerleşkesi, Onikişubat, Kahramanmaraş

Annual audits verify the use of a dimpled hornbeam rolling pin of correct dimensions, baking in an oak wood-fired stone oven, and compliance with maximum diameter (15 cm) and ingredient specifications. Physical inspection covers shape, taste, and thickness; chemical analysis is performed in ministry-approved laboratories on suspect products. All producer companies must register with the Provincial Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry; their business registration numbers must appear on all sales packaging. Producers must retain invoice records for all raw material inputs for 10 years.