Urfa Calabash Dish Product Description and Distinctive Features: The Turkish cuisine, particularly the cuisine of Şanlıurfa, holds a very special place globally and is one of the fundamental pillars of culinary culture. What makes the cuisine of Şanlıurfa exceptional is its cultural and historical heritage. Culinary culture is shaped by the natural resources, climate, habits, and historical background of a city. The richness of the culinary culture in a city like Şanlıurfa, with a history of 12,000 years, is closely related to its long history. The geographical conditions and the role of history have played a significant part in shaping the cuisine of Şanlıurfa, along with the influence of different ethnic and religious structures. Throughout its history, Şanlıurfa has assimilated patterns and symbols from different cultures but managed to create a unique cuisine in terms of food and beverages, making it one of the rare cities with its own culinary identity. One such product that has reached the present day with the accumulated cultural knowledge identified with the region is Urfa (Şanlıurfa) Squash Dish. This regional dish is prepared with meat, vegetables, only the juice of tomatoes, and the squash that gives the dish its name. Ingredients Used in Preparation: Squash: Scientifically known as Lagenaria siceraria, squash genotypes are specifically cultivated and consumed as a vegetable, especially in Şanlıurfa. Sumac juice/pomegranate juice: The juice of unripe grapes or pomegranates is used to adjust the flavor of the product. Meat: The meat used comes from Ivesi breed sheep raised in the Şanlıurfa region. Production Method: Ingredients : 3 kg squash 0.5 kg diced mediumfat lamb meat (preferably with bones) 45 marrow bones 1 cup chickpeas (previously soaked) To adjust the flavor: Juice of 4 sour pomegranates or 1 cup sumac juice 2 teaspoons sugar 3 kg tomatoes 1 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon tomato paste Preparation: 1. After washing the squash, cut off the stem. Halve the body, then slice it. Remove the seeds, peel the green part of the skin, and dice it into cubes. 2. Dice the lamb meat into cubes. If using pomegranate juice for flavor adjustment, separate the pomegranate seeds, strain them, and extract the juice. (The same process is done for sumac juice.) 3. Wash the tomatoes, crush them on a sieve, and collect the juice in a bowl for use. (Tomato juice will be used instead of water in the dish.) 4. Cook diced lamb meat, marrow bones, chickpeas, tomato juice, and tomato paste in a pot. Later, add the squash, pomegranate juice or sumac juice for flavor adjustment, sugar, and salt to the boiling dish. Simmer on low heat. When the squash becomes tender, the dish is ready to be served. Presentation: Serve the dish with pilaf, bulgur köfte (aya köftesi), or largesize bulgur balls (iri yuvalak) alongside fresh Şanlıurfa pepper (isot).