The Foodies Guide to Turkish Food
When traveling to foreign lands, one of the things we look forward to most is experiencing new and different foods. The smells, the spices, the flavours, the atmosphere.
You can learn a lot about a country by how it eats.
But when it comes to the foodie circuit, Turkish food seems to get overlooked – at least it does in our hometown of Vancouver, British Columbia. It seems that Greek food gets all the attention. I must confess that prior to visiting Turkey, I was guilty of not being able to properly define Turkish cuisine.
So, on my last trip to Turkey I made it my mission to rectify this lack of knowledge by stuffing my face with as much Turkish food as possible. A tough job, I know. But all in the name of research!
Turkish food is quite diverse. It’s a fusion of Middle Eastern, Central Asian and Balkan cuisine that offers something for every palate. That said, vegetarians consider yourself forewarned – Turkish food is all about the meat!
To validate this statement, look no further than the above photo. Now that is one HUGE rotating chicken skewer! This local Dönerci (döner vendor) in downtown Ankara is serving its famous Tavuk Döner (chicken).
Care to guess how many chickens were used to make this rotisserie? I’m guessing well over 100!
The perfect lunch in Ankara, Turkey – Lamb Döner Kebab with a cold Efes Beer. Turkish flatbread is thick and fluffy, not like the typical “pita bread” that Canadians associate with Greek Gyros or Donairs
Most dine-in meals are served with a salad, typically with corn, tomatoes, radishes and pickles.
Without question, one of the most popular dishes in Turkey is the Döner Kebab. Although there are a number of ways to serve the Döner kebab, in our opinion the best way to eat the iconic Döner kebab is to have all of the fixings freshly prepared (as illustrated in the photo above) and then have the meat served separately with several pieces of Turkish flatbread.
The process: You take a piece of freshly baked Turkish flatbread, add your skewered meat of choice (typically lamb, chicken or beef) and then add a combination of vegetables, garlic yoghurts and sauces. This way, you mix all of the ingredients and get a different flavour with each bite!
Freshly baked Turkish Pide, enjoyed in Goreme. Typically compared to a thin pizza, pide is a common food that is often served with minced meat (lamb and/or beef), onions, tomato, parsley and spices, and a variety of local cheese. It’s baked in a wood burning stone oven and can be served in a variety of ways, sometimes long and thin, rather than sliced to fit the plate (as shown above).
Note: In case you haven’t noticed, bread is an important part of the Turkish diet. Most meals will come with a large basket of baked white bread. If you’re trying to cut the carbs in your diet, dining in Turkey will be a challenge!
A local restaurant serving up a variety of traditional Turkish food. Notice the baked item above the yellow sign on the right. It’s called Lahmacun, a thin flatbread covered with a layer of spiced minced meat, tomato, pepper, onion or garlic
The grill, home of the shish kebab! You won’t travel too far in Turkey before finding meat grilling on an open BBQ.
Mardin Köfte – finely minced lamb with local herbs and spices, basically a lamb meatball grilled on a skewer. Served with Turkish flatbread, sliced onions, fresh parsley and grilled chilli peppers with homemade sauces on the side.
Grilled Lamb chops. Lamb is a very popular protein in Turkish cuisine.
Handmade Yaprak Manti. A pasta dish that consists of tiny triangle dumplings stuffed with minced lamb and beef, similar to ravioli, topped with a yoghurt and garlic sauce, spiced with red pepper powder and melted butter, finished with dried spices (thyme and/or oregano).
Careful – highly addictive!
Beyti kebab, an interesting dish consisting of ground beef or lamb, grilled on a skewer, wrapped in a thin flatbread and topped with rich tomato sauce and healthy portion of fresh Turkish yogurt.
A delectable variety of Turkish Meze. The Turks love to eat, but more importantly, they love to take their time and enjoy the dining experience with friends and family. Meze is primarily served as the appetizer course, although the combination of various meze can easily become the main course.
