Turkey is not just a history and scenery but a gastronomic treasure as each taste reveals the history of various people and ancient customs. Whether it is the hustles and bustles of the bazaar in Istanbul or the cave-side cafes in Cappadocia, every part of the nation presents delicacies that characterize the national food identity of the country. Trying these traditional dishes is a trip into the cultural, taste and hospitality world. When you taste the snacks on the street in Izmir, and when you savour the elaborate Ottoman cuisine in Bursa, each bit of food has the Turkey spirit. To experience this, find out the Turkey travel packages offered by Go Kite Travel and immerse oneself in this food-lover scene.
The Turkish food is a mixture of the Central Asian, Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, and Balkan cuisines. The recipes are a product of generations that are based on nomadic traditions and local produce. All the dishes, spices, and methods are an indication of the admiration of the natural products and the community sharing. Dining in Turkey is not merely a matter of stuffing your stomach, but rather a party of warmth, bonding and artistic presentation.
It could be a strong black tea after a good breakfast or slow-cooked food wrapped in a warm flat bread, but the food diversity of the country is sure to leave no indelible impressions. This is a selective list of Traditional Turkish Foods that must be a must-have on the itinerary of travelers who want to be authentic and taste authentic.
The first thing that comes to your mind when you talk about Turkish cuisine is kebabs. They are based on nomadic grilling culture and manifest themselves in numerous local forms. Adana kebab is spicy minced meat on the skewer whereas Urfa kebab is not spicy. The Iskender kebab will be filled with tomato sauce and butter on top of pita that has been cut and topped with yogurt to provide an enhanced texture and taste.
In southeastern Turkey, cooks grill on natural charcoal which imparts a smoky taste to the meat. To lovers, they can always get the authentic experience tasting kebabs in their hometown that they can never reproduce in other places.
Small, appetizer-like, dishes are called meze, and constitute the foundation of the Turkish cuisine. They are accompanied by rakki, the anise flavored beverage or fresh bread at evening parties. Popular mezes are hummus, stuffed vine leaves (dolma), spicy ezme, and creamy haydari all of which combine herbs, olive oil, and yogurt.
Mezze are focused on the social aspect of eating. The common dishes will require some good discussion and even vegetarian tourists will have no shortage of options: eggplant salads and dips with chickpea.
Lahmacun is a crispy and thin flatbread that is commonly referred to as Turkish pizza and is topped with minced meat, peppers, onions, and herbs. It is baked to perfection and rolled with fresh parsley and lemon squeezer before it gets consumed. Each region has its variant on it, some make it spicy, others herbal, and so on.
Lahmacun is a street food that is popular in Turkey and it is perfect to eat at a mid day meal or as a midnight snack. The savory filling and light texture of ayran, a cold drink made of yogurt is a perfect match to it.
Börek is a presentation of Turkish pastry. It is prepared using thin layers of dough known as yufka which can be stuffed with cheese, spinach, minced meat or potatoes. The pastry is either baked or fried to be golden and crisp.
Whether it is spiral kol boregi or massive tray-forms that are presented at family reunions, börek is reassuring. It is served in the morning or as a snack and it is considered with Turkish tea, which is a combination of savory and sweet flavors.
Menemen is one of the favorites of the Turkish breakfast. It is made of scrambled eggs that are cooked with tomatoes, green peppers and olive oil and in some instances, cheese or sapogh sausage. The food is domestic and rustic.
Menemen is served hot, with crisp bread, and it is ideal on lazy mornings in the Bosphorus, or in the mountain villages, when it brings a pleasant sense of ease and localism.
Manti are homemade dumplings that are stuffed with spiced lamb or beef and are boiled or steamed, and served with yogurt, melted butter and red pepper flakes. They resemble tiny art canvases, and are like ravioli, only decidedly Turkish.
Manti are based on Central Asian tradition and are typical elements of a party. The central Anatolia kayseri manti is particularly reputed due to its accurate folding method.
Dolma translates as stuffed and is made of vegetables such as bell peppers, zucchini or eggplants stuffed with rice, herbs and occasionally minced meat. The word Sarma translates to wrapped, and is normally used to refer to grape leaf-stuffed rice mixtures.
Both apply olive oil to give it rich and light taste. They are served as cold meze or as main dishes in the home meals. With every bite, one is exposed to the freshness of lemony taste, herb aroma, a favorite among Turkish households.
Pide, which means the Turkish boat-shaped flat bread, is filled to the brim with cheese, minced meat, sucuk, or vegetables. Its golden crust and mushy interior cannot be resisted particularly when it comes out of a wood-fired oven.
There are regional differences, such as buttered and egg-filled Black Sea pide to spicy and Southeast. It is typically served among friends and it is a good lunch or dinner.
Baklava cannot be considered complete Turkish foods exploration. It is made with layers of paper-thin pastry, chopped nuts, and marinated in syrup or honey, which makes this a masterpiece of a dish. Although Turkish baklava, and particularly Gaziantep style, is popular in the Middle East and Balkans, it is the appearance of gold.
Pistachio baklava is a natural sweet and crunchy food. It goes well with Turkish coffee, to complete a full course meal.
The Turkish tea, or ca, is a ritual that is offered on a daily basis in the form of tulips. It is robust, crisp and invigorating and it goes with every meal, discussion and rest.
The Turkish coffee is bold and smelling. Slowly brewed and unfiltered, the brew is left to the bottom to be used as fortune telling. The watery layer is an indication of warmth and affiliation. Taken combined, these beverages influence Turkish social culture and food balance.
Kunefe is a warm dessert prepared out of fine shredded pastry (kataifi) topped with soft cheese, baked until they are crisp, and then soaked in syrup. The fried crust is filled with molten cheese in the middle that presents a bite of wonder. It is of Hatay origin and is normally served hot with clotted cream or pistachios.
Golden bread in the form of rings with sesame seeds is sold in any Turkish city. This is simit- the snack of the street in Turkey. It is perfect when having breakfast or lunchtime snacks, usually served with tea, cheese, or olives. Simit is plain but good, and embodies the beauty of Turkish life.
Each of the corners of Turkey has culinary identity. Olive oil and fresh seafood is the focus on the Aegean coast. In Central Anatolia, the attention is paid to coarse breads and meat pies. The Black sea area is a delight with corn based cuisines dipped in butter. The food in Turkey is a beautiful quilt with spicy tastes of Gaziantep, and exquisite cuisine of Istanbul that appeals to the traveling population of the world.
Attending local food festivals, walking around the local markets, and dining in local restaurants that are run by families make it even more connected to the Turkish culture than the typical tourist attractions. Eating such conventional foods makes you experience the legacy that has been passed down through the generations.
To sum up, the Turkish food scene is an enriched mixture of the past, tradition, and coziness all on one dish. Every mouthful is a history of, both ancient civilizations and the present-day innovation, of how the nation values taste even more than hospitality. Our Turkey packages allow planning your gastronomic vacation with Go Kite Travel and enjoying the culinary delights that characterize this gastronomic heaven: authentic restaurants, family kitchens, and cultural cuisine. Give in to adventure, eat everything, and have the traditional cuisine of the country be your best experience in your journeys.
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