Çiğ köfte is a Turkish vegan dish made from bulgur strongly flavored with tomato and pepper paste and spices. Originally, it was a dish prepared with raw meat (in fact, the name can be loosely translated from Turkish as “balls of raw meat”), but the modern version served in restaurants and street stalls in Turkey is meat-free and vegan.
Çiğ köfte originates from southeastern Turkey. According to legend, this Turkish dish was created in ancient times as a result of a ban on lighting fires, forcing people to prepare meat without cooking it. And so, çiğ köfte was invented 😁
Çiğ Köfte: Traditional Turkish Vegan Dish
Historical Çiğ Köfte
The original çiğ köfte was made by mixing finely chopped or minced raw meat with bulgur, tomato paste, pepper paste (“biber salçası”), fresh onion, garlic, parsley, mint, lemon juice, olive oil, and a special blend of spices. The mixture was kneaded intensively by hand for a long time until all the ingredients combined and formed a soft, sticky consistency. The mixture was then hand-formed into small elongated shapes resembling fingers or smaller balls. The final çiğ köfte was served on lettuce leaves, usually accompanied by fresh vegetables, pomegranate molasses (nar ekşisi), and lemon slices.
Vegan Çiğ Köfte
In recent decades, there has been a significant change in the way çiğ köfte is prepared in Turkey. Due to hygiene regulations and health standards, the Turkish government banned the sale of çiğ köfte containing raw meat in restaurants and street stalls in 2008.
In response to the ban, a vegan version of this dish was developed. The meat was replaced with a larger amount of bulgur, and the seasoning was enhanced to preserve the strong flavor of the original recipe (çiğ köfte can be very spicy).
The new meat-free version quickly gained popularity and is now the dominant version of çiğ köfte throughout Turkey.
Çiğ Köfte as a Sandwich
Çiğ köfte is also commonly sold in the form of a sandwich, where çiğ köfte is placed inside flatbread such as lavash. This serving method is popular across Turkey, especially at fast food stalls.
Dishes Similar to Historical Çiğ Köfte
In various world cuisines, there are still dishes similar to the original çiğ köfte. For example, Lebanese “kibbeh nayyeh” is a dish containing raw meat, bulgur, and spices. Another similar dish is “Czech” steak tartare, which is also very popular in French cuisine.
If you enjoy spicy dishes, çiğ köfte is definitely worth trying.
Bon appétit!
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