Travel for Food Hub The Food Blog for Travel Lovers
Last Updated on July 11, 2023
Done with packing your rucksacks? Is anything left? One last time reconsider your checklist. Clothes? Done! Medicines? Done! Study work on best places to visit in Turkey? Done! Research on tasting some finger-licking dishes of Turkey? No, this is not done! Not yet! But don’t worry, I am right here to help you change that.
While experiencing a new and diverse culture the most important part is to explore their local foods. Middle-Eastern cuisine is very rich, and Turkey is a great example of it all.
TAKEAWAY: Turkey is located both in Europe and Asia. Though only 3% of its territories belong to Europe, Istanbul (its most populated and important city) is set just in the middle of the continental border, separated by the Bosphorus strait. This makes Istanbul one of the only 6 transcontinental cities of the world, and the best known of them all. Thanks to this, the country has influences from Eastern European, Balkan, Central Asian, and Middle Eastern flavors and ingredients.
That’s why, I’m going to take you on a tour of some Turkish dishes that you need to look out for on your trip to Turkey.
Kebab
Kebab is one of Turkey’s most famous dishes of meat. It is prepared from thinly grilled lamb, or beef served with hot sauces and yogurt on the side of the plate. The döner kebab, which simply means rotating kebab, was invented by İskender Efendi in the 19th century in the city of Bursa. This meal stood out as an innovation in the history of Turkish cuisine and inspired other similar dishes such as the Arab shawarma or the Greek gyros.
Pide
Pide is known as Turkish pizza. It is an boat-shaped flatbread similar to pita served with a variety of toppings such as sucuk (a spicy sausage), pastrami and minced beef. They also utilize cheese and veggies in its making. Most of the restaurants in Turkey break an egg on top of the Pide when they take it out of the oven, which keeps everything super moist and juicy.
Kuzu Tandir
Kuzu Tandir is a lamb dish of Turkish cuisine. It’s so delicious and moist that it melts in the mouth like cotton candy. It is a meal that’s still eaten in Turkey, Greece, the Caucasus, India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. Kuzu Tandir is usually served with Turkish rice pilaf with orzo, or with potato puree.
Manti
Manti is an exceptional Turkish dish that is as tasty as it sounds. They are little dumplings of ground meat or ground lamb wrapped in steamed dough. It is filled with egg, yogurt and melted butter. It is then topped with caramelized tomato sauce, brown butter sauce, and garlicky yogurt sauce. You can finish it on your plate by sprinkling a few herbs and chili flakes to taste.
Dolma and Sarma
They are both dishes nearly served in every occasion. Dolma basically means “stuffed” whereas Sarma means “wrapped.” The former are meat or rice stuffed veggies, while the latter are wrapped vegetables in cabbage, grape or kale leaves.
Kuru Fasulye
Kuru Fasulye is a stew made with white beans, olive oil, tomato sauce, and onion. It is usually served with rice or bulgur (a kind of cereal). This Turkish dish is very popular in traditional restaurants as well as at homes too.
Lahmacun
Lahmacun is one of the cheapest dishes of Turkey. Hence, it is almost available on every street corner. It is a flatbread outdone with minced meat, veggies and lemon juice. It can be easily wrapped or folded in half or pulled apart to eat.
Börek
Börek is a member of the baked family generally known as phyllo and yufka. It’s a thin flaky dough stuffed with minced meat, spinach, and cheese. It can be served as a wrap, puffs or layered like lasagna. You can eat it for lunch, dinner, breakfast or brunch; whenever you like.
Tavuk göğsü
Tavuk göğsü is a Turkish dessert that translates as “chicken breast.” It is a kind of milk pudding made with chicken meat, common in traditional Turkish cuisine. The meat is mixed with milk, sugar, other thickeners and some sweet spices such as cinnamon. Tavuk göğsü is a “signature” dish of Turkey and was once a considered as a delicacy by Ottoman sultans.
Baklava
Baklava is a delicious sweet made of layers filled with nuts and sweetened. It is held together with honey or syrup. The best part of this sugary dish is that it’s not overly sweet you can have it whenever you like to.
If you are interested in Turkish food or planning to travel there, then this post is your ultimate food guide.
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About the Author: Catriona Jasica loves to analyze things and to write about them. She just loves reading books, traveling and movies, which is basically her ultimate inspiration for writing different kinds of blogs. She finds all these things very interesting and is always eager to share her views with other people. You can find her other blogs at Top Vouchers Code.
