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Osmancık Rice

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Osmancık rice carries the name of the Osmancık district of Çorum and is Türkiye’s most widespread rice variety. The “Osmancık-97” cultivar, whose breeding registration dates to 1997, became the national standard with its long grain and grain-by-grain pilaf; at one point it made up the bulk of Türkiye’s rice production.

Osmancık-97 in Official Figures

According to the records of the Field Crops Central Research Institute (TAGEM/TTAE), Osmancık-97:

  • Plant height 95-100 cm; stiff straw and lodging-resistant
  • Paddy (hulled rice) thousand-grain weight 33-34 g
  • Rice milling yield of 60-65%
  • Milled rice thousand-grain weight 24-25 g
  • A medium-early variety

The Paddy Fields of the Kızılırmak

Osmancık is the centre of paddy agriculture in the Kızılırmak valley; the rice named after the district also gives its name to the Osmancık Pırlanta Pirinç (Pearl Rice) Festival held every September (see the Osmancık visitor guide). For the district’s settlement and agricultural history, see our Osmancık history article.

On the Table

Osmancık rice is known as a pilaf rice for its easy texture and free-flowing grains. It is also the base ingredient of the meat-and-rice dishes of the Çorum table, such as İskilip dolması and the Çorum Beşlisi.

Sources

🍳 How to make it

Servings: 4 servingsTime: ~35 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 cups Osmancık rice
  • 2.5-3 cups hot water or meat stock
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • Salt

Method

  1. Soak the rice in lukewarm salted water for 20-30 minutes, rinse until the water runs clear, and drain.
  2. Melt the butter and oil in a pot; add the rice and sauté for 2-3 minutes.
  3. Add hot water and salt; cook covered over low heat for 15-18 minutes.
  4. Remove from heat and let it rest for 15 minutes; fluff gently with a wooden spoon to separate the grains.

💡 Tips

  • Being long-grain, Osmancık rice gives a grain-by-grain pilaf at a 1:1.5 rice-to-water ratio.
  • The sautéing step is the secret of the texture; wait until the grains look glassy.

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

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