What Are the Best Dishes of Turkey?

You can be sure that any Turk you ask will tell you that Turkish Cuisine contains the most delicious food in the world. They are correct since it incorporates elements from the Mediterranean to the Middle East and Central Asia, and Eastern Europe – the excellent cuisines in the world. It is well-known for its kebabs and kofte (meatball) dishes, but there is much more to it. Famous dishes of Turkey focus heavily on meat, and the southeastern part of the country is known for eating kebap for breakfast. On the other hand, even though vegetarian and vegan trends are not popular in Turkey, plenty of plant-based cuisines are available, and vegans merely need to avoid the massive amounts of yogurt.

We can only try a roundup of the most delectable and famous national dishes of Turkey here.

1. Piyaz

Turkey’s famous piyaz salad dish is made with beans and is one of Antalya’s most popular. Candir is blended with tahini, lemon juice, vinegar, salt, garlic, flat-leaf parsley, and olive oil. A soft-boiled egg is coarsely diced up and stirred through shortly before serving in the most traditional style.

2. Lahmacun

Lahmacun gets its name from the Arabic phrase Lahm-i-acin according to Ottoman explorer Evliya Celebi, who traveled far and wide in the 17th century. It’s a pastry created with Lahm, meat in Arabic, and acin, which means paste. The paste is formed of low-fat mince combined with tomato paste, garlic, and spices and is smeared over a thin ring of pita bread. It can be made spicy if desired.

Turkish people have been eating this meal for almost 300 years, served with fresh parsley and a squeeze of lemon juice.

3. Mercimek Kofte

Mercimek kofte dish, also known as belluh in Diyarbakir, is a vegetarian treat. Onions, tomato, aci biber salca (a fiery red pepper paste), and crushed cilantro are added to the red lentils and fine bulgur wheat to round out the dish.

They’re served in little portions. Simply place one of these flavor nuggets on a lettuce leaf, add a squeeze of lemon juice, roll it up, and eat.

4. Inegol Kofte

In Turkish cuisine, meatballs are much more than just meatballs. Each style provides its flavor of history. Unlike another Turkish kofte, the recipe calls for ground beef or lamb and breadcrumbs seasoned with onions. Inegol kofte by Mustafa Efendi is one of the most well-known.

5. Cag Kebab

The residents of Erzurum are pretty serious about their meat dish. They are willing to wait more than 12 hours for a slice of hot and excellent lamb cag kebab. The beef is first marinated for half a day in a mixture of onions, salt, and black pepper. Then it’s threaded onto a long skewer and roasted over a wood fire horizontally.

Cag kebab is delicious on its own in Turkey, but it’s usually served wrapped in flat lavas bread with slices of tomato, white onion, and long thin green peppers known as civil.

6. Hamsi Pilav

Hamsi, sometimes known as European anchovies, is a popular ingredient in Turkish Black Sea cuisine. The skinny fishes are cooked with rice in the city of Rize to form Hamsili Pilav.

This meal is prepared in a stock composed of fried onions, butter, peanuts, Turkish allspice, and raisins, along with fresh parsley and dill. The rice is then topped with filleted anchovies, and the whole thing is baked in the oven.

7. Manti

Kayseri’s manti, little squares of dough with varied fillings, are the most popular.  Although cheese is used elsewhere, a teaspoon of mince is packed into a little bundle in this central Anatolian variant. Onions, tomato, aci biber salca (a fiery red pepper paste), and crushed cilantro are added to the red lentils and fine bulgur wheat to round out the dish. Legend has it that, a competent Turkish housewife can prepare them so little that 40 may fit on one spoon.

8. Testi Kebab

This Nevsehir area specialty is cooked in ceramics manufactured in Avanos with red clay from the famous Kizilirmak River. First, the meat, tomatoes, bell pepper, garlic, and a knob of butter are placed in the clay jug. The jug’s opening is then sealed with a peeled potato slice and wrapped in alfoil before being put in a wood-burning oven. When the contents are ready, the cook must break open the meal by holding the alfoil-covered top in one hand and a little hammer in the other. The idea is to aim for the narrow line that circles the vessel’s body three-quarters of the way up.

9. Adana Kebab

Adana and Urfa (hot and non-spicy hand-kneaded seasoned lamb meat roasted on skewers), Beyti (ground beef or lamb grilled on a skewer, wrapped in lavas bread and served with yogurt and tomato sauce), and sis (skewered and grilled seasoned cubes of lamb or chicken meat) in Turkey.

