Osmancık Yırtmaç Yemeği (Vine Leaf and Pulse Dish)

Geographical Indicationana-yemek

Osmancık Yırtmaç Yemeği is a dish particular to Osmancık, a district of Çorum province in north-central Turkey, in which vine leaves are cooked together with several kinds of pulses. According to the registration certificate, it is also known locally as “yırtma aşı” (torn-leaf dish), because the vine leaves are torn up when it is made.

Geographical indication

Following an application by the Osmancık District Governorship (18 April 2024, file no. C2024/000137), the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office registered the dish on 18 November 2024 as a place-of-origin indication (registration no. 1662). 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 made with water, vine leaves, chickpeas, lentils, cowpeas, broad beans, bulgur, paste, oils, yoghurt, garlic, vegetables and herbs. What sets it apart in Çorum cooking, it says, is the combined use of vine leaves and several pulses, with the leaves giving a sour taste. It is made especially in spring and summer with fresh vine leaves.

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 recipe for six people with the order of preparation.

A similar dish in İskilip

İskilip Municipality holds a separate registration for a dish with a similar name: Çorum Yırtma Yemeği. The two registrations and recipes are separate.

Sources

• Turkish Patent and Trademark Office, Geographical Indications Portal, Osmancık Yırtmaç Yemeği, Registration No. 1662 (entry: https://ci.turkpatent.gov.tr/cografi-isaretler/detay/11326; certificate: https://ci.turkpatent.gov.tr/Files/GeographicalSigns/74f230ae-47d0-4cf4-b5df-a6ea5e57fa0c.pdf)

🍳 How to make it

Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients

• 1 litre water
• 250 g fresh and/or brined vine leaves
• 100 g boiled chickpeas
• 100 g green lentils
• 100 g cowpeas (optional)
• 100 g finely chopped or ground broad beans (optional)
• 100 g onion and/or spring onion
• 100 g tomato (optional)
• 50 g pilaf bulgur
• 50 g tomato and/or pepper paste
• 30 g green pepper (optional)
• 30 ml sunflower and/or olive oil
• 25 g butter
• 25 g garlic (optional)
• 10 g salt
• 10 g dried and/or fresh mint
• 10 g parsley
• 10 g dill
• 5 g crushed red pepper flakes
• 300 g yoghurt (optional)

Method

1. In a pot, combine the water, boiled chickpeas, green lentils, cowpeas, broad beans and bulgur; cook for about 20 minutes, taking care that it does not stay too watery.
2. In a separate pot, fry the chopped onion with the oil and paste, add chopped green pepper and tomato with enough water, and cook for about 5 minutes.
3. Combine the two mixtures, add the salt and cook for about 5 more minutes.
4. Fry dried mint and red pepper flakes in the butter and pour it over the dish.
5. Stir in finely chopped fresh mint, spring onion, dill and parsley, along with the chopped or torn vine leaves.
6. Serve hot or cold as preferred; garlic yoghurt may optionally be added on top.

💡 Tips

• The vine leaves are preferably taken from vines grown in Çorum province; they give the dish its sour taste.
• The dish is mainly made in spring and summer with fresh vine leaves.

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

← All Çorum dishes