Turkey is one of the richest countries in the world in terms of history and culture, and many visitors and enthusiasts flock to see the beauty and sights of this country in all seasons of the year. By traveling to Turkey, in addition to enjoying the culture and sights, you can experience unforgettable pleasure by eating its authentic and delicious foods. Of course, you can also find the most delicious Turkish dishes in many restaurants and even hotels around the world, because these dishes are usually liked by most palates and the way they are cooked and served is very tempting. In this post, we will be focusing on the best Turkish foods and the most delicious Turkish dishes.
If you are planning to travel to Turkey, it is better to get acquainted with some of the most delicious Turkish foods available. Choosing the most delicious dishes and desserts in Turkey is a difficult task, however, we have tried to introduce some of the best to you in the following guide so that you can choose and eat your favorite dishes during your trip to this magnificent country.
Turkish Cuisine
Turkey has the most popular and well-known chefs such as Nusrat and Borek, and this has led to the increased popularity of Turkish cuisine among the people of the world.
Turkish dishes are generally divided into 3 categories, the first category of which belongs to foods that are usually served in the morning and for breakfast. These are light treats and often contain eggs. The second category belongs to meat and protein foods. These are what you typically think of as the most delicious Turkish foods. The third category is Turkish desserts. Turkish desserts are as popular as Turkish food or even more. Make sure to have these desserts on the side or at the end of the main course on your trip to Turkey.
Olives play a very important role in Turkish cuisine and the making of the most delicious Turkish dishes. Turks are generally very fond of olives. Most Turkish dishes have their roots in the Ottoman Empire.
A List of the Best Turkish Dishes
1-Doner Kebab
Turkish kebab is indeed one of the tastiest dishes you can try, which has many fans at the international level. Turkish kebab is a constant basis of Turkish cuisine in Turkish restaurants and you can order this food in different types such as a sandwich, or with rice. The most well-known types of Turkish kebab are Adana and Urfa, which you must try during your stay in this country.
2-the Best Turkish Dishes: Lahmacun
You can find Lahmacun in all parts of Turkey. This is an authentic and delicious Turkish dish that is served in different ways and looks very similar to pizza. In the making of this dish, minced meat, pepper, cinnamon, chopped vegetables, tomato, and parsley are used. It has a very delicious taste and is available at a low price in many Turkish restaurants. Lahmacun comes in the form of a big slice of bread with toppings.
3- the Best Turkish Dishes: Pide
Piede has many similarities with lahmacun and maybe their main difference is in the way they look. In fact, in Turkey, when you order Turkish pizza, you must specify whether you need lahmacun or pide because both are known as Turkish pizza. Pide is similar to today’s pizza: the dough is made into a boat and the inside of the dough boat is filled with ingredients such as cheese, vegetables, and different types of meat. Pide is served in Turkish restaurants on special wooden dishes, which makes it even more appealing.
4-the Best Turkish Dishes: Cig kofte
Cig kofte is one of the most authentic and delicious Turkish foods that you can find in various restaurants in Turkey since the Ottoman era. This dish is made from minced meat in combination with bread and is one of the most delicious dishes in Turkey.
5-the Best Turkish Dishes: Kumpir
Kumpir is another Turkish dish made with potatoes. This food is mostly served as a snack and street food. Kumpir is actually a stuffed potato that is filled with various ingredients. Potatoes are cooked, then they are emptied and mixed with butter to get a soft and buttery mixture. This mixture of potato and butter is placed again into the hollow potato and then Kumpir can be filled with ingredients such as corn, peas, lettuce, pickled cucumber, black and green olives, sausages, and various sauces. Kumpir is extremely delicious and very popular in Turkey.
6-the Best Turkish Dishes: Imam bayildi
One of the most delicious dishes in Turkey is called Imam bayildi which is prepared with eggplants. Imam bayildi is actually a stuffed eggplant. The eggplants are stuffed with onions, garlic, tomatoes, parsley, and peppers, and the whole thing is cooked in olive oil. Imam bayildi can have many variations and minced meat can also be used. Olives play an important role in Turkish cuisine, and one of the most prominent dishes prepared with olive oil is Imam bayildi. This food originally dates back to the Ottoman Empire era and is still consumed in most of the areas that were under the control of the Ottomans.
7- the Best Turkish Dishes: Manti
Another one of the most delicious dishes in Turkey is manti, which is also prepared in other Mediterranean countries. Manti comes in different shapes and sizes and is very tasty and popular. Manti are actually small dough pillows filled with meat and other ingredients. Turkish manti has many similarities with Italian ravioli, but the difference is in the use of yogurt. During your trip to Turkey, you can try this delicious food and enjoy its unique taste. Although manti is often prepared with red meat in Turkey, manti with eggplant and other types of meat such as chicken are also served in some restaurants.
8-Borek
One of the most popular and delicious Turkish dishes that is served as breakfast and snacks is borek. Borek is very diverse and is prepared in different shapes and flavors. They use yufka dough to prepare borek. They make the dough into desired shapes and then fill it with various ingredients such as minced meat, cheese, and vegetables. In Turkey, restaurants, cafes, and even mobile delis serve borek. Borek should be eaten hot and fresh to realize its delicious and wonderful taste. The history of borek dates back to the Ottoman Empire and is considered one of the best dishes in Turkey.
