Those tourists who visit the International Food Festival in Istanbul will find out the exact answer to the question: "What to try in Turkey?" Well, you will be able to enjoy baklava, halva and other traditional sweets by going to Turkish pastry shops and coffee shops.
Food in Turkey
In Turkey, they are not indifferent to legumes, beef, lamb (many meat dishes are cooked on a spit), poultry, fish, cereals, vegetables, bread and flour products (in addition to white bread, Turks love flat pits and round cakes, for sprinkling which they use sesame seeds).
In the northern part of Turkey it is recommended to try fish dishes (pilaf from hamsa), in the western part - appetizers (pay attention to “arnavut jigeri” - a dish based on fried liver), and in coastal cities - grilled fish and dolma with the addition of mussels. Of the drinks in Turkey, coffee, tea, ayran are popular.
In addition to classic restaurants in Turkey, it is worth trying local dishes in such establishments as kebabchi (those who want to try kebabs, of which there are more than 20 varieties, and meat dishes), chorbaji (where guests are treated mainly with soups and some snacks), lokants (they are a kind of cafe-canteens, where Turkish dishes are prepared in advance; they do not cool down, as they stand in iron trays).
Top 10 Turkish dishes
Kebab
Kebab
Kebab is an oriental shish kebab, for the preparation of which meat is taken (most often lamb). Travelers are advised to try adana kebab - in this dish, minced lamb meat is strung on a wide skewer and cooked over an open fire. Thin pita bread, lemon slices and salad, to which greens and pickled onions are added, are perfect for adana kebab.
Everyone should try doner kebab: it is made from large pieces of beef on a vertical skewer. The finished meat is cut into thin strips and placed on freshly baked bread (pickled vegetables, fresh tomatoes, lettuce and sauce are added).
Kefte
Kefte
Kefte is a dish in the form of flat cutlets (they are fried on the grill), for which minced meat is obtained from twisted beef and lamb meat. Minced meat is seasoned with spices and onions. Kefta is garnished with paprika paste, salad with herbs and pickled sweet onions.
There are about 290 types of kefta, among which the following are interesting:
- dalyan kefte (minced meat is used to form a roll, and the filling is made from carrots, peas and hard-boiled eggs; the dish is cooked in the oven);
- kuru kefte (fried cutlets are made from minced meat with parsley, pepper, caraway seeds, garlic);
- izmir kefte (kuru kefte fried on the grill is placed in a pot and placed in the oven or oven, after adding the dish with tomatoes, potatoes and green peppers);
- harput kefte (this is a dish in the form of small balls of crushed wheat, basil, minced meat, onions, parsley, poured over with a sauce that includes oil, tomatoes and red pepper paste).
Chorbasy
Chorbasy
Chorbasy are Turkish soups. In Turkey, you should not ignore the merjimek chorbasy (it is a puree soup, which includes onions, carrots, orange lentils, red pepper), ishkembe chorbasy (the main ingredient of a soup that is cooked for at least 4 hours is mutton entrails), domates chorbasy (a type of tomato soup), tarhan chorbasy (cream soup is made from tarhan powder - a dried mixture in which yeast, flour, tomatoes, yogurt and spices are put).
Kokorech
Kokorech
Kokorech is a dish based on tripe. The heart, kidneys, lungs and other offal of the lamb are placed in the intestine and fried in restaurants and street cafes on a spit or an electric brazier. Before serving kokorech on a plate, on a flatbread or in a crispy bun, it is finely chopped, supplemented with spices (thyme, pepper) and vegetables, in particular, tomatoes, green peppers or pickles. A suitable drink for the kokorech dish (its minimum cost is $ 1.42) is ayran. You can rarely find kokorec in the restaurant menu, but in Antalya, for this dish, you should look into “Sampiyon kokorec”.
Pilaf
Pilaf
The main component of the saw is fig. Other products (chicken liver, mushrooms, bulgur, almonds, peanuts, boiled corn grains) are often added to Turkish pilaf, which are not typical of traditional pilaf. So, it is worth trying pilav with fried noodles or pilav with chickpeas. Those who will rest in the coastal Turkish cities are advised to look for pilaf with fish, shrimps or mussels in the menu of catering establishments.
There are also vegetarian types of pilaf, for example, Ege Usulu Sebzeli Pilav. This Aegean vegetable pilaf can be enjoyed in Izmir, Fethiye, Marmaris, Bodrum.
Balyk ekmek
Balyk ekmek
Balyk ekmek is an Istanbul fish fast food. On Eminenu Square, everyone can buy a bun with onions, lettuce, pickled carrots and peppers, and grilled fish caught in the Bosphorus (all this is sprinkled with lemon juice and sold from Ottoman boats, next to which there are chairs and barrel tables) …
Balik ekmek costs about $ 2 (the farther from the pier, the cheaper this Turkish sandwich is).
Borek
Borek
Borek is presented in the form of a puff cake, which can be tasted in any district of Istanbul (it is prepared differently everywhere). For the preparation of this pie, the finest puff pastry is taken, and for the filling - cheese, spinach, potatoes, chicken or meat. Borek is often eaten for breakfast with tea or coffee, and you can buy this layer cake for at least $ 1.15. Advice: borek with meat is fatty, so it is better to eat it with ayran.
Lahmajun
Lahmajun
Lahmajun is a Turkish pizza. To cook it, roll out the dough thinly and stuff it with herbs and bell peppers or minced meat (beef / lamb) and tomatoes. Lahmajun is served with parsley and lemon. It is worth noting that due to the fact that Turkish pizza is very thin, it can be rolled into a roll and stuffed with herbs and sweet pepper salad.
You can buy lahmajun in pideji or eateries for at least $ 1, 15.
Dondurma
Dondurma
Dondurma is a viscous, chewing gum-like ice cream (it contains mastic, goat's milk, sugar and salep). Dondurma can be bought in a waffle cup from a street cart or in a special cafe specializing in selling dondurma (hot sweet halva often complements the sweetness). The minimum cost of a donurma is $ 1.42.
It is worth noting that ice cream merchants play out whole performances for customers (they tease them by raising the sweetness with long sticks to a height, and then lowering it again into the open container built into the cart).
Simit
Simit
Simit is a Turkish bagel perfect for a snack on the go and to complement your morning tea. Simit is sold from red carts, and in some cases it can also be purchased from peddling boys. To prepare simit, yeast dough, molasses and sesame seeds are used. Sometimes you can find simit stuffed with cheese or sweet ingredients. You can buy a simit for $ 0, 30.
