A culinary dispute has erupted between Greece and Türkiye over a centuries-old tripe soup long dubbed as a hangover remedy, after a Greek restaurateur launched a bid to secure UNESCO recognition for the dish as part of Greece’s cultural heritage.
The soup, known as “patsa” in Greece and “iskembe” in Türkiye, is made from bovine stomach and, in the Greek version, often includes legs simmered for hours into a thick, garlicky broth. It is also usually garnished with a sprinkle of seeds and a dash of hot peppers. Popular among late-night revellers, the dish is widely believed to ease hangovers and stomach illness caused by overdrinking.
The latest clash began when Dimitris Tsarouhas, 53-year-old owner of a restaurant in the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki, sought UNESCO status for patsa, arguing the soup’s origins stretch back to ancient Greece and even Homer’s “Odyssey.”
Tsarouhas told The Associated Press (AP) he had assembled a detailed historical dossier with the help of a local cultural organisation and author Lena Oflidis, who wrote a book tracing the soup’s history. He claimed the recipe was passed from ancient Greeks to Byzantines and later to the Ottomans.
He also pointed to a passage in “The Odyssey” describing bovine bellies filled with suet (animal fat used in cooking) and blood during a feast prepared by Penelope for her suitors on the day that her husband came back from his decade-long journey.
“If this isn’t patsa, then what else could it be?” Tsarouhas shared with AP. “We believe that we have all the tools to secure and certify it (patsa) as such. We don’t have anything to divide with our neighbors — rather the taste unites us,” he added.
The Greek initiative has angered many in Türkiye, where iskembe soup is also deeply embedded in culinary tradition. Turkish restaurateur Ali Turkmen rejected the Greek claim, saying the soup has been central to Turkish culture for centuries.
“Just like with baklava and many other things, they want to claim it as their own,” Turkmen said. “But it will probably be difficult for them to claim something unique to us. Because it’s been a staple in our culture for centuries. Tripe is something specific to Turks.”
Turkish media outlets accused Greece of “appropriating” a nationally celebrated dish. The Onedio news portal cited the writings of famed 17th-century Ottoman traveller Evliya Celebi, who, in his “Book of Travels”, described tripe soup vendors in Istanbul as evidence of its long history in Türkiye.
The dispute adds to a long-running rivalry between the neighbouring nations over ownership of foods and cultural traditions shaped during centuries of Ottoman rule. Greeks and Turks have previously sparred over coffee, stuffed grape leaves and baklava.
Despite the tensions, voices on both sides have called for shared culinary traditions to foster connection rather than divide the two countries.
