Recipe
In a large bowl, yogurt, flour, and boiled cracked wheat (yarma) are mixed together and placed in a cool area away from direct sunlight. To prevent the surface from drying out and to control excessive souring, the mixture is stirred at regular intervals throughout the day. Once the yogurt has sufficiently soured, the mixture is shaped into small portions of approximately 10–15 grams and placed at intervals on a clean, large cloth to dry in the sun. After drying, the pieces are transferred into a cloth bag and stored in a cool, dry place. One day prior to cooking, the dried tarhana is soaked in water overnight. By morning, the yogurt has dissolved and the cracked wheat has swollen. The mixture is then transferred to a pot and stirred continuously until it comes to a boil. Tomato paste sautéed in butter, along with black pepper and dried mint, is added to complete the soup. Tarhana, one of the traditional preparations for winter, was formerly made collectively through communal labor (imece) and dried on earthen rooftops; today, it is generally obtained in ready-made form.