Kumpir Explained

Kumpir is baked potato with various fillings, a popular fast food in Turkey.

Name

The word kumpir comes from Turkish. from Bulgarian компир, "potato

Production

It is made with potatoes that are wrapped with aluminum foil and baked in special ovens. The potatoes are cut straight from the middle and the insides are mixed with unsalted butter and puréed with kaşar cheese added.

Variants

The above describes the basic kumpir. However, all sorts of foods can be added to the potato : mayonnaise, ketchup, pickles, sweetcorn, sliced green and black olives, sausage slices, carrots, steamed peas, mushrooms and Russian salad. The cafés in Ortaköy, İstanbul make kumpir that are especially popular with the tourists and offer even more ingredients.

See also