Mardin Kilice Donut Product Description and Distinctive Features: Mardin, one of the oldest cities in the Upper Mesopotamia region, is a significant destination on the historical Silk Road and possesses a rich cultural heritage due to the coexistence of diverse ethnic groups for thousands of years. Among the cultural heritage is the Mardin Sword Bread (Mardin Kiliçesi) or Mardin Sword Pastry, a regional pastry presented as a tradition during religious holidays, engagements, weddings, Christmas, baptism, Easter, and funeral ceremonies. In the historical context of the product, swords made during engagement ceremonies are large and round, adorned with abundant almond paste. During Christmas, which is an integral part of Christian belief, swords of various shapes, depicting animals, plants, or patterns, are crafted. For products made during Easter, the dough is enriched with eggs. Swords made for baptism ceremonies come in various figurative shapes, containing a dense mixture of mahlep and almonds for the guests. Funeral swords, on the other hand, use fewer spices, replace milk with water in dough preparation, and do not include mahlep and almonds. These swords are served to guests expressing condolences and offered to attendees after the recitation of a funeral prayer on the third day. Today, commercially, Mardin Sword Bread is produced in two different forms: leavened and unleavened. It is a type of pastry made by kneading dough with wheat flour, oil, white powdered sugar, milk, baking powder/yeast, and various spices specific to the regional cuisine. The dough is shaped into a ring by skilled hands and baked in ovens. It is known by various names in the region and colloquially referred to as "kilice," "kliçe," "iklice," "kuliçe," "külünçe," among others. Production Method: Unleavened Production: The preparation of the dough begins with melting butter and/or margarine. Wheat flour, melted butter and/or margarine, white powdered sugar, milk, sunflower and/or olive oil, baking powder, and some or all of the spices listed in the ingredient list are mixed in specified proportions and kneaded to obtain a homogeneous dough. Optionally, water and eggs may be used in the dough at this stage. The prepared dough is divided into small balls. The dough in the form of a ball is shaped into a cylindrical thread, about the thickness of a little finger, either on the countertop or with skilled hands. The two ends are joined to give it a ring shape. The shaped pastries are brushed with previously beaten eggs, and optionally, peeled almonds are placed at the point where the ends are joined. They are then ready for baking. The arranged pastries are placed in an oven preheated to 160-180°C and baked for approximately 15-20 minutes, depending on the type of oven. After checking the baking, the pastries are taken out of the oven and left to cool. At this stage, the waiting time is approximately 15 minutes. The cooled pastries, when brought to room temperature, are classified in desired quantities based on count or weight and are offered for sale either unpackaged or packaged with label information compliant with regulations. Leavened Production: The preparation of the dough begins with melting butter and/or margarine. Wheat flour, melted butter and/or margarine, powdered sugar, milk, sunflower and/or olive oil, fresh or dry yeast, and some or all of the spices listed in the ingredient list are mixed in specified proportions and kneaded to obtain a homogeneous dough. Optionally, water and eggs may be used in the dough at this stage. The prepared dough is left to ferment for approximately 2-3 hours. The leavened and rested dough is divided into small balls. The dough in the form of a ball is shaped into a cylindrical thread, about the thickness of a little finger, either on the countertop or with skilled hands. The two ends are joined to give it a ring shape. The shaped pastries are brushed with previously beaten eggs, and optionally, peeled almonds are placed at the point where the ends are joined. They are then ready for baking. The arranged pastries are placed in an oven preheated to 160-180°C and baked for approximately 15-20 minutes, depending on the type of oven. After checking the baking, the pastries are taken out of the oven and left to cool. At this stage, the waiting time is approximately 15 minutes. The Mardin Sword Bread, when brought to room temperature, is classified in desired quantities based on count or weight and is offered for sale either unpackaged or packaged with label information compliant with regulations.