Mersin Tantuni Product Description and Distinctive Features: Mersin Tantuni is a meat dish unique to the Mersin region. The distinctive feature of Mersin Tantuni is the use of fatty rib meat from beef and cottonseed oil in its preparation, along with the skillful production method described below. Additionally, it is traditionally served with lemon and/or sour orange juice as a dressing for the salad, and can be accompanied by ayran (yogurt-based drink) or şalgam (fermented turnip juice) as a beverage. Production Method:Ingredients for Mersin Tantuni: Beef rib meat, cottonseed oil, red pepper flakes, sumac, salt, tomatoes, onions, parsley, and other green ingredients. Tantuni tray: It is a tray with a hollow center. Preparation: 5 kg of beef rib meat, obtained from the fatty part, is diced after removing veins, nerves, and membranes. The meat is boiled in a pot with 1.5 cups of water for approximately 20 minutes at an average temperature of 80 degrees Celsius. After the boiling process, the boiled meat is spread on the tantuni tray. Cottonseed oil (1 liter), high-quality red pepper flakes (300 g), sumac (50 g), and salt (100 g) are added to the meat on the tray. The mixture is stirred on the constantly burning fire on the tray until it is browned. The cooked meat is then gathered to one side of the tray, making the tantuni meat ready. To prevent the tantuni tray from burning and to keep the meat warm with the rising steam, water is sprinkled onto the tray. The distinctive feature of cottonseed oil is that, unlike other oils, it does not produce a bitter or burnt odor when heated. Additionally, cottonseed oil does not freeze within Mersin Tantuni. Presentation of the Dish: Mersin Tantuni is prepared and served on serving plates between somun bread or flatbread called lavash. Lemon and/or sour orange juice is offered as a dressing for the salad ingredients inside Mersin Tantuni. Optionally, pickles and greens, along with optional ayran or şalgam juice, are served as beverages on the side. Packaged Presentation: For packaged presentations upon request, Mersin Tantuni is served in compliance with the regulations for hygiene and packaging materials that come into contact with food. It is packed in optional paper, plastic, styrofoam, or foil boxes. During preparation, a portion of the meat (at least 60 g) is pulled from the center of the tray, and depending on preference, lavash, flatbread, or somun bread is taken to warm and grease it by pressing it onto the meat in the hollow of the tantuni tray. The prepared bread is filled with at least 60 g of meat from the tray's hollow, and a salad prepared with onions, parsley, tomatoes, and sumac is added. It is then rolled as a wrap for lavash and made ready for serving in other types of bread.