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Adana, one of Türkiye’s most renowned gastronomic centers, offers a nonstop culinary experience starting at dawn and continuing around the clock.
From its trademark Adana kebab and liver dishes to unique local specialties like mumbar, şırdan, halka dessert and şalgam (fermented turnip juice), the city caters to food lovers at any hour of the day.
Morning delights on ‘liver street’
At dawn, the historic Kazancılar Bazaar wakes up as the street famously known as “Ciğerciler Sokağı” (“Liver Sellers’ Street”) fills with the smoke of grilling coals. Locals and visitors alike gather around tables set on the street to enjoy liver kebabs for breakfast.
For those who prefer alternatives to liver in the morning, popular choices include sıkma – a flatbread filled with cheese and onions – as well as savory pastries filled with cheese.
Meanwhile, the city’s celebrated Adana kebab, made from finely minced lamb meat, is grilled fresh and served throughout the day in restaurants across Adana.
Late-night flavors
As night falls, food enthusiasts turn to the many mumbar and şırdan stalls that open late into the night across Adana.
Şırdan, a local delicacy with geographical indication status, is made by boiling one of the four compartments of a lamb’s stomach and stuffing it with a mixture of oily, spicy rice before sewing it up.
Similarly, mumbar is a dish prepared by stuffing sheep intestines with a mix of rice, bulgur, minced meat and various spices. Both dishes are especially popular during late-night hours.
Adana locals and visitors also indulge in other specialties like halka tatlısı (ring-shaped dessert), ensuring the city’s culinary offerings are accessible almost any time.
Adana kebab is eaten 24/7
Restaurant owner Cihangir Korkmaz shares that the people of Adana are fortunate when it comes to food.
“Kebab is indispensable for Adana. We start breakfast with liver, eat kebab at noon, enjoy desserts in the afternoon, and continue with şırdan in the evening. Our day lasts 24 hours. The love for kebab never ends. Especially for visitors from outside the city, there’s never a worry about what to eat late at night. Adana kebab is a flavor that can be enjoyed any time of day,” he says.
Customer Yasemin Dağtekin confirms this, saying Adana is truly a city that lives through food almost every hour. She explains, “The morning menu features liver, while şırdan and mumbar are preferred at night. Adana kebab is available all day long. We often bring guests from other cities directly to kebab restaurants and later, if they’re curious, to try şırdan at night – they love it.”
Nighttime tradition
Şırdan seller Yiğit Hüseyin Sudun notes that business picks up after midnight in his establishment. He explains that şırdan consumption has become a cultural tradition mostly reserved for nighttime.
“This dish is only eaten at night. It’s rarely preferred during the day. Between 9 p.m. and 3 a.m. is our busiest time. Şırdan has become a delicious alternative for the night. In Adana, you can find places to eat any kind of food 24 hours a day,” he remarks.
Regular visitor Sercan Yıldız, who lives in Istanbul, always makes sure to stop by a şırdan seller whenever he visits Adana.
Meanwhile, restaurant owner Gül Kıstak highlights liver kebab as one of the city’s key flavors, favored from early morning to midnight.
Even travelers like Alican Malik, who lives in London, make it a point to savor all the city’s specialties – from liver kebab to şırdan and mumbar – whenever they return to Adana.
