Are you going to Turkey soon but don’t know what to eat? You have not yet discovered Turkish cuisine or just a part of it? Believe me, in Istanbul; you will have an incredible culinary
Are you going to Turkey soon but don’t know what to eat? You have not yet discovered Turkish cuisine or just a part of it? Believe me, in Istanbul; you will have an incredible culinary experience… You just have to know what to eat! In this article, I present you the 7 Turkish dishes you must try when traveling in Turkey or Istanbul.
Here, we put aside the very traditional dishes from particular regions of Turkey and focus on the best classic dishes, which can be found in all Turkish cities! So, without further ado, let’s dive into this blog and learn some of the Turkish dishes you should try.
1. Pide and Lahmacun
Lahmacun are round pizzas topped with spicy minced meat and baked in the oven. Pide is prepared on the same concept as pizza or lahmacun, i.e., with a dough base and a topping on top. Except that with the pide, the shape is rather oval or long like a baguette, and it is possible to vary the pleasures and to change the composition of the filling: cheese, spinach, vegetables… Delicious!
2. Mezzès
Mezzes are cold starters often served before the main course or with a good fish. There are all kinds, you may know hummus as one of them, but it can also be a fruit like melon or tomato or yogurt-based sauce. To be eaten without moderation! Here are some recipes for delicious Turkish mezze.
3. 6 Dolma and Sarma
These are my favorite Turkish dishes! Dolma is peppers stuffed with rice and/or minced meat. Sarma is the famous vine leaves stuffed with rice. You can also find the recipe for Turkish sarma in the cooking category of the blog. These are very popular dishes in Turkey, and abroad, you should not miss them.
4. Kunefe
Kunefe is one of the many popular desserts in Turkey. It is made as a cake which is then cut into pieces. Regardless of its cake form, you will not find it among pastries as it must be eaten hot. Kunefe is made with cheese which is the local version of mozzarella, butter, and sugar syrup. The taste is so delicious that it is worth trying it on your trip to the south of Turkey, famous for Turkish Kunefe.
5. Turkish Baklawa
This is the most famous traditional Turkish dessert that people around the world know and love. The introduction of Baklava dates back to the Byzantine Empire. However, its recipe was developed and refined during the Ottoman Empire. Today, the new recipe developed during the Ottoman period is used to make Turkish Baklava.
It is made by filling the layers of dough with nuts such as pistachio, almonds, and hazelnut. If you want an authentic taste, the best Baklava in Turkey can be found in Gaziantep, where this dish was born hundreds of years ago.
6. Cig Köfte
This dish from the town of Sanliurfa in south-east Turkey is raw minced meat (yes, we like meat a lot in Turkey) and spices (we like that too), ground by hand for hours. The rubbing allows the meat to cook, and the spices give this red/orange colour. If you try this dish in Istanbul, it will not be made with minced meat but with semolina. Be careful; it is a very spicy dish!
7. Ashure
This is another Turkish pudding that is famous among tourists and locals. However, this Turkish dessert also has a historical heritage attached to it. According to Islamic beliefs, Noah made a pudding after surviving the great flood. At that time, Prophet Noah used all locally available ingredients.
Today, there are different recipes for this Turkish pudding. The dried fruits used in this desert are dried figs, apricots, and nuts such as hazelnut, usually made during the first month of the Islamic calendar, known as Muharram. People make Ashure on 10 Muharram and distribute it among neighbors.
Craving Turkish cuisine?
For all your kebabs cravings, especially if you live in Fraiser side, Australia, you have to visit Viva Kebabs and Grill, which delivers authentic and fresh Turkish cuisine with recipes passed down from generation. Visit them now or find them on Doordash and UberEats and try authentic kebabs ad other Turkish food. So, what are you waiting for? Give them a visit and make your tummy happy with a nice kebab.