Elazig Orcigi Product Description and Distinctive Features: Orcik is a traditional sweet treat resembling a walnut sausage, commonly prepared during the grape harvest season. The process involves threading walnuts and dipping them into grape must — a juice extracted from freshly harvested grapes — followed by a drying period. Orcik is deeply linked with Elazığ and stands out due to the use of local grape varieties and freshly picked regional walnuts. For authentic quality, Elazığ Orcik must be made exclusively from newly harvested grapes and fresh walnuts grown within the province. Production Method: Freshly harvested local walnuts are first cracked open and each walnut is carefully divided into four pieces. With the hollow side of each piece facing upward, the walnut pieces are threaded onto cotton strings using a thin needle. These threaded lengths, typically around one meter long, are then hung to dry completely, allowing the walnuts to firm up and lose excess moisture. When the region’s grapes reach maturity, they are harvested and either pressed using traditional methods such as in bags or stone pools, or crushed to extract the juice. This freshly obtained grape juice is poured into a large cauldron, where it begins to boil. During this process, impurities in the juice settle at the bottom, and the juice’s water content decreases. When the Brix level reaches around 70–72, the juice is filtered through cotton cloth bags to remove any remaining sediment, grape seeds, or solid residues. A measured portion of this clarified juice is set aside for preparing the raw mixture, while the remainder continues to boil in the cauldron. At the same time, flour is gradually added to the reserved juice to create a smooth paste — for instance, 2.5 kg of flour for every 40 liters of grape juice — and it is stirred continuously to avoid lumps. The prepared raw mixture, once it reaches a smooth and uniform consistency, is passed through a fine sieve to eliminate any remaining sediment or flour clumps. A portion of hot grape juice from the cauldron is added to the mixture to balance the temperature, ensuring it matches that of the boiling juice. The warm mixture is then slowly poured into the cauldron containing the rest of the grape juice while the heat is increased. Throughout this process, the contents are constantly stirred using paddles to maintain an even consistency. After the mixture begins to boil uniformly, stirring continues for an additional five minutes before the heat is turned off. The pre-threaded walnut strings are then dipped into the cooked mixture and briefly hung up to dry. This dipping and drying process is typically repeated once or twice to form a consistent coating. The orciks are left to dry completely, and depending on the ambient temperature, drying takes a few days. Once fully dried, they are cut into 15–20 cm pieces, making them ready to serve and enjoy. Elazığ Orcik is assessed based on its net mass composition, especially the proportion of walnuts it contains. For it to meet standards, it must include at least 30% walnut content. The finished product should be stored at room temperature in a dry environment. Under these proper storage conditions, orcik remains fresh for an average of 7–8 months.