Turkey’s most famous creation is undoubtedly the kebab but the country has many more creative dishes influenced throughout history by Greek, Ottoman, Persian, Armenian and other cultures.
There is an emphasis on freshness and frozen ready meals are not popular. Mezes (appetizers) are widely served and main meals offer a variety of meat and vegetarian options. Seafood is particularly popular in the coastal resorts and desserts are often sold in cake and pastry shops.
Meze
Legend says Ottoman ruler, Suleyman the Magnifıcent introduced mezes by giving slaves small portions of his meals to ensure his safety. Eventually, the portions became known as meze, a Persian word for pleasant taste. Mezes are appetizers but a few hours in a meyhane (a tavern serving drinks and meze) will prove it’s not merely a snack but a whole eating experience. Examples include…
Beyaz Peynir: Creamy White sheep or goat’s milk cheese, similar to feta
Cacik (pronounced “jajik”): Yogurt with cucumber and mint
Acili Ezme: Spicy tomato dip
Haydari: Yogurt, dill and garlic
Sigara böreği: Deep-fried cigarshaped pastries filled with cheese
Yaprak dolma/sarma: Vine leaves stuffed with spiced rice and pine nuts
Patlican Salatasi: Eggplant, tomato and garlic salad
Street Food
Turkish street food is available on most street corners of large busy towns and is excellent if you are traveling on a budget because prices are very cheap. The most popular is a durum döner kebab that is lamb or chicken slowly cooked on a revolving skewer and accompanied by a sprinkling of lettuce, tomatoes and onion in a bread wrap. You can also order it served between normal bread.
Other examples include…
Pide: Turkish thin pizza topped with cheese, egg, minced meat and other toppings
Gözleme: Thin pancakes filled with cheese, spinach, or potato
Borek: Savoury pastries of varying shapes and fillings
Lahmacun: Very thin bread base with a variety of toppings and baked in a very hot oven. Traditionally served by squeezing a lemon on top and accompanying it with salad.
Kebaps and Kofte
The well-known Turkish Kebab is undoubtedly the national dish but who knew there were so many options. As well as being served as street food in a wrap, there are also versions, which are a full plate meal, accompanied with rice and salad.
Iskender is one such example. Thinly sliced meat is served on a bed of pitta bread and topped with yoghurt, a special tomato sauce, and burnt butter sauces.
Sis Kebab(pronounced ‘shish’) is small pieces of meat grilled on a skewer. They are delivered to the table like that. Most often, the meat served is chicken or lamb. Adana Kebab is spicy mincemeat shaped around a skewer, barbequed and served with onions, paprika, parsley and pitta bread. Another favourite dish throughout the country is kofte, which is the Turkish equivalent of western style meatballs. There are many different varieties, most of which are regional traditions. These are also served as street food, or as a sit down meal with salad and rice.
