Osmancık Domates Kavurması (Green Tomato and Rice Sauté)

Geographical Indicationana-yemek

Osmancık Domates Kavurması is a dish of fresh green tomatoes and rice particular to Osmancık, a district of Çorum province in north-central Turkey. According to the registration certificate it is also known locally simply as “domates kavurması” (tomato sauté), and it is made especially in summer and autumn.

Geographical indication

Following an application by the Osmancık District Governorship (3 February 2025, file no. C2025/000030), the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office registered the dish on 3 April 2026 as a place-of-origin indication (registration no. 1838). The geographical area is Osmancık district, and the certificate requires all production stages to take place within it.

Product description

The certificate describes a dish prepared with tomatoes, rice, bulgur, onion, garlic, pepper, paste, spices, oil, butter and parsley. The green tomatoes give it a sour-tart taste. Its stated main features are that the rice is cooked in the tomatoes’ own juice, that no extra water is added, and that the dish is kept only slightly juicy. The combined use of green tomatoes and rice is named as the method that sets it apart in Çorum cooking.

Local use

According to the certificate, the dish is eaten on ordinary days and also served at weddings, invitations, religious holidays and festivals. Making it takes skill. The certificate gives a six-person ingredient list and order of preparation, and recommends resting the dish for about 10 minutes before serving it hot or cold.

Sources

• Turkish Patent and Trademark Office, Geographical Indications Portal, Osmancık Domates Kavurması, Registration No. 1838 (entry: https://ci.turkpatent.gov.tr/cografi-isaretler/detay/12464; certificate: https://ci.turkpatent.gov.tr/Files/GeographicalSigns/00b33a02-d1cd-4719-80db-c1cf26c34d42.pdf)

🍳 How to make it

Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients

• 500 g green tomatoes
• 100 g red tomatoes
• 100 g onion
• 100 g fried minced meat (optional)
• 50 g rice
• 50 g bulgur (optional)
• 50 g pepper (optional)
• 50 ml cooking oil (sunflower and/or olive oil)
• 50 g paste (tomato and/or pepper paste)
• 25 g butter
• 20 g peeled garlic (optional)
• 10 g parsley (optional)
• 10 g crushed red pepper flakes
• 10 g salt
• 5 g black pepper

Method

1. In a large pot, fry the chopped onion, pepper and garlic in the oil and butter.
2. Add the chopped red tomatoes, paste and minced meat, and fry for about 5 minutes.
3. Add the peeled fresh green tomatoes, cut into wedges like apple slices.
4. Add the washed rice, salt, red pepper flakes, black pepper and any optional ingredients, and cook over low heat for about 15 minutes, keeping the dish only slightly juicy and making sure the rice cooks properly in the tomato juice.
5. Let it rest for about 10 minutes; serve hot or cold as preferred, optionally topped with parsley.

💡 Tips

• No water is added; the rice cooks in the tomatoes' own juice.
• The tomatoes and rice are preferably sourced from Çorum province.

A traditional recipe; quantities and times are approximate and vary by household.

← All Çorum dishes