Does çiğ köfte contain raw meat?

Despite the name, the main ingredient of today's çiğ köfte is not meat but fine bulgur. The bulgur swells with water, takes colour from isot pepper and paste, and binds during long kneading. Kneading time decides the texture: a well-worked köfte does not crumble between the fingers.

The meat version is a craft dish of southeastern Türkiye: lean meat is chopped with a blade, kneaded at length with bulgur and eaten the same day. It belongs to home tables and special orders.

When buying from a shop the shortcut is the label: it will state that the product is meat-free. If a meat version is claimed, ask about its source and whether it was made that day.