You may see both “Erzurum cağ kebabı” and “Oltu cağ kebabı” on menus and in descriptions of the dish. The name in Turkey’s official geographical indication register is Oltu Cağ Kebabı. The record is a useful starting point for learning about the product and its regional connection.
The official record
The Turkish Patent and Trademark Office lists Oltu Cağ Kebabı under registration number 127, dated 22 February 2010. The registration holder is the Oltu Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the province listed is Erzurum. The category is mahreç işareti, a form of geographical indication.
That date records the registration, not the invention of the dish. The entry describes a regional product; it is not a complete history of who first cooked cağ kebabı or how it reached other cities.
From the fire to the table
The Ministry of Culture and Tourism’s description explains the horizontal spit, wood fire and serving on small skewers called cağ, or on a plate. These details help you recognise the dish when watching it being prepared.
They are an introduction, not the full set of registered requirements. If you would like to read about the product specification, the official record and the Ministry’s overview are linked below. Both sources are in Turkish.
At Serden
In our kitchen, we use leg meat from Balıkesir kıvırcık lamb, season it with onion, salt and black pepper, and cook it horizontally over wood. This describes our own preparation. We are not presenting the product’s geographical indication as a certificate awarded to Serden.
For the practical side of a visit, our first-time guide covers portions, the side dishes that come with the cağ and ordering. You can read that before coming, or follow the sources below to learn more about the registered name.