Food in Gaziantep is different from the cuisine in other parts of Turkey because of the influence of Armenians, Turks, Kurds and the culinary traditions of nearby Aleppo which was an important regional administrative center of the Seljuk and Ottoman empires. The difference is noticeable in its rice dishes, soups, kebabs, köfte (meatballs), etc. The meatballs come in varieties of çiğ köfte, içli köfte, meatball with (lentils), sour small meatballs, and small meatball with yoghurt. Gaziantep's food is known for being spicy compared to other Turkish cuisine; many of the local specialties as well as savory foods shared with other regions of Turkey are prepared with Aleppo pepper, a type of chili pepper, and paprika.