20 Turkish foods that are popular and must try
Best Turkish Food You’re going to be in for a treat if you’re a foodie and interested in Turkish food. This well-known Turkish dish offers a culinary adventure with its unique fusion of flavors and customs. Turkish food promises to take your taste buds on a fascinating journey, whether you want to explore traditional meals like kebabs and baklava or venture into regional delicacies.
A Taste of Turkish Cooking
Turkish food has a long and varied history that has been influenced by both the nation’s distinct geography and culture. Turkey’s culinary traditions combine flavors from the Mediterranean, Middle East, and Central Asia, serving as a bridge between East and West.
Fresh, premium ingredients, an emphasis on seasonality, and a mastery of traditional cooking methods are the cornerstones of Turkish cuisine. Turkish food, from the staples like mezzes and kebabs to the rich desserts, is a pleasant trip through a tapestry of flavors.
In this guide, we’ll go over the must-try recipes, undiscovered treasures, and regional delicacies that contribute to the gourmet delight of Turkish food. Regardless of your level of experience with food, this thorough introduction to Turkish cuisine will encourage you to start a mouthwatering journey. Save up to 50% off at Aquasana with code LS
Popular Turkish Food You Must Try
Turkey is well known for its colorful and savory food, which combines Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, and Central Asian elements. The following are some Turkish delicacies that are a must-try and highlight the rich culinary legacy of the nation:
1: Lahmacun Pizza in the Turkish Style
Lahmacun, which is crispy and flat, resembles a pizza served with a topping of salad, minced meat, and lemon juice on bread. It can be eaten by wrapping, folding, or pulling apart. Pizza’s Turkish equivalent is incredibly flavorful. In your mouth, minced lamb and Mediterranean spices are having a party. It is a well-known street dish in Turkey that can be found throughout the nation. Thus, you should give this a try when you visit Turkey again. Stock Up on Your Grocery Essentials with 10% Off! Use Coupon Code GROCERY10
2: Turkish Seekh Kebab Şiş Kebap
Your want kebab originated in Turkey, did you know that? You are enjoying Şiş Kebab when you add lamb to the list of foods served on a wooden or metal rod, along with chicken or fish. As soon as you see and smell the hot, charcoal-grilled skewered meats, your mouth will begin to water. Kebabs, or skewered meat, were first popularized throughout the globe by Turkey. So, try this delicious recipe if you want to enjoy traditional Turkish cuisine.
3: Piyaz
One of the most well-known meals from Antalya is piyaz salad, which uses beans as a secret ingredient.
They are not your typical butter bean; instead, they are a tiny variety called candir, which gets its name from the province in the interior where they are cultivated.
Flavorful and delicate, candir is combined with tahini thinned with a small amount of water, lemon juice, vinegar, salt, garlic, flat-leaf parsley, and olive oil.
Just before serving, a soft-boiled egg is roughly diced and mixed in. This is the most traditional variant.
4: Saksuka
Zeytinyagli yemegi, or foods cooked in olive oil, are a vast array of vegetable dishes that are a part of Turkish cuisine. So they are mostly vegetable-based and contain artichokes, green beans, and eggplants, of course.
Sasuka is among the best eggplant dishes. This dish consists of smooth purple-skinned cubes of green flesh cooked with tomatoes, garlic, zucchini, and chili, the amount of which varies depending on where in Turkey it is prepared.
5: Kofte Mercimek
The vegetarian treat known as mercimek kofte is called belluh by the people of Diyarbakir.
They come in convenient bite-sized portions and are made with red lentils, fine bulgur, salt, finely chopped onion, scallions, tomato, and aci biber salca (hot red pepper paste), and crushed cilantro.
Simply place one of these flavorful nuggets on a lettuce leaf, squeeze in some lemon juice, roll it up, and start munching. Purchase any three bags of coffee from Stone Street Coffee for $40!
6: İskender Kebab Lamb Strip
Iskender kebab should not be left off of our list of the top Turkish dishes. Long strips of lamb cooked in tomato sauce are called iskender kebab, and they are eaten with pita bread, rice, and yogurt. It bears the name of the Ottoman Empire’s Master Alexander (Iskender Efendi), who resided in Busra. It is created from doner meat that has been stripped and served with melted butter and a spicy, delicious tomato sauce. In Turkey, it’s a common dish that goes well with pita bread.