10. Icli Kofte

Icli kofte dish (stuffed meatballs) is a popular Turkish appetizer or main meal available on Istanbul’s streets. The outer shell is made up of dough balls made from fine bulgur wheat, potato, and spices, and it is filled with beef or lamb mince. It is then boiled or grilled to finish cooking. It may be eaten either hot or cold.

This intricate dish is frequently tricky for cooks and home chefs alike to produce, and as a result, it is becoming a specialty in Turkish restaurants.

11. Perde Pilav

Perde pilav dish, or curtain rice, is a rice-based meal wrapped in a luxurious buttery dough and cooked in an oven before being served hot in Turkey. It is a traditional wedding dish made with chicken, currants, almonds, pine nuts, and butter seasoned with salt, oregano, and pepper.

The dish’s form symbolizes constructing a new home; the rice represents fertility, and the currants are for future offspring.

12. Pide

Pide dish is a popular dish of Turkey among Turkish people, with some of the best coming from the Black Sea area. Dough balls are stretched into an extended base and stuffed with a variety of fillings. Sucuklu yumurta (Fried eggs with garlic sausage) and egg combined with kasar (yellow sheep cheese) are the most famous, although ispanakli kasar (spinach with cheese)  is delicious.

The crust is what makes pide a winner. The high-temperature results in a crisp, crunchy foundation perfect for various toppings when cooked in a wood-fired oven.

13.  Simit

Simit (similar to a bagel) is popular street food available from food stalls and bakeries in Turkey. Ankara, Turkey’s capital city, is well-known for its simit. Traditional simit is coated in sesame seeds and dipped in grape molasses before cooking, giving it a caramelized hue and a sense of sweetness.

While no other food is required to enjoy this Turkish delicacy, clotted cream, honey, cheese, or traditional Turkish tea are some of the most significant choices if you wish to add extra tastes. In addition, a simit is frequently served with a traditional Turkish breakfast.

14.  Su Boregi

Su Boregi dish (pastry with feta cheese filling) made by Turkish chefs, is the most challenging food to cook.  Traditionally, it is stuffed with cheese and parsley. Before baking, the dough sheets must be soaked in a mixture of water, olive oil, milk, and eggs to make the borek tender and moist.

15. Lokum

Lokum, often known as Turkish Delight in English, has been around for generations in Turkey. However, it wasn’t until the mid-nineteenth century that it became popular with Ottoman sultans.

This simple recipe consisting of water, starch, and sugar heated together to make exquisite cubes perfumed with rose water, pistachio, and other flavors continue to please.

16. Baklava

Baklava, which dates back to the Ottoman Empire, is one of the most iconic Turkish foods and a must-try for anybody with a sweet craving. For a fantastic Mediterranean dessert, stack this layered pastry with almonds and top it with syrup and ground pistachios. Baklava is found in most bakeries and supermarkets, but it tastes best when it is freshly cooked.

17. Dondurma

Maras Dondurma ice cream may look and taste like regular ice cream, but it has a unique texture apart from all others in Turkey. Because of its ingredients, it won’t melt quickly and has a chewy texture. If these special features aren’t enough to persuade you, the sellers may be able to convince you otherwise. Known for their stunning displays,  Maras dondurma sellers spin massive ice cream masses on long paddles while flipping them upside-down in a humorous manner.

18. Sarma- Dolma

Sarma dish is another classic Turkish dish that is considerably better in Turkey than anywhere else. Fresh or brined grape, cabbage, or chard leaves are boiled before being stuffed with rice, onions, parsley, and spices wrapped tightly in a deep saucepan. The vegetarian version is typically topped with garlic yogurt.

“Sarma” can be served as an appetizer, a side dish, or even as the main course’s meat alternative. This excellent traditional Turkish food, found in most places, should be at the top of your gastronomic bucket list.

What are the Best Meal Delivery Apps in Turkey?

Turkey is well-known for its cuisine, but it receives international acclaim for its immaculate food delivery procedures. With practically the whole world quarantined owing to the COVID-19 virus, ordering food for home has become increasingly popular.
Turkish food delivery methods primarily involve local businesses; so, you may not be familiar with the majority of the names, but you can easily choose what you want to try with the excellent rating system.

