Delicious Turkish Cuisine You Must Try in 2023
It is said that the world's best cuisine is from Turkey. And if you see, Turkish people have a point since their culture contains spices from the Mediterranean to the Middle East and from Central Asia to Eastern Europe. Turkish food is a mixture of all those cultures. Common components include lamb, rice, beans, eggplants, and yoghurt. Turkish cuisine often features a variety of kebabs, stews, soups, and salads. Turkish cuisine is rich and flavourful. The use of spices gives dishes a unique taste and aroma. For those who enjoy trying new foods, Turkish cuisine is definitely worth exploring. And in this article, I'll show you the best Turkish cuisines you must try.
1.Doner Kebab
Every occasion in turkey is incomplete without the wonderful delicacy of Turkish döner kebab. It is a well-known Turkish dish worldwide, and its original taste is available in historic neighborhoods of Istanbul, like Eminonu, Sultanahmet, and Beyazit. The meats used to make this flavorful dish are lamb, beef, chicken, or hog. For meat's distinctive flavor, it is mixed with veggies and spices before being wrapped in a flatbread. The outcome is a filling and tasty lunch that will satisfy any appetite. Turkish döner kebab is a delicious way to experience something new and will undoubtedly become a staple.
2.Lahmacun
One of the most popular Turkish dishes, Lahmacun, is appreciated by all diners. Millions of visitors obtain visas for Turkey each year and visit this nation solely to partake in this meal. Everyone can afford it because it is inexpensive and fits every budget. It is delicious, wholesome, and good for you. You can also find it served at a dining table, despite being regarded as Turkey's national fast food. Lemons and a few vegetables must be included on the table when serving this delicious cuisine. Vegetables can also be placed on it, lemon juice squeezed, then wrapped and eaten, or they can be cut into pieces while being consumed. What you choose and like relies on you. Lahmacun, also known as Turkish pizza, comes in a variety of flavors, including only meat, only with cheese, and more.
3.Borek
The best Turkish snack is probably borek, one of Turkey's national treats. This Turkish dish is a fantastic all-arounder and is delicious for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
It is a baked filled pastry of flaky dough of Anatolian origins and is the primary ingredient in borek. The dish originated in the Ottoman Empire, though it is also well-liked in other areas (such as the Balkans).
Börek is a traditional dish with a wide range of contents, including potato, pork, cheese, spinach, and many others.
4.Imam Bayildi
Imam Bayildi is among the top Turkish foods. It is an amazingly unusual food; as the name of this dish suggests, Imam Bayildi almost implies that seeing such food being prepared slowly will cause someone to pass out in terms of significance. The components for this dish include tomato, onion, and eggplant.
It should be mentioned that its primary ingredients are olive oil and eggplant. Another variation of this cuisine is called karniyarik, which is so named because the eggplant is sliced in half and contains ingredients identical to those found in Dolma.
5.Dolma
Dolma, sometimes known as dolmades, is a staple dish in Turkey. It's not only simple to make, but it's also good for you! Traditionally, rice and lamb were used to stuff the leaves. The use of vegetables, fruit, offal, or seafood is required in many contemporary variants.
It tastes best when eaten warm or cold with your favorite sauce. It's a common main meal served with salad or plain yogurt. Some people eat dolmas as a side dish with grilled lamb chops, chicken, or souvlaki. This dish is easily found on the menus of Turkish eateries near Istanbul's Galata Tower. The restaurant Ficcin offers both a vegetarian and a meat-based menu.
6.Gozleme
One of Turkey's most popular meals is gozleme. It's ideal for kids and adults because it's so simple to eat and you can find it as street food or in restaurants.
After being rolled out, it is a flatbread baked on a curved grill. In larger cities like Istanbul, the women who make it are repeatedly seated in restaurants and will not only create you a delicious delicacy but will also gladly pose for a few pictures.
The fillings come in various varieties, including cheese, Hamburg, spinach, and even potato. It will set you back one or two dollars, depending on where you are.
7.Kumpir
Turkey's Kumpir is a well-liked street snack made with stuffed baked potatoes. But this isn't just baked potato that makes it delicious; kumpir is a colorful, rich delight of potatoes packed to the brim with various toppings. It is mashed with butter and cheese inside its jacket before being topped with a wide variety of fillings and toppings. Toppings include pickled beets, mushrooms, sweet corn kernels, olives, sausages, and more. For vegetarians, this makes it a fantastic choice. You can find kumpir in Istanbul's Ortaköy neighborhood easily.
8.Menemen
It's a Delicious Turkish-style omelet. Thoroughly boiled tomatoes, roasted onions, and peppers are combined with eggs, herbs, parsley, pepper, and ground red pepper to give a unique taste. It's a cuisine that is simple, inexpensive, and quick to prepare but has an irresistible flavor. People mostly order it for breakfast in Turkey.
The dish is named after the Menemen neighborhood of izmir, which is located near the Aegean Sea. The primary ingredient's first cultivation occurred in Izmir in the early 1920s. Since it is a widely eaten dish, it seems to sense that it has several variations with additional ingredients like cheese, ground pork, mushrooms, sausages, and even poultry or eggplants.
You can order meneman from any restaurant, any turkey, but the best you can find is on Istiklal street.
9.Manti
Manti is a flavorful dish frequently referred to as Turkish ravioli and served with cold yogurt and garlic. It is similar to dumplings because they are made of dough and filling. The dough is created from flour, salt, and water in the traditional Anatolian (Kayseri) fashion. Some people spice up the food by adding eggs. It is more skilled if the dough is thinner and the wrapped portions are smaller. Ground lamb or beef, onions, salt, and pepper make up the stuffing.
These days, you can get manti with chicken, salmon, or spinach. It is served with yogurt, garlic, and tomato sauce baked with butter, boiled in tomato sauce, or boiled in water. It's quite beneficial to add some spices.
10.Hunkar Beendi
Hünkar Beendi is a masterpiece of Ottoman imperial cuisine. The name of this dish is translated as "Sultan's Delight." It is one of the oldest cuisines in Turkey. In this traditional Turkish dish, lamb is placed on top of a melted cheese sauce and smoked aubergine bed. It gives it a unique, beautiful taste. Only talented chefs who have spent years perfecting their art can create these mouthwatering delicacies. Some of the most prestigious traditional Turkish restaurants in Istanbul serve Hünkar Beendi.
11.Baklava
The Turkish enthusiasm for desserts is best exemplified by baklava. Although the phyllo don'th, nuts, and syrup are basic materials, they still make a delicious dessert. The dough layers must be thin. Different types of nuts are used, including pistachios, hazelnuts, and walnuts, which differ from region to region in Turkey. Between the phyllo dough layers, the nuts are distributed. The dough mass is brushed with butter, cooked, and then covered with syrup. It must be freshly cooked and expertly prepared. Thus you should choose a nice location to enjoy it. There are some excellent locations to eat baklavas, such as Güllüolu or Köşkerolu
12.Hamsi Tava
Hamsi Tava is primarily consumed in every home and is present on every table in winter. It is one of the healthier dishes and is simple to prepare. This meal is also frequently prepared afavouredred since it is more economical than other fish and readily available in marketplaces. Anchovies, flour, cornmeal, salt, and butter make up the ingredients. Onions, shepherd's salad, and numerous additional toppings are served with it. This meal originates from the Black Sea region, and when it is prepared, it resembles a piece of art.