Meze
Meze is a Turkish word that means “taste.” Much like Spanish tapas, meze is a selection of appetizers. It's a great way to try different types of food without making a big commitment to a full meal.
Mezze can include a variety of cold and hot items, from calamari to grilled eggplant salad to tightly rolled cheese pastries. It's a delicious way to taste the flavors of Turkey.
Another popular meze dish is manti, or dumplings made with lamb or beef. These are stuffed with various spices and wrapped in a thin dough. It's a very filling dish and can be enjoyed with a yogurt sauce and mint.
There are also a number of vegetarian and vegan meze dishes. Some of these include dolma, which is a stuffed vegetable dish. Dolma can be savory or sweet, and the non-vegetarian version contains spiced minced meat.
Meze can be eaten at almost any time of the day, but it's especially important in Turkish culture. It's a time for family and friends to relax, eat together and enjoy each other's company. It's often served with raki, a local anise-flavored alcoholic beverage.
Manti
Served with garlicky yogurt and a smattering of butter, manti is one of the most beloved dishes in Turkey. The dumplings are traditionally steamed in a multi-level metal steamer known as a mantovarka, but they can also be cooked in the oven or boiled.
They're especially delicious at Ozkonak, an Old World esnaf lokanta (tradesmen's tavern) in the bohemian Cihangir quarter. The manti are topped with house-made yogurt and a flourish of infused butter.
There are also a few other mezze to try, including murder (traditional zucchini fritters), piyaz (an eggplant salad born from baba ghanoush), and mutable.
Another classic Turkish dish, kokorec, is an incredibly flavorful blend of beef and lamb stuffed in natural casings. This kebab is also wrapped in flat lavas bread and grilled, though it's divine on its own. Simit, a lightly sweetened twisted ring of dough encrusted with sesame seeds, is another classic snack.
Cig Kofte
Cig Kofte (pronounced chee kofte) is one of the most popular and delicious Turkish dishes. It is a raw meatball that is served with lettuce leaves and lemon slices.
Traditional cig kofte is made with high-quality ground beef that is seasoned with garlic, peppers, tomatoes and onions. It is typically served as a meze or as part of a lavash wrap.
However, due to food safety regulations and health concerns, many people now opt for a modern vegetarian version of cig kofte. Luckily, these meatless versions are so good that you can't tell the difference.
Besides, vegan cig kofte also has a unique flavor and is a healthier choice than its meat-based counterparts. These recipes are simple to prepare and taste great!
This time-tested recipe calls for a variety of spices to make it even more delicious. It also includes bulgur wheat and ground walnuts to give it a subtle nutty flavor. The final product is a healthy and delicious dish that can be eaten as a snack or main course.
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Salads
Vegetables and wild greens are common features in salads. This is due to Turkey’s warm and sunny climate which allows vegetables to be grown year-round.
One of the most popular vegetable salads is zeytin yagi, a dish of fried green beans with tomato and onion. This is also served with yogurt sauce.
Other traditional Turkish salads include borane (a spinach or eggplant salad with yogurt), and tarator (another yogurt salad). These salads are usually accompanied by olive oil, lemon juice, and salt.
Another popular salad is gavurdagi, a spoon salad with pomegranate syrup and dried mint. This is a delicious variation on a shepherd’s salad with a lighter dressing.
Kofte, or meatballs, is a classic Turkish food and a country staple. Kofte can be prepared in a variety of ways, including in casseroles, coated with egg and fried, over salads or sandwiches.
Kebap
Turkish food is an incredibly diverse cuisine, influenced by the country’s history. Mediterranean herbs and spices, Asian yoghurt, olive oil and tomatoes are just some of the ingredients that come together in this unique culinary style.
One of the most famous Turkish dishes is Kebap, which is served in different variations across Turkey. Generally, kebaps are made with ground meat, often lamb or beef, and seasoned with onions and spices. They are typically wrapped in flatbread, such as lavash, or pita bread. There are many toppings that can be used to complete the dish, such as garlic sauce, red chili flakes, lettuce, tomato and onion.
Another Turkish specialty is Kokorec, which is a meat-filled sausage that uses lamb or goat intestines. It’s a bit like tongue-to-tail eating, and you can find it stuffed into pillowy soft bread at street stands all over Turkey.
If you’re looking for a sweet treat, try the Turkish national dessert, sekerpare, which are small almond-flavored cookies that are soaked in syrup. Other popular desserts include ekmek kadayifi, which is a sweet bread dipped in syrup, and ayva tatlisi, which is quince boiled in syrup and cloves and then topped with kaymak.
Kebabs
Turkish cuisine is a diverse one that encompasses grilled meat dishes, stews, casseroles, and meze. The most popular types of kebabs include Adana and Urfa kebabi (spiced minced beef or lamb skewered and cooked over a fire).
In addition to kebabs, Turkish cuisine is also known for its vegetable dishes. Fresh vegetables are boiled, fried, and roasted in a variety of ways. These are usually served with a garlic yogurt sauce.
Some of the most common vegetables in Turkish cuisine are eggplant, potatoes, carrots, radishes, turnips, and onions. Meatless vegetable dishes are also popular, as are meatless kebabs.
Another important part of Turkish cuisine is the use of yogurt. Yogurt is eaten with almost all meat dishes, kebabs and kofte, as well as with meze, a savory pastry called manti (folded triangles of dough containing minced meat) and a soft national dessert made during Ramadan, called fava.
Turkish food is full of flavors, so be sure to try some of them! You’ll also want to sample some of the fresh fruit and juices.
Menemen
Menemen, which is made with tomatoes, eggs, and peppers, is a typical Turkish breakfast dish. It is usually served with bread and can be dressed up with cheese or sausage pieces, which makes it an excellent meal for any time of day.
This dish is similar to shakshuka, but the difference is that the eggs are scrambled rather than being braised in the tomato mixture. This gives the egg mixture a more sunny-side-up appearance and makes it more delicate and fluffy.
It can be made with different ingredients like garlic, cheese, spinach, and sausages. However, it is always best to use quality tomatoes and eggs to make the best Menemen.
If you want to explore the flavors of Turkish cuisine, try some of the following dishes. These foods are sure to satisfy your appetite!
Katmer
A Turkish meal isn't complete without a dessert. There are many types of confections in Turkey, such as katmer (a type of sweet borek), marzipan badem ezmesi or fistik ezmesi, dried fruit ice cream and dondurma.
Vegetables are a staple in Turkish meals. There are a wide variety of vegetables such as spinach, leek, cauliflower, cabbage, carrots, green and red peppers, string beans and sunchokes.
Meat is an important part of Turkish cuisine, particularly lamb. Kebabs, kofte and lahmacun are all popular dishes with meat.
Turkish kebabs can be found in a number of different styles including Urfa and Adana kebabs. They're often paired with a yogurt dipping sauce called haydari.
Menemen is another popular breakfast dish in Turkey. It's similar to shakshouka and can be made with either onions or green peppers.
Kofte is another popular Turkish dish, consisting of minced meat seasoned with a variety of spices. It can be served with Turkish bean salad or as a main course.
