Trabzon Sandwich · Anchovy on Bread

Hamsili Ekmek (Anchovy Bread)

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Hamsi (Black Sea anchovy) is so central to Trabzon's identity that locals are sometimes nicknamed "hamsi" themselves, and the fish shows up in dozens of local dishes, from bread to rice to even a savory cake.

Fresh Black Sea anchovies are coated lightly in cornmeal and pan-fried until crisp, then layered whole into crusty bread with onion and a squeeze of lemon. Fishing-town stalls along the Trabzon coast sell it fresh whenever the day's anchovy catch comes in.

Why it's made this way: The Black Sea's cold waters produce some of Turkey's biggest anchovy hauls each winter, and coastal towns built entire food cultures, this sandwich included, around eating the fish while it's at its freshest.