Akcakoca Melenguccegi Dessert Product Description and Distinctive Features: Akçakoca Melengücceği Dessert is a traditional sweet with a history spanning over 700 years, originating from the Manav Turks—descendants of Central Asian settlers in the Akçakoca region. This dessert also had a place in the Ottoman Palace cuisine. Its unique filling, known as "dartı", is made by processing the rich cream from the milk of cows raised near the Melen River, which gives it its authentic and regional flavor. Today, Akçakoca Melengücceği continues to be made in its original form by local Manavs. Historically, it was shared in its dry, syrup-free version during friendly visits among villagers. Several stories surround the origin of the dessert’s name. Flowing from Akçakoca into the Black Sea, the Melen River is believed to have inspired the name. In Old Turkish, the term "güccek" referred to a small loaf of bread, and "Melengücceği" was thought to mean "Melen’s small bread." Akçakoca Melengücceği Dessert is made using a blend of wheat flour, eggs, milk, hazelnut oil, baking powder, vinegar, and salt. The dough, prepared with care, is rolled out thinly with a rolling pin. A rich filling made from cow’s milk cream—known as "dartı"—is spread inside, along with walnuts or hazelnuts. The filled dough is then deep-fried until golden and later dipped in syrup to create this delicious treat. When served unsyruped after frying, it is traditionally enjoyed at breakfast, paired with local cheese known as "keş", or accompanied by the aromatic wild strawberry jam made from forest berries, or chestnut honey. In its syruped version, the dessert is often topped with crushed walnuts or hazelnuts and served with a dollop of clotted cream or a spoonful of wild strawberry jam. This sweet specialty is especially prepared during weddings and festive celebrations in the region. Ingredients for Akçakoca Melengücceği Dessert: "Dartı" refers to the creamy filling used in the Akçakoca Melengücceği Dessert. It is prepared by frying the cream extracted from cow or buffalo milk. To make the inner filling, 300 grams of milk cream is utilized. Additionally, 200 grams of finely ground walnuts or hazelnuts are layered between the dough sheets. Ingredients for frying the dessert include 2 cups (400 ml) of hazelnut oil, which gives it a distinctive regional flavor. The syrup for the Akçakoca Melengücceği Dessert is made using the following: - 3 cups (500 grams) of granulated sugar, - 3 cups (600 ml) of water, - 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of lemon juice. To prepare the syrup, combine the sugar and water, and bring them to a boil. Once boiling, continue cooking for 10–15 minutes to thicken the syrup. Add the lemon juice and boil for an additional 2–3 minutes. The resulting syrup should be thick and left to cool completely before being poured over the dessert. To prepare the flavorful filling known as "dartı", cream from cow or buffalo milk is gently simmered in a deep pot over low heat, while being stirred continuously. Once the cream begins to separate and forms a light sediment, it is removed from the heat. Care must be taken to ensure it doesn't become overly thick. The prepared dartı is then set aside to cool completely. The dough is made by kneading a mixture of flour, baking powder, salt, eggs, milk, vinegar, and hazelnut oil until a smooth, earlobe-like consistency is achieved. Small dough portions weighing approximately 80–100 grams are formed, covered with a clean cloth, and left to rest for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Once rested, each dough ball is rolled out using a rolling pin and flour into a thin sheet about 60–70 cm in diameter. Two to three ladles of the cooled dartı are poured over the surface and spread evenly. For added richness, finely crushed walnuts or hazelnuts may also be included. The dough is then rolled into a log shape. The rolled dough is cut into sections 6–7 cm long. Each piece is pinched at the ends and gently pressed inward to form round bead-like shapes. These beads are then flattened by hand into circular discs with a diameter of approximately 7–8 cm and a thickness of 1–1.5 cm. The hazelnut oil used for frying is poured into a deep pan and heated thoroughly. The shaped dessert pieces are gently placed into the hot oil and fried until they become crispy and golden brown on both sides, ensuring they are flipped midway through cooking. Once fried, they are removed with a slotted spoon and left to drain excess oil for around 10 minutes. After resting, the fried desserts are submerged into the pre-cooled syrup for 5–6 minutes, allowing both sides to soak in the sweet syrup evenly. Once fully absorbed, they are taken out and served either warm or cold, topped with a generous sprinkle of ground hazelnuts or walnuts. For extra flavor, they can also be served with clotted cream or mountain strawberry jam, a local specialty. When stored under proper conditions at a temperature of 8–10°C, Akçakoca Melengücceği Dessert remains fresh and consumable for up to 5 days.