Konya Etli Ekmek

Etli ekmek means meat bread, and Konya's version is defined by its shape: the dough is rolled and stretched extremely thin and long - commonly around a metre, sometimes more - spread with finely minced lamb mixed with onion, tomato, pepper and parsley, and slid on a peel into a wood-fired oven, where it bakes fast and comes out crisp at the edges and pliable in the middle. It is brought to the table on a board, cut across into strips with a roller, and eaten by hand, usually with ayran and sometimes with a squeeze of lemon and a few sprigs of parsley. There is no cheese and no egg; that would be a different dish. It is cheap, fast and the standard lunch of the city, and the good places are ordinary rooms with an oven at the back and a queue at midday. Konya also carries a reputation for conservatism in food and drink - alcohol is harder to find here than in most Turkish cities.

What you actually see

• The metre-long bread - the stretched dough on the peel.
• The wood oven - the fast bake at high heat.
• The board and roller - cut into strips at the table.
• The ayran - the standard accompaniment.

When to go

Year-round; lunch is the traditional time and the ovens are busiest then. It is best eaten immediately - it does not travel or reheat well.

Honest expectations

It is plain food, and visitors expecting pide with cheese will be surprised. Portions are long but thin - most people manage a whole one. Alcohol is not served in most Konya restaurants.

Nearby

The Mevlâna Museum and Karatay Medrese are in the city centre; Sille is eight kilometres out.