As the photo above illustrates, Meze comes in many forms – hot and cold, fried and fresh, dips and sauces, meats and fish, pickled vegetables and salads. Depending on the restaurant, you can either order off the menu or a server will present a tray with a selection of items. Add a glass of Raki and/or a cold Efes Beer and you’ve got the perfect Turkish dining experience!
Dolma (pictured below) is a variety of stuffed vegetables. Like Meze, Dolma is served in many forms, with a variety of ingredients and combinations. There are many vegetarian options, but if a meat mixture is used it’s typically served hot with yoghurt and spices such as oregano and red pepper powder with oil (similar to Manti).
Zeytinyagli dolma (dolma with olive oil) is another very popular dolma that is made with vine leaves cooked with olive oil and stuffed with a rice-spice mixture – usually vegetarian but common to find stuffed with minced lamb or beef.
Stuffed eggplant, stuffed red pepper and deep fried stuffed pastries
Goreme’s famous Testi Kebab is a mixture of lamb, mushroom, tomato and local herbs and spices, cooked in a sealed clay pot, as shown in the picture above.
When served at the table, the clay pot is cracked open with a sword or large knife (appealing to the touristic vibe in Goreme). The trick is to only add the stewed ingredients to the rice when you’re ready to eat it. In other words, don’t dump the testi kebab on the rice once it has been opened. The clay pot will keep the testi kebab very hot.
Turkey’s popular beer, Efes Pilsen. Although a Muslim country, you can find a cold bottle of Efes virtually anywhere in Turkey, especially in urban areas.
Turkey’s famous Yeni Raki, an anised flavoured alcoholic beverage that is commonly served with Turkish Meze. When poured into a glass, Raki is clear like vodka. It becomes cloudy when water is added, which dilutes the strength of the drink.
It is similar to several kinds of alcoholic beverages available around the Mediterranean and Middle East, including pastis, ouzo, sambuca, arak, and anise castellano.
It must be noted that although the photo below may look like a typical espresso, it most certainly is not. Turkish coffee, like Greek coffee, is finely powdered roast coffee beans boiled in a pot called a cezve. The coffee is then served in a small cup, as shown in the photo.
Don’t make the mistake of drinking Turkish coffee like a typical espresso! The coffee must settle, which will take several minutes, otherwise it will taste very chalky and powdery. When finished, there will be a muddy coffee residue at the bottom of the cup, so don’t be alarmed!
Turkish tea (cay), served in a traditional glass. Turks drink tea several times throughout the day, typically after each meal.
A tasty and creative display of Turkish Delight, which is a traditional sweet desert or snack often served with tea or coffee.
The popular baked Simit, commonly referred to as the “Turkish Bagel”
Every morning we would hear this friendly man’s call as he shouted down the street, notifying residents that he had arrived with the morning’s freshly baked breads. He is balancing a large wooden board filled with Simit, a circular bread with sesame seeds that is a common breakfast item in Turkey.
Roasted chestnuts from a street vendor in downtown Anakara
McDonald’s scooter delivery service. Now, I understand that McD’s has absolutely nothing to do with Turkish cuisine, but I do find it interesting how McDonald’s seems to work its way into virtually every major market.
Of course, we’ve only scratched the surface when it comes to Turkish food. Like most cultures that produce fantastic cuisine, the best way to experience it is to actually visit the region and try it for yourself.
If that’s not possible, hopefully this post will have you thinking about visiting your local Turkish restaurant today!
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What is your favourite Turkish food or beverage?
Share your favourites in the comments section below!
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Turkish food is one of my absolute favs!! Thanks for all these great photos – I’m dying to get to Turkey and try them all. Efes is an excellent beer, too.
Thanks Andrea! Turkish food has definitely climbed into my top 3 favourites!
mine to love it
Wow all those photos looked fantastic. I love Turkish cuisine, kebabs are always a good choice. One of my favourite summer foods is a Turkish salad my mom makes, with tomatoes, peppers and parsley. It’s always really fresh. Interesting to know that Turkish pita bread is different from the Greek variety as well.
