taste

Like every other city on the Black Sea coast, the abundance of seafood is manifested in the cuisine of Sinop. Although it is possible to eat various types of delicious seafood almost everywhere in the Black Sea, fish dishes combined with the local features of Sinop take on a different taste here. All kinds of fish caught in fishing nets in the Black Sea, especially Anchovies, are cooked in different ways and served. The dish named the stuffed pan is prepared with anchovy, an indispensable food of the Black Sea, which is the main ingredient, and it is one of the most famous fish dishes in Sinop. You can go to the harbor and have your meal on boats arranged as restaurants, and you can also take a short Black Sea tour.

Most of Sinop's delicious dishes of local cuisine consist of pastries. Among them, nokul (pastry made with yeast dough) prepared with raisins, walnuts, minced meat or yoghurt, dough with meat (Sinop dumplings), folding are among the leading ones. Spoon sticker (mamalika), zılbıt pastry, hasuda, numbing dessert, sirık kebab that you can taste in Boyabat district, taktak halva are other local flavors in Sinop.

Sinop, whose nature is very generous like its sea, has fertile lands. As a result, Sinop Chestnut is the most famous among the products grown in Sinop, where many fruits and vegetables can be produced.

Sinop Nokulu, Boyabat Gazidere Tomato, and Boyabat Sırık Kebab are among the geographically indicated products.

Lakerda

Lakerda is one of the Black Sea’s most cherished culinary traditions, enjoyed for centuries. Made by salting and curing oily fish such as bonito and torik, it is more than a simple meze; it reflects a time-tested method of preservation shaped by life at sea. Careful timing, the right salt balance, and patient maturation are what give lakerda its refined, distinctive character.

The Lakerda Festival brings this heritage to the foreground, blending gastronomy with cultural storytelling. Visitors can discover the craft behind lakerda through master producers, explore traditional techniques, and enjoy tastings that showcase both classic and modern interpretations. With talks, workshops, and curated cultural events, the festival offers an engaging way to experience a maritime food culture and the living traditions that keep it thriving.

Sırık Kebab

Sırık kebab is made with lamb or kid and has an important place in Sinop gastronomy. The way the fire is burned and the type of wood are of significant importance in cooking. The cooking pole is specially cut out of resin-free wood, thus preventing resin from contaminating the meat. In addition, pinewood is used especially when burning the fire. Burning pinewood gives the meat its special aroma, while at the same time maintaining the strength of the fire. 

Nokul

Nokul is a type of pastry made with yeast dough. The most distinctive feature is that this pastry is made in the form of a roll. Poppy, tahini, hazelnut, and gummy varieties have become an indispensable treat, especially for the festive tables, with their charming scent.