Dorak Yogurt Returns in Yozgat’s Çandır, in Carved Stone

A couple in Çandır, a district of Yozgat in central Türkiye, are reviving dorak yogurt, a regional food that was close to disappearing. Mustafa and Adeviye Kır make it in vessels carved from Kayseri stone. They now want a geographical indication (coğrafi işaret) to protect the product, according to a report published on 4 November 2026.

The story shows how a single household kitchen can hold a piece of local heritage. It also shows how fragile that heritage becomes when few people still know the craft.

How dorak yogurt is made in carved stone

A “dorak” is the stone vessel in which the yogurt matures. According to the report, craftsmen carve these vessels from the soft stone of Kayseri. The report adds that fewer masters now know how to make them.

Adeviye Kır described the process. The family skims the fat from the milk, cooks it and turns it into yogurt. After a day’s rest, they salt the yogurt and place it in the dorak. As the stone draws out the water, they keep adding more yogurt.

Once the vessel is full, they seal it and leave it to mature. The yield is small: about 400 litres of milk produce roughly 40 kilograms of finished yogurt. That ratio explains why the couple call the work laborious and costly.

The couple gave slightly different maturing times. Adeviye Kır spoke of four to five months inside the dorak, while Mustafa Kır mentioned three to four months. Mustafa Kır said production starts when the weather cools and takes place in cellars. Afterwards the yogurt is kept in a deep freezer and sold in one-kilogram packs.

Why the Kırs want a geographical indication

A geographical indication is an official label that ties a product’s name and character to a specific region. For a food like this, it can help protect the traditional method and the product’s origin.

Mustafa Kır said the yogurt belongs to the area. In the past, he said, mothers and midwives made it, but nobody in the region produced it any more. He described their work as bringing back a product that was almost lost. “Only we can make it,” he said, explaining why they are asking officials for help.

The report does not say that an application has been filed or approved. At this stage, the request is a public appeal, not a registered status.

A food tradition worth watching

Adeviye Kır also described how the family eats it. Some customers take the yogurt as it is. For others, she makes a pastry: she kneads dough, fills it with the yogurt, closes it and bakes it, a little like a tahini roll.

Whether dorak yogurt earns official protection will depend on the authorities. For now, the Kırs say they plan to keep producing it, and they sell it in one-kilogram packs.

Source: SonDakika (İHA)
Featured image: CNN Türk