İskilip Vinegar Salad
İskilip Vinegar Salad is known as the “indispensable” companion to İskilip Dolması — a tart, refreshing local salad built around vinegar. It serves to cleanse the palate alongside the rich, oil-laden dolma.
Geographical indication registration
İskilip Vinegar Salad was registered as a mark of origin with the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office on 05.09.2023, registration no. 1462, following an application filed by İskilip Municipality on 02.12.2022. In the municipality’s own announcement, the salad was described as an İskilip specialty “found nowhere else in the world.” See our geographical indication products page for the full picture.
How it’s made
The base of the salad is seasonal greens with finely chopped onion and garlic, tossed generously with İskilip’s black grape vinegar. The vinegar’s sharpness gives the salad its characteristic tartness and balances the richness of İskilip Dolması.
The Çorum interpretation
In İskilip, vinegar is traditionally made from grapes; this local vinegar is a staple not only in this salad but also in the district’s pickle culture. Vinegar Salad is such a deep-rooted companion that an İskilip table would be considered incomplete without it served alongside dolma.
Cultural significance
The registration of İskilip Vinegar Salad formally protects this centuries-old pairing tradition alongside İskilip Dolması. It is one of İskilip’s eight geographically indicated products.
🍳 How to make it
Ingredients
- Seasonal greens (lettuce, arugula, cress, etc.)
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2-3 cloves garlic
- İskilip black grape vinegar (or traditional grape vinegar)
- Olive oil
- Salt, red pepper flakes
Method
- Wash the greens and roughly chop.
- Add the finely chopped onion and crushed garlic.
- Toss with plenty of vinegar, a little olive oil, salt and red pepper flakes.
- Let rest a few minutes before serving alongside İskilip Dolması.
A traditional recipe; quantities and times are approximate and vary by household.