9-Dolma
One of the most delicious dishes in Turkey, which has many fans all over the world, is Dolma. Dolma in Turkey is usually prepared will bell pepper and grapes tree leaves, and the ingredients inside can be very variable. However, in Turkish cuisine, rice, meat, vegetables, and sometimes dried fruit are usually used to prepare the ingredients inside the Dolma. In Istanbul and the coastal cities, they also prepare dolma in the form of Oyster Dolma, which is a tasty seafood dish in Turkey.
10-Nohutlu Pilav
Nohutlu Pilav is one of the most famous and delicious Turkish dishes available, which is very popular in Turkey. This dish is very simple to prepare, yet very tasty. To prepare this dish, rice, chickpeas, and sometimes pieces of fried chicken are layered on top of each other and finally seasoned with tasty spices. It is interesting to know that chickpea pilav is also a type of street food that is also sold on mobile carts.
11-Balik-Ekmek
Balik Ekmek is known as one of the most delicious street foods of Turkey, the main ingredients used in which are fried and grilled fish fillets, which are combined with vegetables such as lettuce and placed inside a sandwich bread. You can find and eat this food in all cities of Turkey, including Istanbul, Antalya, or Kusadasi. You can also have Balik Ekmek with a variety of sauces that are served on the side. This dish is considered the best choice for a meal by the beach in Turkey.
12-Menemen
Menemen is the name of a delicious Turkish omelette that is usually served as breakfast. To prepare Menemen, onions, tomatoes, red peppers, green peppers, and aromatic vegetables are fried in oil and then eggs are added. Sometimes cheese and sausages are also added to the mixture, and everyone can add or take away something according to their taste. Menemen can be a delicious choice for breakfast when traveling to Turkey, so try not to miss it!
13-Durum
Durum is a Turkish sandwich dish. In this sandwich, the typical Turkish doner kebab is wrapped in a sandwich made of thin lavash or Turkish flatbread, and vegetables are usually placed inside. In this sandwich, vegetables such as lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, and maybe corn are used.
14-Tantuni
Tantuni is actually a spicy type of durum made from slices and pieces of beef or lamb fried in cottonseed oil. This type of sandwich is mostly cooked and found in Mersin, Turkey. The meat is first boiled in water and then fried in oil and salt. Finally, it is served in a sandwich of lavash bread with pickles, tomatoes, fried onions, green peppers, and parsley.
15-Midye Dolma
This type of oyster shell is filled with ingredients such as aromatic rice, other spicy ingredients, and pickles. This dish is one of the favorite street and beach foods that you can find on the beaches of Bodrum. This dish is prepared and served in the Beyoglu neighborhood of Istanbul. To eat it, remove the top shell of the oyster. Pour a little lemon juice on it, use the separated bottom as a spoon and try this delicious Turkish dish.
16-Kokorec
Kokorec is probably a food coming from nomads with sheep herds in Central Asia, and travelers have imported it to Anatolia and Turkey over the years. This dish has become a traditional dish among the best foods in Turkey over the span of 100 years. The nomads found a way to use the sheep’s intestine and roast it on the fire. In this dish, the intestines are divided into small pieces and mixed with thyme, oregano, salt, pepper, and often tomatoes and fresh parsley. This mixture is then added to a bread roll to make a sandwich.
17-Tavuk Pilav
Tavuk Pilav is a special chicken and rice dish you can find in most restaurants in Turkey and can definitely be considered one of the most delicious dishes in Turkey. Vegetables such as parsley or cilantro are placed next to rice and chicken breast for added beauty and taste.
18-Kabakli Ali Nazik
This kebab called Kabakli Ali Nazik is a well-known dish in Turkey. To prepare this type of kebab, ground meat is grilled. Then yogurt and squash are mixed and poured into a plate. The minced meat is fried with other ingredients such as vegetables, green pepper, and tomato and finally, it is poured over the mixture of yogurt and squash and served.
19-Yaprak Sarmasi
Yaprak Sarmasi is one of the best Turkish dishes that you can find in all Turkish restaurants and all seasons. To prepare this dish, boiled rice is wrapped with minced meat and beans in boiled leaves of the grapes tree and then served. The number of dolmas in each serving of this dish varies depending on their size.
20-Dilli Kasarli Toast
This is a type of sandwich. To prepare this type of sandwich, which is one of the most delicious dishes in Turkey, veal tongue meat is placed in the middle of toast bread with cheese and is then grilled. You will easily find this popular Turkish dish in better-known areas of Istanbul such as Taksim Square restaurants and cafes.
21-Iskembe Corbasi
Iskembe Corbasi is one of the most delicious dishes in Turkey. To be able to try it, you are going to have to hit the streets of Istanbul or other Turkish cities early in the morning. Iskembe Corbasi is one of the most popular street foods in Turkey.
Final Word
Turkish food comes with a lot of variety. If you are planning to travel to Turkey, use this guide to get to know more about the ingredients you will find in the best Turkish dishes before ordering so that you can have the most pleasant experience on your journey to this magnificent country. Order Turkish food for yourself.
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