Thanks Alouise – glad you like the photos (it can sometimes be awkward taking several photos of food in a restaurant!). I also assumed the bread was the same as Greek bread, and in some cases it is. But, at least in Central Turkey, the bread is much thicker – its unbelieveable how much white bread is consumed!
I love the dish commonly referred to as “split belly” in English. It is aubergine (eggplant) covered with spicy ground lamb, tomatoes and hot chilles. It is so yummy with a cold Effes!!!
Everything tastes better with a cold Efes!
Well, of course we have to say Turkish cuisine is just the best. 🙂 Looks like you tried as much as possible! We love all the summer meze…especially when served with an Efes or two. I love lahmacun and pide too – maybe with an Efes!
Yes – the Meze is the best! I can live on it 3 times a day, everyday! 😉
That beyti kebab looks pretty interesting. I don’t think I have ever seen lamb looking that vibrant.
I had never seen anything like it, so had to give it a try! It was really good. I recommend you give it a try when you get the chance
When I was in Turkey I had the great pleasure of eating bulls balls and sheep’s balls. I found out after consuming them. I do love the sweet halvah you can find everywhere.
Nice pictures!
Hmmm… not sure about eating bull or sheep balls. I think I ate sheep stomach the last time we were in Istanbul. I guess sometimes is best to not know what we’ve eaten! 😉
Oh, how I miss turkish food…especially a pistacchio kebab with aubergine purée and yogurt!
It’s one of my new favourites! 😉
So, what was your favorite?! I’d love to try some of it!
Now that is a great question! It’s a toss up between the Meze and the original Lamb Doner (they make them so much better in Turkey!)
YUMMM!
Indeed 😉
Wow! That’s fantastic, lip smacking great. Looks a lot better than I remember….but then it was buffet style served up at roadside restaurants.
We stopped at one of those roadside restaurants on the way to Cappadocia, so I think I know what you’re talking about – not the best representation of Turkish food.
Thanks for that good read! Thought there would be more fish!???
You want fish You are welcomed to come and join us in Urla(close to Izmir)
Great point John. There’s LOTS of great fresh fish in Turkey. Unfortunately, the night we enjoyed a whole grilled sea bass I forgot to bring my camera! Istanbul is also a great place to get delicious fresh fish.
Pretty comprehensive overview. I live in Turkey several months a year, so can sample these delights first hand. One thing I might add are the famous fish buns only served under the Galata bridge in Istanbul.
YES! Love the fish buns at Galata Bridge! A previous comment by John reminded me. They’re cheap and delicious. We enjoyed multiple fish buns last year. This recent trip was to central Turkey, so didn’t make it back to Istanbul. BUT, I often tell people that they have to try a fish sandwich when at the docks near Galata. Thanks for sharing
Wow! You’ve done a great job at getting the diversity across. The research must have been gruelling. Now I’m starving….
Thanks Robin. Yes – it did take a long time to put this post together. The easy part (and fun part) is eating the food! Cheers
Although we weren’t vegetarian when we visited Turkey, we really weren’t big meat eaters, so I have to say Craig and I didn’t like the food there at all. We found it way too meaty. I did, however, develop a love of olives after trying some delicious ones in Turkey.
I also love Turkish bread, which is popular here in Oz. Loved efes beer (I think) and apple tea. Did you manage to have a fish sandwich down by the river ferries in Istanbul. Absolutely delicious
It’s funny you say that Caz, I actually recently developed a liking for olives since visiting Turkey! Yes – love the fish sandwiches in Instanbul.
Are you guys still in Ankara? After living there for two years, I have tons of tips! This is a beautiful post about my old adopted hometown and very true to everyday Turkish eating. I wish I had taken as many beautiful pics as you guys did. Also – I think that guy was *my* simitci! Looks awfully familiar 🙂
Best of luck in Turkey,
Melanie Renzulli
http://www.missadventures.com
Hi Melanie – No, back in Vancouver now. You never know, he may be the same guy 😉
absolute YUM and your photos and descriptions are delicious too! it’s too much to handle while hungry 🙂 i’ve really wanted to go to turkey and you’ve just bumped it up the list!
