Hamsili Pilaf(Hamsili Pilav)
regional
A baked rice dish from the Black Sea region where anchovies form an edible crust around the rice; this structure is documented in Rize.
The rice is not fully cooked before baking; the remaining cooking occurs in the oven under the anchovy crust.
- Region
- Rize · Black Sea
- Category
- Fish and Seafood · Regional Dishes · Pilafs and Stuffed Dishes
- Taste
- seafoodoven-bakedwith butter
- Season
- winter
- Occasion
- special occasionshared table
- Service
- home style
Where to eat ↓4 Michelin matches
Table balance
Taste: richness
- Alongside
- Pickles or an onion-and-lemon salad: acidity cuts the fat and lightens the plate. Arugula, lemon and thin-sliced onion; fish needs no heavy sauce beside it.
- To drink
- Ayran (salted yogurt drink) or turnip juice — the classic partner to a rich meat plate.
- Afterwards
- Plain brewed tea; if you still want dessert, keep the portion small and wait a little.
Suggestions are about taste balance, not health or nutrition advice. Scores are derived from each record's own flavour description.
Shortcuts worth knowing
Pick the good one
Bright eye, deep-red gills, firm flesh. A fish with a softened belly on the ice is not worth buying.
Right time
Anchovy season is winter; “fresh anchovy” in midsummer has almost always been frozen.
Common myth
Bigger fish is not always better; in many species the mid-size fish has the best fat balance.
How to order
The same dish changes name from city to city. Asking about an unfamiliar name is the shortest route.
Where this dish is made best
No match verified by field assessment yet — we never invent scores; assessments will be added with field evidence.
Directory venues serving this cuisine
- 01 Adana Cadde Kebap · Bostancı — directory match
- 07 Midye — directory match
- 07 Simit Fırını — directory match
- 100. Yıl Lahmacun — directory match
- 100. Yıl Pide Kebap Salonu — directory match
- 26A — directory match
An alphabetical directory based on each venue's own cuisine declaration; not an assessment. Data: © OpenStreetMap contributors.
From the Michelin selection
distinguished- Turk Fatih Tutak · İstanbul — two Michelin stars + Green Star
- Vino Locale · İzmir (Urla) — two Michelin stars
- Araf İstanbul · İstanbul — one Michelin star
- Maçakızı · Muğla (Bodrum) — one Michelin star
Venues serving this cuisine, distinguished in the Michelin Guide 2026 selection. An external distinction; not a GustoScore assessment. Full selection
Related dishes
- Fried Anchovies — The pan and oven-pilaf readings of Black Sea anchovy
These are also easy to miss
- When is anchovy in season in Türkiye?
Anchovy is at its fattest and best from November to January. A general fishing ban applies in Türkiye through spring and summer, so anchovy sold then is usually frozen stock.