Gebze Bayram Çöreği

Gebze Bayram Çöreği is a traditional product registered by the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office, distinguished by its rich history and unique production characteristics specific to the Gebze district of Kocaeli Province. This pastry is particularly renowned as an indispensable delicacy on religious holidays and traces its origins to the traditions of the settled Turkmen communities (Manavs) in the region, with a history extending far back in time. It is also commonly known among the public as “parmaklı çörek” (finger-shaped pastry).

Gebze Bayram Çöreği (Turkish Patent and Trademark Office)

Registration Details and Geographical Boundary

Gebze Bayram Çöreği was registered as a geographical indication on 28 May 2021 under registration number 777, following an application submitted on 21 October 2020, on behalf of the Gebze Chamber of Commerce. The geographical boundary of the product is limited to the Gebze district of Kocaeli Province. The address of the registering institution is Güzeller Mahallesi, Kavak Caddesi, No:3, Gebze, Kocaeli. The designation “Gebze Bayram Çöreği” and the geographical indication emblem must appear either on the product itself or its packaging; if not, they must be prominently displayed at the production site and must not be smaller than the brand name.

Distinctive Characteristics and Ingredients

Gebze Bayram Çöreği is a baked product made from wheat flour, barley flour, yeast, water, sourdough starter, margarine, anise, salt, white powdered sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and mastika. All ingredients must be ground into powder form. The presence of anise is a defining characteristic of the pastry. Additionally, the production method unique to the geographical region requires considerable craftsmanship, particularly in shaping the product. These features establish a strong link between Gebze Bayram Çöreği and its geographical origin.

The primary ingredients used in its production are as follows:

• 125 kg wheat flour
• 25 kg barley flour
• 95 litres water
• 10 kg sourdough starter
• 1 kg margarine
• 3 kg anise
• 1.5 kg salt
• 1 kg white powdered sugar
• 750 g cinnamon (ground into powder)
• 1 kg cloves (ground into powder)
• 90 g mastika (ground into powder)
• 3 kg fresh yeast
• 20 g mixture of anise seed, sesame and walnut kernels (for topping)

Production Stages

The production process of Gebze Bayram Çöreği consists of the following stages:

Sourdough Starter Preparation

To prepare the sourdough starter one day in advance, 3 litres of water are added to 10 kg of wheat flour and mixed for 5 minutes using a mixer. Four lemons are squeezed into the resulting stiff dough and mixed for an additional minute. This mixture is left to rest at ambient temperature (22 to 24^∘C) for approximately 20 hours, during which time the sourdough starter develops.

Dough Preparation

In a mixer, wheat flour, barley flour and water are blended for 7 minutes. Ground anise, cloves, cinnamon, mastika, margarine, powdered sugar and yeast are then added and mixing continues. The sourdough starter and salt are added during the final 5 minutes of the total 15-minute mixing process.

Dough Resting

The dough is left to rest in the mixer at ambient temperature (22 to 24^∘C) for 20 to 45 minutes, depending on seasonal conditions. This process is locally known as “hamur yatar.” From the rested dough, 270 g portions are formed using a divider machine and allowed to rest for 15 minutes.

Shaping

The rested dough is pressed onto a cutting apparatus and stretched using a marking device to approximately 8 cm in length. The two ends of the dough are pulled to about 20 cm and shaped by pulling the right end to the right and the left end to the left. A mixture of anise seed, sesame and walnut kernels is sprinkled on top.

Baking

The shaped dough pieces are placed on trays and transferred to a proofing room. During summer, they are left to rise for 45 minutes to one hour; during winter, for 1.5 hours, until they expand to 1.5 times their original volume. They are then baked in a preheated oven at 280^∘C for 15 minutes. The pastry, which weighs 270 g before baking, weighs 220–225 g after baking.

Monitoring Mechanism

Monitoring is conducted to ensure the quality and authenticity of Gebze Bayram Çöreği. The monitoring body consists of five experts, coordinated by the Gebze Chamber of Commerce, with representatives from the Gebze Chamber of Commerce, the Kocaeli Provincial Directorate of Trade, the Gebze District Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry, the Gebze Municipality Inspection Directorate, and the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics at Gebze Technical University’s Faculty of Basic Sciences. Monitoring is carried out regularly during religious holidays, as well as in response to complaints or when deemed necessary. Criteria for monitoring include compliance with ingredient composition and proportions, production methods, storage conditions, and proper use of the geographical indication emblem. The monitoring body may seek support from external experts or institutions when required.