30.10.2026 00:52
Hülya Elma, a mother of four living in the Çubuk district of Ankara, lost her family's savings after being scammed, but she did not give up. Elma, who started making manti by buying 1 kilogram of minced meat and 5 kilograms of flour with the money she had set aside for kitchen expenses, now provides employment opportunities for more than 40 women. The entrepreneur, who managed to take local flavors abroad by growing her business, also receives orders from Germany and France.
The 1 kilogram of minced meat and 5 kilograms of flour she bought with her grocery money changed Hülya Elma's life. A mother of four who started making manti at home after suffering financial losses in Ankara now owns a business where more than 40 women produce.
SHE WAS SCAMMED AND LOST HER FAMILY'S SAVINGS
Hülya Elma, who came as a bride to Ankara's Çubuk district 33 years ago, decided to enter business life after raising her four children. Elma first sold long-lasting storage containers, but lost her family's savings after being scammed. Not giving up in the face of the financial difficulties she experienced, Elma looked for a different way to work again. With the money she set aside for kitchen expenses, she bought 1 kilogram of minced meat and 5 kilograms of flour. With her mother's help, she started making manti at home.
SHE STARTED WITH 1 KILOGRAM OF MINCED MEAT AND 5 KILOGRAMS OF FLOUR
Hülya Elma used the first earnings from the manti she prepared to buy ingredients again. As orders increased, she expanded her production. Within a few months, the workspace at home became insufficient. Moving to a larger area with her family's support, Elma first bought a dough kneading machine, then a dough rolling machine. The manti production that began in her home over time turned into a business supplying products to various businesses in Ankara. With increasing demand, Elma opened her own workplace and expanded her product range.
NOW SHE PRODUCES WITH MORE THAN 40 WOMEN
Adding stuffed vine leaves, cookies, pastries, baklava, and various regional dishes to her journey that began with manti, Hülya Elma now provides employment to many women. More than 40 women work in her business. In the production process, Elma, who receives support from her mother and mother-in-law as well as her family, continued to grow by reinvesting her earnings in her business. The entrepreneur, who cares about women taking more part in economic life, wants her own experience to be an example for women who want to work and produce.
GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATION GRANTED FOR ÇUBUK'S REGIONAL DISH
Among the flavors Hülya Elma produces is homaça, one of Çubuk's traditional dishes. Homaça, which especially appears on wedding and invitation tables, is prepared with beef and salt. The meat is fried in butter and cooked for a long time. Explaining the preparation of the dish, Elma said, 'Traditionally cooked over a wood fire, the dish is served after a preparation process of about 7-8 hours.' Elma, who stated that she started producing homaça upon customer demand, announced that as a result of their cooperation with the municipality, they obtained the geographical indication registration for the dish.
SHE RECEIVES ORDERS FROM GERMANY AND FRANCE
The production that began in Ankara over time reached different provinces of Turkey and abroad. Elma, who receives orders especially from countries with a large Turkish population such as Germany and France, stated that interest in traditional flavors is high. The woman entrepreneur described their shipments abroad as follows: 'Especially Turkish families living away from their hometowns show interest in the regional flavors they tasted in their childhood. We receive orders from countries with a large Turkish population, especially Germany and France. We send products such as noodles and tarhana by cargo, and we prepare dishes such as homaça under suitable transportation conditions and deliver them to our customers.'