Çiğ köfte is the Turkish version of steak tartare, traditionally made with high-quality ground raw beef (or lamb) that is combined with bulgur, tomato paste, onions, garlic, pepper, and a selection of Turkish spices. The dish is consumed as a meze, and it is typically served almost cold.

In recent years, due to food safety regulations and health concerns, the meat is nowadays almost always replaced with bulgur and ground walnuts, but these vegetarian versions are so good that people mostly can’t tell them from the real thing.