Urfa Isot Pottery Product Description and Distinctive Features: Urfa (Şanlıurfa) Isot Clay Pot is a famous dish known by the regional name. The climate and soil structure of the Urfa region, along with the use of Şanlıurfa Pepper (Isot) and tomatoes produced through dry farming (locally known as frenk), are significant factors that differentiate the product. In the preparation of the dish, the meat of ivesi sheep native to the region, along with clarified butter obtained from sheep's milk, is used. Additionally, the use of pomegranate juice in the production method adds important distinctions. Clay Pot (Çömlek/Güveç): A wide-mouthed, special clay pot used for cooking. Tomato (Frenk): Tomato cultivation in Şanlıurfa Province is done through dry farming, depending on the climate. The genotypes of locally produced tomatoes have a semi-dwarf growth form, with maturity days ranging from 72 to 129 days. The stem has weak or no anthocyanin formation, flowering is generally single-axis, average fruit weight is 185.4 grams, average fruit diameter is 75.9 mm, and average fruit length is about 50.3 mm. The number of seed chambers in the fruit is approximately 8.3. Lamb Meat: Meat from ivesi sheep breed lambs raised especially in the meadows around the Tek Tek Mountains. Clarified Butter: Clarified butter obtained from the milk of ivesi sheep native to the region. Regional Stone Oven: The oven base should be made of mud and black stone. Under the black stone in the base lining (approximately 1 meter deep), salt and glass shards should be filled, and black stones should be arranged on top to create the base of the oven. Subsequently, a round shape should be given, and smooth stones of approximately 40 cm in length and 25-30 cm in height should be used to create the side frames. The upper dome of the oven, made of black stone, should be constructed with a mixture of wood ash, salt, and water, using only fire bricks, with a narrowing diameter. Production Method: Below, you will find the quantities of ingredients used in the preparation of the dish and the steps involved. The amounts of ingredients are proportionally adjusted based on the production quantity. Ingredients: 1.5 kg cubed (thread) meat Approximately 6 marrow and meaty bones 4 kg fresh red pepper (Şanlıurfa Pepper Isot) 1.5 kg tomato juice (2 cups) Approximately 100 gr clarified butter 1 kg onions 2 heads of garlic Approximately 1 teaspoon salt Pomegranate juice (2 cups) 1 teaspoon sevenspice blend (black pepper, cinnamon, cumin, fenugreek, allspice, ginger, cloves) Preparation Stage: Pomegranates should be separated into seeds, crushed to extract the juice, and then strained. Peppers should be cleaned from stems and seeds, soaked in cold water for about half an hour, and drained. The drained peppers should be sliced horizontally into medium thickness. Onions should be thinly sliced. Extract and strain the juice from the tomatoes. After cubing the meat, sauté it with chopped onions and clarified butter, then add the spice blend and salt. Remove it from heat. Placement in the Clay Pot: Place marrow and meaty bones at the base of the clay pot. Arrange half of the prepared red peppers on top. Add the sautéed meat, onions, and cleaned garlic cloves, along with the remaining red peppers, to the upper part. Pour the preprepared tomato juice and pomegranate juice into the pot, sprinkle with salt, and cook the product in a traditional stone oven. Cooking: It should be slowcooked in the stone oven for approximately 3 hours until the liquid is absorbed. Presentation: The cooked dish should be served on a serving plate. It can be accompanied by rice pilaf or plain bulgur pilaf, fresh green peppers (Şanlıurfa Pepper Isot), sliced onions, and buttermilk.