Turkish cuisine is a combination and influences of Asian, Middle Eastern, and European dishes. Because of the big size of the country, it has many cities. In those cities, there is diversity, so the local foods are different. But if you head to the well known tourist areas along the Mediterranean coast or the colorful cultural capital of Istanbul, you will see all the amazing dishes. Fresh veggies and herbs are common in majority of the dishes in Turkey. These Turkish dishes have many health benefits for the one, who eats it along with its taste.
Turkish dishes are globally famous and come under the most pleasant cuisines of the world! During Ottoman era, cooks gave their best in cooking to satisfactory the taste buds of sultans. Those chefs were famously known for their kebabs and kofte, which are a great meal famous even today in Turkey and around the world. Turkish people are meat lovers, and kebabs & kofte consist of mainly meat, which makes them Turkey’s favorite dish. The mostly southeast people of Turkey love to eat kebabs for their breakfast. This is the fact that vegetarian and vegan trends are not massive in Turkey. There are little of plant based meals on the Turkish menu, and mostly vegetarian people do not like to consume the large amounts of yogurt.
10 Famous and Delicious Foods in Turkey
If you are going to Turkey in the near future or planning to then do try these 10 Turkish dishes.
- Dondurma (Turkish ice cream)
- Kuzu Tandır (roasted lamb)
- Şiş Kebab (Shish kebab)
- Künefe (cheesy dessert)
- Döner (meat in a wrap)
- Manti (dumplings)
- Çiğ köfte
- Cağ Kebab
- Pide (flat bread)
- Lokum or Turkish delight
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Dondurma (Turkish ice cream)
The city of Turkey, Kahramanmaras, is the home of conventional Turkish Dondurma ice cream. This traditional word Dondurma means freezing in Turkish. This Dondurma ice cream is crafted from milk and unique ingredients. Shopkeepers prepare this ice cream in a playful way that is captivating for a buyer. The shopkeepers always add sahlep flour to give it a proper taste and thickness. It gives a smooth finish to the ice cream shape. And it makes it taste like natural gum, which provides a unique chewiness.
Dondurma ice cream is not a simple ice cream; it is an ice cream with a unique chewy texture. The providers of an ice cream are well known persons because they perform a dramatic overall performance when serving Dondurma ice cream to consumers. This unique ice cream is best for an on-the-go treat on warm summer days. Many people come to Turkey from around the world to eat this ice cream.
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Kuzu Tandır (roasted lamb)
The Kuzu Tandır is the favorite dish of Turkish people, especially for meat lovers in Turkey. Many people get excited to eat this dish. To make a Kuzu Tandir, place the lamb meat over the coals and cook it for hours until it starts to roast. This technique of cooking is century old method of Seljuk Turks. The Kuzu Tandır roasted lamb dish is great, which is mostly served with yogurt and potatoes.
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Şiş Kebab (Shish kebab)
Shish kebab is a famous dish which is a grilled meat. It is a conventional and familiar Turkish kebab of meat and vegetables. It is normally cubed and threaded onto a skewer earlier than being grilled, and served with bread and rice with salads. Şiş Kebab (Shish kebab) is a delicious famous kebab in whole turkey. Turks commonly cook it on wood skewers, instead of iron.
4 .Künefe (cheesy dessert)
If you’re thinking of what to eat in Turkey for dessert, simply eat Künefe. It is such a famous and delicious sweet dish in Turkey. According to some Turkish locals, it is not an easy thing to make it at home. It requires lots of patience for making it because it takes a time to make. One need a round steel pan to prepare it. It is easily available in local shops. It’s made from cheese and pistachio, which is crispy from the outside and tender or chewy from the inside. When served hot this dessert becomes tastier to eat.
5 .Döner (meat in a wrap)
Doner kebab is a type of kebab. The Döner is like a burrito wrap meal. Döner commonly made from beef, lamb, or chicken is popular amongst Turkish people. Doner uses unique spices like, distinctive vegetables, garlic and yogurt for taste. So in case you want to eat some delicious and easy to eat items, try this Turkish traditional Döner!
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Manti (dumplings)
Manti is another famous meal for Turkish people. It is made from dough and topped with tomato sauce, garlic yogurt, and chili pepper and with melted butter. The most famous form of manti comes in small squares shape with numerous fillings. It is a very common dish in Kayseri city of Turkey.
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Çiğ köfte
Çiğ Köfte is a unique dish of uncooked mince and spices. This dish is very popular in unique events all over Turkey. It is made from beef, mixed with bulgur, tomato paste, onions garlic, pepper, and with special Turkish spices. Chef tops it with chili sauce and a squeeze of lemon.
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Cağ Kebab
Cag kebab is more famous than majority of kebabs in Turkey because it looks like a modern döner kebab. Turkish people use lamb meat for Cağ Kebab. Turkish people eat it with a lavash bread. Cağ Kebab is one of a favorite kebab for many people in Turkey.
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Pide (flat bread)
Pide (flat bread) is a popular Turkish dish. Famous as the “Turkish pizza”, Pide is very good in taste. It is a flatbread, which is full of meat toppings, which include pastrami, lamb meat, and Turkish sausage. Like a normal pizza, the Pide consists of cheese and vegetables. After topping it with meat, chef adds egg when it gets out of oven. This makes this pizza a special “Turkish Pizza”.
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Lokum or Turkish delight
One of Turkey’s most iconic dishes is Lokum. Another name of Lokum is Turkish delight. It is beautiful to look at, because of its shiny shades and dusting of powdered sugar. Lokum also uses a gel of starch and sugar for its uniqueness. Furthermore, it comprises chopped nuts, dates, rose, orange and flavored lemon water. Most food market or traveler stalls keep Turkish delight because of its popularity amongst tourists.