7:Turkish Soup Corba
A basic soup food; tomato or lentil are options. Try it with sheep tongue or brain soup to expand your gastronomic horizons. Soups are quite popular among Turkish people. Therefore, while you are on vacation in Turkey, you should give this a try. Since soup is all about feeling warm and comforting in your tongue, this will quickly become your go-to comfort food.
8:Kisir
The ingredients for kisir, a salad, are fine bulgur wheat, tomatoes, parsley, garlic, and mint.
However, the Antakya variant has pul biber (hot red chili flakes) and nar eksisi (sour pomegranate molasses), though there are many variations throughout Turkey. In the south, they enjoy the heat.
9:Kuzu Tandir Delicious Lamb
Those who enjoy Turkish cuisine are the ones who enjoy this dish the best. Your ideal eating experience will be enhanced by the aroma of this dish and the perfectly grilled lamb. This cuisine has been around since the beginning of time and continues to win people over. Other than Turkey, this dish is also found in Greece, Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, and the Caucasus.
10: Dolma Yaprak
The ingredients for the Isparta version of yaprak dolma include rice, tomatoes, olive oil, black pepper, water, tomato paste, onion, garlic, and a bunch of parsley.
A teaspoon of this mixture is spread out on a vine leaf, folded in, and manually rolled into tidy small cylinders. Read More…
Most street vendors sell leaves, but the nicest ones are plucked at midnight from a neighbor’s tree.
Turkish Aegean cuisine includes yaprak dolma, which occasionally incorporate a dash of cinnamon as a tribute to the Rum people, who are Greeks who were born in Turkey.
11: Pide The Turkish Patty
Easily available throughout Turkey, this specific meal is one of the most well-known Turkish cuisines. This dish is made so beautifully that it would be enough to tempt you to taste. This meal, which is made with well-kneaded dough and tastes almost delicious, is a must-try. This dish’s flavor will blow your mouth open, leaving you wanting more. Without a doubt, one of the greatest things to do in Turkey is to enjoy the delicious flavor of this Turkish cuisine while taking in the breathtaking surroundings. The best Turkish dish available in Istanbul’s restaurants is called Pide.
12: Cag kebab
Meat is particularly important to the people of Erzurum. They are willing to wait over 12 hours for a small portion of delicious and sizzling lamb cag kebab.
The meat is first marinated for half a day after being slathered with a mixture of onions, salt, and black pepper. It is then roasted horizontally over a wood fire after being fed onto a long skewer.
Cag kebab is delicious on its own, but it’s also served with slices of tomato, white onion, and long, thin green peppers called sivri, wrapped in flat lavas bread.
13:Manti
Kayseri-made manti, which are little squares of dough with different fillings, are the most popular kind.
A teaspoon of mince is enclosed in a tiny package in this central Anatolian variation, whereas cheese is used elsewhere. After the manti is submerged in boiling water, yogurt and pul biber (chili flakes) are added on top.
A good Turkish housewife is said to be able to make them so tiny that 40 of them fit on a single spoon.
14: Meze A Fish-Based Dish
In Turkish cuisine, this dish is regarded as one of the best appetizers. This is one of the greatest appetizers to start a meal in a restaurant that serves fish. Turkish mezes are loved for their taste and are well-known throughout the world. You can request more than one plate of this meal without giving them much thought because they don’t make your stomach feel bloated. Although Turkey has a variety of foods, foodies will find the entire continent of Europe to be fascinating. This is demonstrated by the European culinary festivals.
15: Testi kebab
This Nevsehir region specialty consists of pottery produced in Avanos using red clay from the well-known Kizilirmak River.
Beef, tomatoes, bell peppers, garlic, and a knob of butter are first put into the clay jug. The jug is then put in a wood-burning oven after its entrance has been sealed with a peeled potato slice and wrapped with alfoil.
When the meal is ready, the cook must crack it open with a small hammer in one hand while holding the alfoil-covered top in the other.
The idea is to aim three-quarters of the way up at the thin line that circles the vessel’s body.
16: Baklava
The residents of Gaziantep, also called Antep, in the southeast Anatolia region of Turkey, are aware that the best baklava is prepared in a darkened chamber at a temperature that is ideal for stacking the 40 sheets of tissue-like pastry that make up this popular Turkish dish.
