History
The registration file calls it a dessert tied to Antalya, and TÜRKPATENT registered it on 12 April 2021 at the request of the Antalya Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The pumpkin must be grown in Camili village in Döşemealtı and the tahini made from Manavgat sesame. The slices sit in sugar for 12 to 24 hours, simmer for two to three hours, then brown in an oven at 175 C for 15 to 20 minutes. Piyazcı Ahmet calls its baked version indispensable, and 7 Mehmet serves a kabak tatlısı with walnut and buffalo kaymak and a stuffed pumpkin made from the geographically indicated Döşemealtı pumpkin.
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Common allergens: Sesame, Nuts
Make it at home
Ingredients
- 1.5 kg bal kabağı (winter squash), peeled, slices about 7 cm wide
- 600 g granulated sugar
- 100 g double-roasted tahini
- 100 g walnut kernels
- Half a lemon
Method
- Slice the pumpkin and peel off the hard skin, then cut each slice into three equal pieces.
- Lay the pieces in the 600 g of sugar with the juice of half a lemon and leave them for 12 to 24 hours.
- Cook the sugared pumpkin in its own juice on low heat for about 2 to 3 hours, turning it over and skimming off the foam.
- When the sugar has thickened, move the pumpkin to a tray and bake in an oven heated to 175 C for 15 to 20 minutes until browned on top.
- Pour the double-roasted tahini over the pumpkin, scatter the walnuts and serve at room temperature.
Tip from the editors. Peel with care: leave the white membrane thick and it hardens as it cooks, cut it too thin and the pumpkin falls apart.
Where to eat antalya kabak tatlısı
Antalya kabak tatlısı in Antalya
Piyazcı Ahmet
Piyazcı Ahmet, at 166 Sokak No:29/A in Muratpaşa, started in 1996 in a small shop of about 20 square metres and serves piyaz, köfte and kabak tatlısı.
OrderOrder the piyaz with şiş köfte, and the baked kabak tatlısı to finish.
TipThe shop is open from 08:00 to 22:00, and the menu also lists lentil soup, şiş köfte, chicken şiş and chicken köfte.
Şişçi Ramazan
Şişçi Ramazan in Konyaaltı keeps flavours unchanged since 1970: şiş köfte with roasted pepper and hot pide, Antalya-style piyaz and pumpkin dessert.
OrderŞiş köfte, which the menu calls the star of the table, with Antalya piyaz.
TipA table can be booked from the site through the Masa Ayırt button or WhatsApp, or by phone on 0530 147 98 44.
7 Mehmet
7 Mehmet in Muratpaşa has cooked Antalya's food since 1937, reworking local classics such as stuffed pumpkin from the geographically indicated pumpkin.
OrderKabak Tatlısı: caramelised pumpkin with double-roasted tahini, walnut and buffalo kaymak.
TipThe Antalya restaurant is open from 11:00 to 00:00, and the number to book is 444 07 07.
Kebap 32 Salih
Kebap 32, at Fatih Cd. No:12, has stood at this spot since 2003 and serves soups, kebabs, pides, lahmacun and piyaz at what it calls advantageous prices.
OrderOrder the house piyaz with a kebab, a pide or a lahmacun.
TipThe site shows Sunday as closed and gives opening hours of 11:30 to 20:30 on the other days.
Mevlana Lokantası
Mevlana Lokantası, at Evliya Çelebi Cad. Gülin Apt. No:1, is a lokanta and çorbacı open 7/24, so soups and kebabs are on offer at any hour of the night.
TipOpen 7/24, so you can come at any hour; the site lists event bookings, with no refund of the deposit in the last 3 days.
Parlak Restaurant
Parlak Restaurant carries on a story begun by Mustafa Parlak in 1954, serving Turkish pot dishes, meze and charcoal chicken inside Muratpaşa's Zincirli Han.
OrderThe charcoal chicken, which the menu calls the house speciality.
TipThe restaurant is open Monday to Sunday from 12:00 to 00:00, and reports a 2026 Gault & Millau award in its Traditional category.
Arma Restaurant
Arma Restaurant overlooks the Kaleiçi marina from a building put up by Italians in the late 19th century, serving Turkish and Mediterranean dishes.
OrderLobster, offered Parisian style, grilled or thermidor.
TipService hours on the site are 11:00 to 23:00, and the terrace looks over the Mediterranean and the marina.
Kalamar Balık
Kalamar Balık on Lara Cad. serves fresh daily fish, carefully made meze and lobster from a spot on the cliffs with sea views, in the Eski Lara district.
OrderLobster, cooked thermidor, grilled or poached, or the baked pumpkin dessert with tahini and walnut.
TipMenu contents and availability change with the season, so call to reserve a table.
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