When
compiling my list, I realized how much I love Turkish cuisine and found it
difficult to simply select 10 dishes.
Turkish
food focuses on fresh ingredients and is packed full of flavor! Many of the
dishes date back hundreds of years to the Ottoman era. Also, the variety of
foods will vary from one part of Turkey to the next with the seaside towns
focusing on seafood and garden-fresh produce; and the more central villages
will have comforting, hearty dishes that center on meat.
The
dishes I selected are typically found in nearly every city or village in
Turkey. Whether you are going for a long vacation or late Turkey holidays, you will certainly discover a delicious meal here.
1.
Throughout our travels in
Turkey, the quintessential dining experience always involves Turkish mezes. Mezes are boringly
labeled as ‘Cold Starters’ and ‘Hot Starters’ on most restaurant menus.
But,
to me, mezes are really the star of the meal with the fish or entrée simply
being an afterthought. You select several meze from a large tray that your
server is presenting, you chat with your friends, you drink some Turkish raki
and share in a good time together. Repeat for the next two hours.
Turkish
mezes often consist of beyaz peynir
(Turkish feta), cacık (yogurt
with cucumber and garlic), hummus, olives, acılı ezme (a hot pepper paste mixed with walnuts), patlıcan salatası (cold aubergine salad), dolma (rice-stuffed grape leaves), olive oil dishes, hot
or cold calamari, salads and more.
2.
A simple grilled fish usually
follows the mezes. You’ll find a variety of fish in Turkey, but the most common
and my two favorites are Sea Bream (Çupra)
and Sea Bass (Levrek). Try to stop by
one of the lively fish markets on your travels.
3.
Ahtapot (grilled octopus) is a somewhat seasonal dish,
which is served with an herbed or spicy olive oil. Be sure to use some of your
Turkish bread to sop of the delicious juices at the bottom.
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4.
Turkish cuisine, of course, focuses on plenty of meat dishes too. Adana kebab is a long, hand-minced meat
kebab grilled on an open mangal with
burning charcoal. This somewhat spicy kebab is named after Adana, the fifth
largest city in Turkey, while the non-spicy version of this kebab is called
Urfa after another city in southeast Turkey. Kebabs are served with
charred peppers and tomatoes, an onion-sumac-parsley salad and lavaş (thin flat bread).
5.
Köfte
(Turkish meatballs) is another favorite in traditional Turkish cuisine. These
simple, but tasty meatballs are made from ground lamb or beef or a mixture of
both and seasoned with spices, herbs and onions. Children love köfte!
6.
The Turks love soup! Look for Mercimek Çorbası (made from red
lentils) on the menu. This soup is comforting, filling and a well-loved Turkish
dish.
7.
Mantı
(meat-filled Turkish dumplings) are traditionally boiled and topped with a garlic
yogurt, melted butter and spicy red pepper flakes. One of my favorite places to
eat mantı is at Ficcin in Istanbul.
8.
For a quick snack or tasty appetizer, look for börek. Turkish börek are made from a flaky
dough called yufka and are filled
with cheese, meat, vegetables and/or herbs and then baked until crispy. I
prefer the sigara böreği, which look like small, fried cigars and are
stuffed with Turkish cheese and herbs.
9.
Perhaps the most famous Turkish dessert is Baklava.
This sweet pastry is made from layers of thin, buttered phyllo dough, filled
with chopped nuts and soaked with a sugar syrup. Baklava is even more sublime
when served with kaymak (clotted
cream) or ice cream.
10.
However, künefe
is my most loved Turkish dessert! This sweet dessert hails from the city of
Antakya in southeast Turkey and consists of a white cheese sandwiched between
two layers of buttered kadayıf (similar
to shredded phyllo dough). This sublime concoction is cooked in small copper
plates, and then served piping hot in sugar syrup and topped with kaymak and pistachios.
I’m
sure you’ll enjoy these Turkish dishes on your next, or even your first, trip to Turkey!
Afiyet olsun!