The best meal delivery apps in Turkey are as follows:

  • Yemeksepeti: Yemeksepeti is one of Turkey’s most downloaded apps. You can use this program in English, so you won’t have any trouble ordering food online. Allow the app to use your GPS location to show you your alternatives in the selected area. Restaurants on the list will also offer discounts and special promotions. The restaurant’s score in terms of speed, taste, and service quality can be seen. These ratings are based on user feedback. If you want to learn more about the restaurant, you can also check the comments area. If you wish to utilize Yemeksepeti, you must sign up using your e-mail address. You can also use your Facebook account.
  • Getir Yemek: Getir is a new food portal in operation in Turkey. It is Yemeksepeti’s main competitor. For the time being, it is currently only available in large cities. However, it was founded to deliver your market needs right to your door.
  • Zomato: Zomato does an excellent job in Turkey. However, it only operates in Turkey’s larger cities. There are numerous dining options available. If you want promotions like free food, drinks, and discounts, you can upgrade to a gold membership. The Zomato app is frequently used to pre-check the menus of restaurants before visiting them.
  • Domino’s Pizza: Domino’s Pizza is ideal for those who like to place their orders over the phone. Everyone can even order their dinner ahead of time and have it delivered to their home. It is a simple program to use. You no longer have to pay phone bills to order. In addition, you can order and save money by using their free app! You can even track the delivery of your pizza online. It has also received a large number of downloads from both Google Play and the App Store. There is no question that you can find ideal solutions for yourself if you wish to get some meals.
  • Istegelsin: Istegelsin is one of Istanbul’s most popular order-out applications. They take pleasure in having over 7,000 goods available for purchase. Their firm policy is reflected in their name, Iste Gelsin, which translates to ‘Order and it will arrive.’ The variety of products makes it a popular app among users since they may get supermarket items, workplace supplies, or beauty items. They have a fantastic reputation; aside from ordering meals in Istanbul, you may utilize their app without worry even if you forget your winter clothes or your charger.

Is Turkish Food Healthy?

When it comes to Turkish cuisine, the foods and beverages that feed the people living in Turkey, their preparation, cooking, and preservation; The tools, equipment, and techniques required for these processes, the manners of eating and all the practices and beliefs developed around the kitchen should be understood. The richness of variety in Turkish cuisine depends on many factors. In short, the diversity in the products offered by the Central Asian and Anatolian lands, the interaction with many different cultures throughout a long historical process, and the new tastes that developed in the palaces of empires such as the Seljuk and the Ottoman, played a role in the new structure of our culinary culture.

Turkish Cuisine, which consists of dishes prepared with cereals, various vegetables and some meat, soups, olive oil dishes and pastries, and dishes prepared with self-grown herbs; It has also revealed its healthy food types such as molasses, yogurt, bulgur, and the like. Turkish Cuisine contains many dishes and food types, as well as examples that can serve as a source for healthy and balanced nutrition and vegetarian cuisine and suitability for the palate. Turkish cuisine is healthy and highly seasonal in nature, and many dishes include lots of fresh produce available. Fresh fruits and vegetables, eggs, dairy products, and meat are produced throughout the country, providing highly nutritious and fresh-tasting food.

Turkish cooking is not only delicious, but also has antioxidant properties, working to lower cholesterol, eliminate toxins, and strengthen immunity. Fresh herbs such as dill, parsley, and rosemary are often used to flavor dishes, while weeds are sought after for their perceived health and medicinal qualities in the Aegean and other sparsely populated areas. Spices such as paprika, sumac, and ginger are used to flavor dishes or as homeopathic remedies on their own. Olive oil is traditionally used for cooking and preserving food; Provides antioxidants and essential trans fats. Fresh fish and other seafood contribute to a diet rich in essential fatty acids. The assortment available means seasonal specialties are made to meet every change of season and improve health throughout the year. Also, Turkish dishes use a large number of fresh, leafy herbs that are rich in flavor and have additional health benefits. High in vitamins and minerals, wild Turkish herbs are often used for their anti-inflammatory properties. In the Aegean and Anatolia, there are several highly prized regional varieties of herbs – you can find them in local markets or spice shops. Spice and spice markets are an important part of Turkish cuisine and therefore Turkish life. From the Spice Bazaar in Istanbul to the home kitchen, spices are everywhere. Many spices used for flavor are rich in vitamins, minerals, and vital antioxidants and have anti-inflammatory properties. A common home remedy for a sore throat is cayenne pepper powder mixed with ginger powder, cinnamon, and a little honey. This very effective remedy is essentially Turkish and is made using ingredients most readily available at home, giving it a tangy taste every time it is taken into the mouth, as well as plenty of vitamins and minerals.

