The statement made by gastronomy writer Vedat Milor, referring to the reputed Turkish traditional dish "çiğ köfte" (steak tartar a la turca) as bulgur salad ("kısır" in Turkish), sparked a new controversy with his social media posts and created a debate among çiğ köfte vendors.
Mehmet Kamar, the secretary-general of the Çiğ Köfte Producers Association (ÇİĞ-DER), said: "There is no meat in our çiğ köfte, but there is more than meat. It contains 12 herbs, spices, walnuts, hazelnuts and pistachios. Bulgur salad is also a delicious food, but it cannot be compared to çiğ köfte."
Inviting Milor to eat çiğ köfte, Kamar said that çiğ köfte made with meat is harmful to health, while the meatless version contains walnuts, hazelnuts and pistachios. The vendors responded to the claims by saying there is a whole heap of difference between the two.
"This is a version of delicious bulgur salad, yet they call it çiğ köfte. It is unbelievable. Çiğ köfte is one of the most delicious cold starters in the world. The meat inside is cooked when it is kneaded with spices. The ministry banned it from being made with meat because it includes bacteria, yet there can be bacteria in any food," Vedat Milor previously said.
Upon Milor's statements, Kamar added: "We saw Mr. Milor's statement and we were frankly surprised. I don't know where Mr. Milor eats çiğ köfte, but he is more than welcome to come and see the real taste of çiğ köfte in all our branches. We make it without meat because otherwise, they harm health. They are consumed on special occasions; they should be consumed quickly. We produce commercial raw meatballs. We deliver this taste to all parts of Türkiye, even the world. This taste has become indispensable in world cuisine. Anatolian cuisine has now become world cuisine."
"There is no meat in our meatballs, but there is more than just meat. Everyone gets a taste far beyond what they would get from meatballs with meat, and it's healthier. For the other version, the meat is the main ingredient. It is an appetizer made by kneading meat with bulgur and adding tomato paste, herbs and spices. In the meatless version, there is more than just meat. It contains B12 and omega-3, especially because it includes walnuts, hazelnuts and pistachios that are not inferior to meat. In terms of health, taste and healing, meatless versions are better than meaty ones in every aspect," Kamar said.
"There is a huge difference between Adıyaman çiğ köfte and bulgur salad. Even an ordinary person can distinguish the taste between them. The sale of ones with raw meat is prohibited because it is not healthy. If you buy meat and consume it immediately, there is no problem. We produce commercial versions and send them to branches. It should be hygienic in every aspect. Therefore, it must be without meat," he said.
"Çiğ köfte is a national food associated with our region and country. We are now competing with the global fast food chains around the world. We have presented genuine Anatolian, genuine fast food and çiğ köfte to all our people. They have now become a cultural phenomenon. It has become the food of not only Anatolia but also all seven regions. Bulgur salad is also a delicious food, but it cannot be compared to çiğ köfte."
Yaşar Erol, who has been in the business for many years, said: "There is a world of difference between them. Bulgur salad is simply a mixture of bulgur and tomato paste. Our çiğ köfte, as the name suggests, are meatless raw meatballs. They contain a combination of 32 different spices. Is there any resemblance to Bulgur salad? No. When meaty meatballs are made, they should be consumed within at least half an hour. There is no flavor difference between meaty and meatless versions, and it is not easy to distinguish them."
