Your ultimate guide to exploring and writing about Turkey
Turkish cuisine is world-renowned for its richness, diversity, and deep historical roots, blending Central Asian, Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, and Balkan influences. It's based on fresh ingredients, skillful use of spices (though not overly spicy), and a culture of sharing.
Here is a guide to famous Turkish food types, categorized for clarity:
A central part of the dining experience, often shared.
Haydari: Thick, garlicky yogurt dip with herbs.
Cacık: Yogurt diluted with water or ice, with cucumber, garlic, and dill (like Greek tzatziki but often soupier).
Ezme: A spicy, finely chopped salad of tomatoes, peppers, onions, and herbs.
Dolma: Vegetables (like peppers, zucchini, or eggplant) or vine leaves (yaprak dolması) stuffed with a savory rice/ herb mix.
Barbunya Pilaki: Cold bean salad in an olive oil and tomato sauce.
Pastırma: Highly seasoned, air-dried cured beef (similar to pastrami), often served as a meze or with eggs.
A vast category beyond just skewers.
Döner Kebab: Layers of seasoned meat cooked on a vertical rotisserie, shaved thin. Served in bread (dürüm) or on a plate with rice.
İskender Kebab: A specialty of Bursa. Thinly sliced döner served over pieces of pita bread, topped with tomato sauce and browned butter, accompanied by yogurt.
Adana Kebab & Urfa Kebab: Spicy (Adana) or milder (Urfa) long, hand-minced meat kebabs on a flat metal skewer, grilled over charcoal.
Şiş Kebab: Cubes of marinated lamb or chicken on a skewer.
Ali Nazik Kebab: Smoked eggplant purée topped with tender lamb or beef stew.
Testi Kebab: A Cappadocian specialty where meat and vegetables are slow-cooked in a sealed clay pot, broken open at the table.
Köfte: Turkish meatballs, with countless regional varieties (e.g., İzmir Köfte, Çiğ Köfte—originally raw, now often made with bulgur).
Kuzu Tandır: Slow-roasted whole lamb or lamb shanks, falling off the bone.
Hünkar Beğendi: "Sultan's Delight" – a rich lamb stew served atop a creamy, smoky eggplant purée.
Pide: Boat-shaped flatbread baked with various toppings. Kıymalı (minced meat), Kuşbaşılı (diced meat), Peynirli (cheese), and Yumurtalı (with egg) are classics.
Lahmacun: A thin, crispy round dough topped with a thin layer of minced meat, vegetables, and herbs. Served with fresh parsley, lemon, and rolled up to eat.
Flaky pastries made with yufka (phyllo dough).
Su Böreği: "Water börek," with layers of boiled dough and cheese/filling, baked in a tray.
Sigara Böreği: "Cigarette börek" – cheese-filled rolls, deep-fried.
Çiğ Börek: A Crimean Tatar specialty: half-moon shaped, deep-fried pastry filled with minced meat.
Pilav: Buttery rice pilaf, often cooked with vermicelli noodles (şehriyeli pilav). The essential side dish.
Dolma: As mentioned, can be a meze (vegetable dolma) or a main course like Etli Yaprak Sarma (vine leaves stuffed with a meat-and-rice mixture).
Eaten at any time, often for breakfast.
Mercimek Çorbası: Red lentil soup, a national staple.
İşkembe Çorbası: Tripe soup, a popular late-night hangover remedy.
Tarhana Çorbası: A tangy, hearty soup made from dried, fermented yogurt and wheat.
Simit: The iconic circular sesame bread, sold from carts everywhere.
Balık Ekmek: Fresh grilled mackerel sandwich, famously sold on boats in Istanbul's Eminönü.
Kumpir: A loaded baked potato, especially famous in Istanbul's Ortaköy, with a dizzying array of toppings.
Kokoreç: Seasoned grilled lamb or goat intestines, served in bread.
Midye Dolma: Mussels stuffed with spiced rice, sold by street vendors.
Baklava: The king of desserts. Layers of paper-thin pastry filled with nuts, soaked in syrup. Gaziantep is the famous origin city for pistachio baklava.
Künefe: Shredded pastry (kadayıf) filled with unsalted cheese, baked, and soaked in syrup, served hot.
Fırın Sütlaç: Baked rice pudding with a caramelized brown top.
Tavuk Göğsü: A unique, milk-based pudding with shredded chicken breast, flavored with cinnamon.
Lokum (Turkish Delight): Gelatinous cubes dusted with powdered sugar or coconut, with flavors like rose, lemon, or pistachio.
Dondurma: Turkish ice cream, made with salep (orchid root) and mastic, giving it a uniquely chewy, elastic texture. Vendors perform playful tricks while serving.
Çay (Turkish Tea): The lifeblood of Turkey. Served in small, tulip-shaped glasses, constantly.
Türk Kahvesi: Thick, unfiltered coffee, served with the grounds. The grounds are used for fortune-telling (fal).
Ayran: A refreshing savory yogurt drink, often homemade.
Şıra/Rakı: Şıra is a non-alcoholic fermented grape drink. Rakı is the anise-flavored national alcoholic spirit, drunk with water and meze in a ritual called rakı sofrası.
Southeastern Turkey (Gaziantep, Urfa): Spicy, meat-heavy cuisine (lahmacun, kebabs, baklava).
Black Sea Region: Anchovies (hamsi), corn, and kale dishes.
Aegean Region: Abundance of olive oil-based dishes, wild greens (ot), and seafood.
Central Anatolia: Mantı (tiny meat-filled dumplings topped with yogurt and butter), testi kebab.
Dining Culture: Meals are social events. Bread is sacred and never wasted. The phrase "Afiyet olsun" (May it be good for your health) is said before and after eating.
Turkish cuisine is an endless journey of flavors, best experienced by exploring local eateries, street vendors, and home kitchens.