Konya - If
you are a meat lover, then Konya is THE place for you!
7. Tavuk
Suyu - This is no ordinary
chicken soup! This tomato-broth based soup with shredded chicken and vermicelli
noodles was the perfect anecdote to a day spent sightseeing in the cold. I think I could eat this soup every day!
Every
meal we ate here last weekend revolved around meat, more meat and tasty pide-like bread. A heavy meal like this
paired rather well with the chilly winter weather we still are experiencing in
Turkey.
Since
food is always a highlight of our Turkey
trips, I thought I'd give you a rundown of what we ate and some of our
favorites in Konya.
Top 7 Good Eats in Konya:
1. Etliekmek -
This is a local and larger variation of the traditional Turkish lahmacun.
Flat bread is baked with ground meat, tomatoes, peppers and onion. We first
tried this tasty bread/meal at Damla and then again for lunch at Şifa Lokantası. One
order can easily be split between two people and goes well with a hot bowl of
soup.
2. Pişmaniye - This is literally referred
to as floss candy and looks like a fluffy ball of yarn. I'd say it closely
resembles a Turkish version of American cotton candy. We bought two boxes to
share with our friends here in Istanbul.
3. Fırın Kebab - (oven-cooked meat) My husband enjoyed these melt-in-your-mouth
chunks of lamb served with soft pide bread at Konya Mevlevi Sofrası.
4. Candies - Konya is known for its candies. We
saw at least two large sugar factories located outside of the city. One of my
favorite candies, and perhaps one of the oddest, is called cezerye. This sweet falls into the Turkish Delight family and is made
from reduced carrot juice, az sugar
and hazelnuts, then coated with shredded coconut. This fruit roll-up concoction
is my new favorite treat!
 |
| A Bergamot-flavored after-dinner mint candy from Konya. |
5. Hurma - (Dates) Since Konya is considered a more religious
city, you will see several shops devoted to carrying just dates - or dates and
candy. Dates are the fruit with which the Prophet Mohammed used to break his
fasts. We bought a small bag of dates, which will probably end up in some baked
treat, such as Grandma's Oatmeal-Date Bars.
6. Tirit - This rich dish is described as Konya's special bread with bouillon, yogurt, onion, butter and sumac. It's traditionally served at weddings and is very delicious!
 |
| We tried the tavuk suyu at both Damla and Şifa Lokantası in Konya. |
If you happen to visit
Konya, these are the foods I recommend trying and taking home what you can so your
friends can sample them too.
Afiyet olsun!
Restaurants in
Konya:
Damla, Pürçüklü
Mahallesi, Türbe Caddesi No:53, Konya
Şifa Lokantası, Mevlâna
Caddesi No. 29, Konya
Konya
Mevlevi Sofrası, near the Mevlana Museum, Konya
