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Flavors · Kars

Tandırda kaz çekmesi (kaz asması)

Goose raised on the Kars plateau, salted at the start of winter and roasted in the tandır, with wheat pilaf (bulgur) cooked directly beneath in the fat dripping from the bird: Kars's winter dish.

Traditional dish from Kars, Kars

Also known as: Kars kazı ve bulgur pilavı, Kars kazı, kaz asması, tandırda kaz çekmesi, kaz eti ile bulgur pilavı, kazlı bulgur pilavı

Updated October 2026

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Tandırda kaz çekmesi (kaz asması) — Kars, Turkey — Tandırda kaz çekmesi (kaz asması)

Tandırda kaz çekmesi (kaz asması) — Kars, Turkey

Kars, on the plateau in northeastern Turkey near the border with Armenia and the ruins of Ani, is the goose province. The local chamber of commerce says that when talking about Kars gastronomy, the first name that comes to mind is goose meat, registered as a designation of origin in 2023.

Geese are raised free on pastures and riverbanks during the summer, often tended by village women who paint colorful marks on the birds' necks to know whose is whose. Shortly before slaughter they are fed more grain. Slaughter usually takes place with the onset of cold, at the start of winter, and the meat is salted and stored for the harsher months.

For special meals, the salted goose is roasted in the tandır, the underground clay oven. Beneath the bird sits the pot of bulgur (cracked wheat), which receives the dripping fat and takes on the meat's flavor. The goose is served with the golden pilaf and tandır bread.

It is a winter dish, reserved for guests and festive days. Outside the cold season salted meat may still be stored, but the tradition of the dish belongs to the cold months.

Where it comes from

Kars , Kars
The Kars chamber calls the goose the primary reference of local gastronomy; the bulgur dish is the customary way to serve it.

Ingredients

Salted Kars goose; bulgur (cracked wheat), goose fat, salt. Served with tandır bread.

How it is eaten

The goose in pieces over bulgur pilaf, with tandır bread; eaten with a fork or by pulling the meat with the bread.

When it is eaten

Winter; slaughter usually occurs at the start of the cold season, and the dish is reserved for visitors and celebrations.

Your questions

Questions about Tandırda kaz çekmesi (kaz asması)

When is goose season in Kars?

The goose is a winter tradition. Slaughter is usually done at the start of the cold season, and the salted meat is stored for the following months. At other times there may be stored meat; check before you go.

How is Kars goose prepared?

The meat is salted and, when served, roasted in the tandır, the underground clay oven. The bulgur cooks underneath, receiving the fat that drips from the bird.

Does Kars goose have a geographical indication?

Kars goose meat (Kars kaz eti) has been registered as a designation of origin since 2023. The registration protects the meat; the dish with bulgur is the traditional way to serve it.

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