As a result, Turkish cuisine is both very rich and very healthy.

Is Turkish Food Spicy?

Yes, Turkish food is spicy. The reason why Turkish cuisine is loved all over the world is the hidden herbs and spices that make up the delicious flavors. Not only do they get a great flavor, but these seasonings are also super beneficial for our health. Spice and spice markets are an important part of Turkish cuisine and therefore Turkish life. From the Spice Bazaar in Istanbul to the home kitchen, spices are everywhere. Here are the most popular herbs and spices you can taste in Turkish cuisine. Here are the spices used in Turkish dishes:

Red pepper; One of the most popular spices that add a delicious aroma with a slightly bitter taste is paprika flakes. They are made by drying hot and sweet fresh peppers in the sun before crushing them. Some pepper flakes, which vary from region to region, are not roasted before being crushed. It is used in all kinds of cooking, from soups to stews and stews, to stir-fries.

Black pepper; Widely used throughout the world, black pepper adds flavor to every dish in Turkish cuisine. The most common use is in the dry form and usually, the black grains are ground and used as a powder. The aromatic and bitter taste of black pepper is used both in cooking and serving. Black pepper is known to facilitate digestion and fat burning due to its antioxidant effect. It is often consumed by those who suffer from colds, as it strengthens immunity.

Thyme; Thyme, a plant that grows almost everywhere in Anatolia, is usually collected in the mountains. It is widely used in Turkish cuisine, dried or crumbled. Thyme with a sharp aroma is especially preferred in meat dishes. The farmers who feed their cattle with thyme in Anatolia offer the most delicious meats. Thyme in Turkish cuisine is not limited to food. Fresh thyme brewed in hot water is usually consumed as a tea. It also has antiseptic properties and provides a wide range of benefits, from high blood pressure to heart disease, and digestive issues.

Mint; With its intense essence and refreshing flavors, mint is a favorite herb used in salads, appetizers, cold juices, stuffed vegetables (dolma), and yogurt dishes. Peppermint also helps with stomach ailments and your respiratory system.

Cumin; The intense aromatic aroma of cumin is an indispensable spice in Turkish cuisine and is widely used in popular dishes of meatballs (meatballs) and meat dishes. Turkish people prefer their cumin in powder form and it is rarely used in seed form. The intense aroma of cumin grown in Anatolia is especially used to suppress the smell of meat. Cumin is also used to make spicy sausages, also known as sucuk.

Sumac; Sumac is a spice known to be as pungent as lemon and is widely used in Turkish cuisine. Sumac, which grows in southeast Turkey, is collected from dwarf trees. The leaves are dried and ground into powder. It is used not only in Turkey’s most famous kebab dishes but also in onion salads, raw meatballs, fish, and Turkish ravioli.

Bay; bay leaves accompany very delicious flavors in Turkish cuisine. It is collected and dried from the laurel tree. Bay leaves, which change the taste of the whole dish with their pleasant aroma, are not edible plants. It is a spice used only as a fragrance. It is often used in dishes with tomato sauce and meat dishes made from fish, beef, poultry, and game.

Cinnamon; A distinctively sweet aromatic spice used in Turkish cuisine since the Ottoman period. Its smell and flavors are strong enough to change the whole style of food. Cinnamon, which plays a role in the form of sticks and powders in Turkish cuisine, is often used in rice, which is used to fill vegetable, lamb, and chicken dishes. An indispensable aroma in Turkish desserts. Cinnamon is added to beverages such as boza and salep unique to Turkish cuisine.

Rosemary; Rosemary is obtained from the leaves of a dwarf tree that grows in the Mediterranean. The leaf of this tree has a pleasant smell and is evergreen. It is used a lot in Turkish cuisine. The small fine spiny leaves are used both fresh and dried. Because of its pleasant scent, rosemary leaf oil is used in cooking, herbal medicine, and cosmetics. It is also consumed in fresh rosemary tea. It is used to make meat dishes and sauces.

Clove; Clove spice is obtained by drying the dark small nail-shaped buds of the clove flower and plays an integral role in Turkish cuisine. It is especially used in sherbet and compost with its intense taste and dominant smell.

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