Çiğ Köfte

Çiğ köfte is a hand-kneaded dish of bulgur, tomato paste and red pepper paste, shaped and eaten with lettuce or bread. Its name means "raw meatball" in Turkish, and it is associated with Şanlıurfa in southeastern Turkey. The original Şanlıurfa version was made with raw minced meat. Today's street version is usually meat-free, and the classic modern dish has no meat at all.

What it really is

Fine bulgur is moistened with water and kneaded by hand with tomato paste, red pepper paste, onion, garlic, cumin and chopped parsley until the mixture softens, darkens and holds together as a smooth, dense dough. Hand-kneading is the important step, since it is what gives the dish its texture. The dough is then shaped into small ovals or pieces and served. The original raw-meat version was kneaded in the same way with minced meat.

Çiğ köfte is not a meatball. Despite the name, the modern dish contains no meat. It is served cold or at room temperature and is eaten by hand.

How it's served

• Cold or at room temperature, shaped into small pieces on a plate.
• Wrapped in a lettuce leaf, or in a piece of lavash, so it can be eaten by hand.
• As a street snack, or as one of several small dishes on a table, with other meze.

How to write it on the menu

• Name the main ingredient: fine bulgur wheat, with no meat in the modern version. Say this plainly, since many guests expect a meatball.
• Flag wheat, since bulgur is a wheat product. The classic dish contains no milk, egg or nuts.
• If the kitchen still makes the Şanlıurfa raw-meat version, sell it under its own name, state that it contains raw meat, and never offer it as the meat-free dish.
• Name the spices and the pepper paste, since guests with sensitivities and those who dislike chilli often ask.