Bayburt False Stuffed Dish

Bayburt Yalancı Dolma is a traditional stuffed dish specific to Bayburt Province. Its main ingredients include winter cabbage (kelem), bone-in meat dried in stone ovens, bulgur, butter, tomato paste, onion, and flour. The filling, made from boiled bulgur and flour, is wrapped in cabbage leaves; the stuffed leaves are then layered in a pot with dried rib meat and tomato paste–infused onions and cooked. Hot melted butter is poured over the dish before serving.

Distinctive Features

Bayburt Yalancı Dolma is a type of stuffed dish whose primary components are cabbage (kelem), dried bone-in meat, bulgur, butter, onion, tomato paste, and flour. The dish’s defining characteristic arises from the combined use of locally produced ingredients and traditional cooking techniques within its geographical boundaries. The dish is served hot with melted butter poured on top.

The most distinctive feature of this dish is the use of dried bone-in meat. This meat is obtained from the rib section of cattle or sheep, salted, and then dried in stone ovens using a unique preservation and flavoring method. Additionally, the cabbage leaves used in the preparation must come from winter cabbage harvested between September and November within the defined geographical boundaries.

Recipe/Production Method

The preparation of Bayburt Yalancı Dolma is a multi-stage process, and the use of ingredients directly linked to the geographical area is mandatory. The required ingredients are:

• 1 medium-sized cabbage
• 3 glasses of bulgur
• 500 grams of dried bone-in meat
• 5 tablespoons of tomato paste
• 250 grams of butter
• 1 glass of flour
• 3 large dried onions
• Red pepper
• Salt

In the preparation phase, one finely chopped onion is sautéed in butter. Then, boiled bulgur and flour are added to create a homogeneous mixture, which forms the stuffing. Meanwhile, the cabbage is separated into leaves, blanched in salted water for approximately 2–3 minutes, then shocked in cold water. After cooling, the veins are removed from the leaves and cut into pieces about 10 cm long for rolling. The prepared stuffing is placed on the leaves and rolled.

In another pot, two grated onions are sautéed together with butter and tomato paste to prepare the tomato paste mixture. The previously prepared dried bone-in meat is arranged in a single layer at the bottom of the pot. On top of the meat, the tomato paste mixture is added, followed by the rolled dolmas. This layering—alternating one layer of dolmas and one layer of the tomato paste mixture—is repeated. Finally, approximately two glasses of water are added to the pot, and the dish is cooked over low heat for about one hour. Before serving, melted butter is poured over the dish.

Production Link to Geographical Area

One of the fundamental reasons for the geographical indication registration of Bayburt Yalancı Dolma is that both the ingredients and the techniques used in its production are unique to Bayburt. Specifically, the use of winter cabbage cultivated and harvested between September and November within the defined geographical boundaries, along with the drying of rib meat in stone ovens, establishes this link. Therefore, all stages of production must be carried out within the boundaries of Bayburt Province.

Monitoring and Protection

Monitoring compliance with the geographical indication for Bayburt Yalancı Dolma is coordinated by the Bayburt Municipality. The monitoring body consists of a four-member committee, with one expert each from the Bayburt Municipality, the Food Engineering Department of Bayburt University, the Bayburt Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the Bayburt Provincial Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry.

Inspections are conducted at least once a year and may be carried out at any time if necessary. The inspection criteria include the following:

• The cabbage used must be cultivated within the geographical boundaries and harvested during the specified period,
• The rib meat must be dried in stone ovens,
• The production method must conform to established standards,
• The geographical indication emblem and the term “Bayburt Yalancı Dolma” must be visibly displayed on the product, packaging, or production facility.

The Bayburt Municipality has assumed responsibility for initiating and managing the legal processes to protect the name and production method of this product. Additionally, when necessary, the monitoring process may be supported by services provided by public institutions, private organizations, or expert individuals.