İskilip Ramazan Keşkeği

İskilip Ramazan Keşkeği is a traditional dish unique to the İskilip district of Çorum. It is prepared by cooking wheat semolina and bone-in meat together with tomatoes, onions, peppers, butter, and various spices in earthenware pots, inside stone ovens heated with oak wood, for approximately eight hours.

İskilip Ramazan Keşkeği is a traditional meat-based keşkek dish specific to the İskilip district of Çorum province. The dish is made by combining wheat semolina and bone-in meat with tomatoes, dried onions, green peppers, butter, and various spices, then slow-cooked for an extended period in earthenware pots placed in stone ovens heated with oak wood. Named for its traditional consumption during Ramadan, this dish holds a cultural place in İskilip’s communal iftar tables.

Traditionally, the earthenware pots containing the ingredients are delivered to special keşkek ovens located in neighborhoods early in the morning. To avoid confusion, each pot is marked with non-erasable writing or non-combustible materials. When cooking is complete, the public is notified by the sound of drums and zurnas rising from İskilip Castle; those who hear the signal proceed to the ovens to collect their pots.

The ovens are filled with water added to the pots and then placed into stone ovens heated with oak wood, where they cook for approximately eight hours. This long, low-heat cooking method preserves the natural juices of the ingredients, resulting in a product with a soft, melt-in-the-mouth texture and a medium-thick consistency. The characteristic reddish-orange color acquired during cooking is a distinctive visual feature. İskilip Ramazan Keşkeği is served hot without any additional sauce.

The wheat semolina used in İskilip Ramazan Keşkeği is sourced from wheat grown in İskilip. After harvest, the wheat is washed, boiled in large cauldrons, then traditionally pounded to separate the husks and processed into semolina. The basic ingredients used in preparation are as follows:

• 359 g bone-in meat (beef or lamb),
• 200 g wheat semolina,
• 1 dried onion,
• 1 tomato,
• 1 green pepper,
• 25 g tomato paste,
• 10 g butter,
• 5 g salt,
• 5 g black pepper,
• 5 g red pepper,
• 500 ml water

In the preparation process, the semolina is washed in hot water and placed in an earthenware pot. Then, chopped vegetables are added, followed sequentially by the bone-in meat, tomato paste, butter, and spices. The baker adds water to the pot and places it into the stone oven heated with oak wood. Cooking lasts approximately eight hours. The final product is served only hot, with no additional sauce.

İskilip Ramazan Keşkeği is a geographically indicated product that can only be produced within the boundaries of the İskilip district of Çorum. The production process, including sourcing of ingredients and cooking methods, is strongly tied to this geographic region. The use of wheat semolina derived from İskilip-grown wheat, along with traditional stone ovens and earthenware pots, reinforces the product’s local identity and distinctive qualities. Consumed traditionally throughout Ramadan by the people of İskilip, the dish also serves as a cultural attraction for visitors from outside the district.

İskilip Ramazan Keşkeği was registered as a geographical indication on 23 September 2021, following an application submitted on 17 December 2020 (Application No: C2020/440). The registering authority is the İskilip Municipality. Use of the geographical indication requires the presence of the term “İskilip Ramazan Keşkeği” alongside the official geographical indication emblem on the product or its packaging. In cases where these markings cannot be placed directly on the product or packaging, they must be clearly displayed within the production facility.

Compliance with the geographical indication protection is monitored at least twice annually, with one inspection taking place during Ramadan. These inspections are conducted by a two-member monitoring body appointed by the İskilip Municipality, comprising one expert from the İskilip Municipality and one from the İskilip District Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry. During inspections, the suitability of ingredients, adherence to traditional production methods, use of earthenware pots and stone ovens, cooking duration, and correct use of the product name and emblem are verified. Inspection reports are regularly submitted to the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office.