Pinarbasi Black Soup Product Description and Distinctive Features: Kara Çorba (Black Soup) is a traditional chicken soup originating from the Pınarbaşı District in Kastamonu Province and nearby villages. The soup’s name and its distinctive dark hue come from the use of kızamık ekşisi (barberry sour juice), which is added during the cooking process. This sourness is extracted from the fruits of the native barberry plant (Berberis vulgaris) that grows abundantly in the area. Typically enjoyed in the colder winter months, what sets this soup apart is the inclusion of kızamık ekşisi as a key ingredient. Production Method: Clusters of barberries are picked from the barberry plant (Berberis vulgaris). These harvested barberries are boiled until they become soft. Once softened, the barberries are mashed and passed through a fine sieve. The extracted liquid is then boiled down until it thickens. This thickened syrup, called "Kara Çorba Ekşisi" (Black Soup Sourness) or kızamık ekşisi, is preserved in glass jars for future use. Pınarbaşı Kara Çorba Recipe (serves 8 people): A whole chicken is placed in a pot with a whole onion (around 100 g), 8 grams of salt, 2 liters of water, and 5 grams of black pepper, and boiled until cooked. The resulting chicken broth is separated for the soup preparation. To 2 liters of this broth, 10-15 ml of kızamık ekşisi is added and stirred well. Next, 20 grams of flour is combined with 500 ml of cold water and poured into the boiling soup. The mixture is cooked for 5 minutes. At the beginning, small portions (100-150 g) of chicken meat are taken from the boiled chicken. In 100 grams of butter, 5 grams of black pepper and 8 grams of salt are added, and the chicken meat is sautéed for 1 minute. Finally, the sautéed chicken pieces are incorporated into the cooked soup.