After brushing each sheet with butter, sprinkle ground pistachios on top of each layer. The dough is then baked till golden and a honeyed syrup is poured over the contents.
They are all equally appealing and go by tempting names like twisted turban, nightingale’s nest, saray, or palace baklava. You can eat baklava alone or with a dollop of kaymak, which is Turkey’s version of clotted cream.
17: Lokum
Lokum, which translates to “Turkish Delight,” has been around for millennia. But it wasn’t until the middle of the 1800s that the Ottoman sultans took to it.
At that time, Haci Bekir, a confectioner from Istanbul, added maize starch to the list of ingredients.
This straightforward recipe of water, starch, and sugar is still a favorite since it boils together to create delicate cubes that are flavored with pistachio, rose water, and other ingredients.
18: Turkish Pilav Pilaf Pulao
Mouthwatering, toasted with butter! Pilav is just rice cooked with water, butter, or vegetable oil, and noodles. Additionally, it is prepared with almonds, thyme, pepper, cinnamon, cumin, eggplants, chickpeas, and slices of beef or liver. We Indians have pulao, but in Turkey, it’s called pilaf in both the summer and winter. This is a dish that you should try if you are a staunch vegetarian. Take note of how rice is flavored and given a golden hue by being sautéed in oil.
19: Wet Hamburgers at Islak Burgers
The dish is delicious, even though the name doesn’t sound that way! In essence, these are grilled pork patties that have been steeped in a thick, garlicky tomato sauce and sandwiched between crispy buns. The fact that these delectable burgers are steamed before being served hot and dripping is what brings out the flavor and makes them one of the most well-known Turkish delicacies! This delicious dish, which is practically always offered on the menus of cafés and food trucks that serve fusion Turkish cuisine, is sure to win your heart.
20: Turkish Coffee and Tea A Delicious Drink
You’ve probably seen videos of Turkish brewmasters brewing coffee on hot sand on Instagram. You ought to taste this Turkish street food beverage if that has captivated you. Turkish coffee comes in tiny cups and is thick and bitter. In contrast, Turkish teas are aromatic and flavorful. An essential component of Turkish cuisine is tea. Therefore, you must enjoy a traditional vacation.
Summary
Turkish food is a diverse range of dishes that emphasize strong spices and fresh ingredients. So, showcasing a rich fusion of flavors and traditions. Kebabs, mezes (appetizers), and pides (Turkish pizza) are important mainstays. However, Baklava (a sweet pastry), köfte (meatballs), and dolma (stuffed vegetables) are notable foods. Regional delicacies that highlight the diversity of the cuisine include the robust stews of Central Anatolia and the seafood of the Aegean. Turkish coffee and tea, which provide a cozy cultural experience, are also essential. All things considered, Turkish cuisine is praised for its warmth, communal eating, and rich flavors.
Frequently Asked Question
What dish is the most popular in Turkey?
As we have already discussed, the doner kebab is without a doubt the most well-known and well-liked of all the traditional Turkish foods. The translation of its name is ‘spinning grilled meat’.
What is Turkey’s main course?
While meat-based dishes like kebabs are frequently found in Turkish cuisine outside, rice, veggies, and bread make up the majority of Turkish meals.
Is Turkey costly or cheap?
Turkey is less expensive than other European countries, although the expense of travel there is rising over time. Although prices are lower, it is slowly catching up to its neighbors.
What month is the best to travel to Turkey?
The ideal months to explore Turkey’s vast array of ancient monuments are usually April, May, September, and October because of the moderate temperatures of 20°C to 30°C. Temperatures on the south coast can reach the mid-thirties during the sweltering summer months of June through September.
What are the most affordable items in Turkey?
Although prices can differ based on location and quality, many items are typically less expensive than in other European nations. Textiles, ceramics, and leather goods are popular purchases and are often reasonably priced, especially when buying handcrafted things from local markets and street markets.
What is a famous item in Turkey?
Among Turkey’s most well-known handicrafts are kilims and carpets made by handloom. Kilim is a colorful, flat-woven carpet with elaborate geometric designs. Thus Turkish carpets come in two varieties: pile (textile) and knotted pile. The most sought-after is the former.