Thanks! And great! Turkey’s a great country to explore with something for everyone
Good Lord you guys outdid yourselves with this one. First, I’m sitting here having not eaten dinner, yet, and this post made me extremely hungry. Second, the pictures are just fantastic. Well done as food is not the easiest thing to photograph, and you guys made it all look outstanding. And third, WOW, what a great job describing all the different tasty treats available. Still never been to Turkey, but it is probably number one on our list of places we really, really want to get to, and this post is having me checking flights to Istanbul. Seriously.
Thanks for the kind words Adam! So glad you enjoyed this post (it’s taken a while to finally publish!), sorry about making you hungry. In fact, I think I’m hungry now… 😉
I love photo menus, without one you can be screwed so many times I just order and hope for the best. I get nervous when the waiter second guesses me but so far it’s been okay. This food looks awesome.
Agreed, love the photo menus! Sadly, no Bacon in Turkey!
There is more healthier option “Pastirma” (pastrami) which you can say beef bacon 🙂
Mmmm…meze is right up on the list. Oh, wait..baklava! 😀 Then there’s the curious tavuk göğsü which I wrote about here -> http://www.sleeplessinkl.com/2010/10/20/tavuk-gogsu-turkish-milk-chicken-pudding
And the list goes on… I would seriously be overweight if I lived in Turkey!
Thanks for stopping by! 😉
You’re making me so hungry! We loved Turkey and the food. You forgot the Turkish Breakfast! I loved having this every morning. It varied from hostel to hostel, but it was always served.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/touncertaintyandbeyond/5100145744/in/set-72157625205411380/
You listed some things that I totally forgot about and brought back some great memories. Love it!
Yes! Loved the Turkish breakfast also! Too much good food, not enough space. 😉
The Turks really do love their meat! I love the photo of the man balancing the the Simit on his head, such a great moment to capture.
It’s become a fav photo from Ankara. I almost didn’t take it because I felt uncomfortable asking him to pose for the picture – glad I did though!
Oh how I long to be back in Turkey eating all of this wonderful food! Pide, döner kebab and Turkish breakfast are all on my list of favorites but I think börek is at the top. And Efes goes well with all of those things (including breakfast)! Love this post!
Glad you liked it! It was a fun post to make… and research 😉
So satisfying to read this, though I’ve been away from home – Istanbul – the past two months and there is no good Turkish food where I am! Oh for a big bowl of manti right now. Ellerine saglik (health to your hands) for such a delicious post.
We don’t have much of a selection when it comes to Turkish Food either (in Vancouver BC). Lots of Greek and Middle Eastern, but not quite the same
This is a great post. I love Turkish food and traveling to Turkey was a wonderful experience! I love the photos!
This post made me drool! My best friend is originally from Turkey and I grew up enjoying some amazing homemade meals at her place, but I have yet to make the trip out there. Its on my list! Yum!
Beyti kebabs and manti! Oh how I miss them!
Hey Canucks,
That stuffed eggplant looks really delicious. I feel so ignorant about Turkish food, all I knew before reading this post was dönor kebab. xD
how do yous travel everywhere where do yous get your money
I was visiting Istanbul during the coup. Crazy experience but honestly I loved Turkey. People are so genuinely friendly and inquisitive. Food is fantastic. Istanbul is unique because it’s got such a legitimate European, Asian, Middle Eastern culture. Probably the thing I remember most (other than the coup) was how good the tea was. I had a tea from Ankara that was dark and almost muddy with bits of residue in it from whatever it was made with. If anybody knows the name of that tea, please let me know. I don’t recall and failed to take note.
testi kebab we had many times in turkey can be either lamb or chicken or beef in pot old restaurants like you to inform them day before as takes a good day to get the real taste but most old old ones already have them cooking dont all ways come with rice as some have potatoes in them .
we had both times with rice as well it just depends on the place
This blog has proven incredibly valuable to me, especially as I embark on the exciting journey of cooking Turkish food in Singapore. The insights gained about spices, inspired by the healthy foods, have been particularly enlightening. Be sure to explore more on this topic at Grand Konak.