Kargı Flower Okra
Kargı Çiçek Bamyası (“Kargı flower okra”) is a dried okra product closely associated with Çorum’s Kargı district.
The product and how it’s prepared
According to one producer’s description, Kargı okra is picked when just one day old — while still “in flower” — and dried strung on lines on tall drying racks. Grown in the plains of Kargı, fed by the Kızılırmak river, this okra is used dried in soups and other dishes.
Its place in the kitchen
A 2025 qualitative study on Çorum cuisine published in the Journal of Tourism and Gastronomy Studies notes that in Çorum’s culinary culture, okra dishes are made with fresh okra in summer and dried okra the rest of the year; dried Kargı flower okra is specifically favoured for special occasions and hosting guests. The same study notes that some local residents use Yonuz plum, a local fruit, instead of lemon when preparing okra dishes.
Promotion and recognition
Kargı Çiçek Bamyası is promoted at official and local events alongside the district’s other local products — Kargı Tulum cheese, Kargı rice and Kargı sırık kebabı (spit-roasted lamb). According to a Yaylahaber report, then-Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Bekir Pakdemirli visited the Kargı Local Products Stand in October 2021, where Kargı Çiçek Bamyası was on display. According to a Kesin Karar newspaper report, the product was also promoted among local goods at the Kargı fair in November 2024. It is also listed among Çorum’s local flavours in the Çorum Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism’s 2026 Turkish Cuisine Week promotion.
Sources
- Çorum Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism — “Turkish Cuisine Week” (corum.ktb.gov.tr)
- Journal of Tourism and Gastronomy Studies — “The Use of Yonuz Plum in Turkish Culinary Culture: A Qualitative Study in Çorum”, March 2025 (DOI: 10.21325/jotags.2025.1586)
- Yaylahaber — “Minister Pakdemirli tours the Kargı stand”, 29.10.2021
- Kesin Karar — “Centuries-Old Fair Excitement in Kargı”, 04.11.2024