Food in Turkey: Best Turkish Cuisines That Will Leave You Drooling For More

Turkey, the Middle Eastern country has a rich culture and heritage that makes it a place worth visiting once in a life. While people visit Turkey for its incredible beauty of architecture, the food here is another reason that draws tourists from all over the world. Food in Turkey has inspired many Asian kitchens, offering a district taste with Arabian touch to all. From snacks to desserts and beverages, Turkey has everything one needs to call a feast. Be it the street food or the traditional cuisines that are being inherited by people, the food here offers utmost satisfaction and zest for life.

Best Turkish Food That Will Sedate Your Taste Buds

Turkey brings you the best food options to make you drool for more. From the traditional food options to some quirky snacks, the country has a vast list of food options you cannot miss to enjoy while exploring every nook and corner of the place. If you are a foodie, looking for a fine taste that you won’t find elsewhere, here are some top dishes you can add to your platter.

1. Köfte or Turks Meatball

The Turkish Meatballs are surely a must-try dish in Turkey that won’t let you miss the Mediterranean Zest. Kofta is made with lamb meatballs, seasoned with spices and vegetables. Well, many Asian households make vegetable Kofta, so it is not necessary to add meat to this Turkish dish. Variations have been added to the recipe, depending on the region but surely a traditional Turkish meatball is prepared with meatballs and hamburgers and served with yogurt sauce or pita bread, hummus, cilantro, and salad.

The history of Kofta dates back a century and you can find a vast variety of flavors, specially made to let everyone enjoy the zest. The Inegol kofte and Cig kofte are some of the best Kofta you can try. If you are not a big fan of meat the mercimek kofte is the best option one can have as a vegetarian. This Turkish cuisine is made of red lentils, onion, tomato scallions, aci biber salca, cilantro, and other spices.

2. Menemen

Menemen is the best-known Turkish breakfast food, with scrambled eggs cooked in a tomato sauce. It doesn't sound much like a Turkish dish, but in Turkey, it’s believed to be ambrosia for the gods. The history of Menemen goes back to Mexico, but Turks have added their essence to the dish. Menemen is often referred to like scrambled eggs with vegetables, but given the ratios often employed by Turkish cooks, a mashed-up shakshuka is probably a better description. Eggs are scrambled in a sauce of tomato, green peppers, and onions and are best prepared in summary when the tomatoes are sweet and juicy.

The Turkish omelet is a delight to taste and is considered to have originated from the Arab cuisine due to its use of egg dishes as a typical breakfast food in Arab countries. To add more flavors, you can add more filling of white cheese or pastirma.

3. Dolma

Dolma the typical Turkish dish has been a staple food in the country for ages. It is the best food in Turkey for vegetarians that is filled with flavors of tomatoes, parsley, garlic, onion, tomato paste, black pepper, olive oil, and salt. The word Dolma means to fill and this cuisine is all made by mixing vegetables and grains, stuffed and wrapped in vine leaves.

Well, there are different flavors and varieties offered with Dolma. From a pinch of cinnamon to many other exotic spices, aromatic rice, fresh Mediterranean herbs, and spices, one can add a detectable zest to this cuisine. Presentation plays an important role the stuffing's are carefully rolled into little cylinders. Being a popular food in Turkey, the Yaprak Sarma or Dolma is prepared in every household. You will find many street vendors selling the freshly made Domla with tomato juice.

Suggested Read: Best Places to Visit in Antalya, Turkey to Unwind the Gorgeous Turkish City

4. Gozleme

Pita, gyros, and pizza—they’re all great dishes to bring out the best of a hearty meal but, Gozleme is the famous Turkish food that is made with unleavened flat dough wrapped around a filling. Gozleme, also known as sac boregi, are flat savory pockets filled with salty white cheese, spinach, or minced meat and baked on a sac, a heated convex metal plate. The dough can be made using just flour, water, and salt.

The name gozleme means "eyebrow" or "eyelid" in some Turkic languages due to its resemblance to an eyelid with a weight underneath.

This flatbread savory or a stuffed pastry is made of unleavened dough, baked on a hot convex metal plate called a "sac." It is traditional Turkish cuisine eaten all over the country, especially during lunchtime in summer. The blend of flavors makes it an ideal fit for a savory meal.

Suggested Read: Top Things to Do in Istanbul: To Embrace the Majestic Charm of the Fascinating City

5. Pide

Pide is one of the top faves when it comes to food in Turkey. This Turkish cuisine has a history associated with the Black Sea region, but it surely is the best food you can relish. The Turkish pide is a flatbread that is prepared in a stone or brick oven. The dough balls are stretched into an extended base and stuffed with various fillings. They are baked at very high temperatures in a wood-fired oven to make them crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.

Cheese, onions, peppers, ground beef, eggs, pastrami, sausage, tomatoes, and other ingredients are frequent fillings and garnishes over this Turkish Pizza. Sucuklu yumurta, spicy Turkish sausage, and egg mixed with kasar is the most popular Turkish cuisine you can you can try to add flavors. This flatbread will satisfy your taste buds and linger on your tongue for days to come. This warm, crunchy, and crispy Pide is served inside a boat-shaped bread with toppings ranging from spicy sausage and egg to feta cheese and olives.

6. Dondurma

Do you have a sweet tooth? If yes, well you have a range of some best Turkish dishes which includes the Dondurma. The Turkish Cuisine Kesme dondurma is known for its resistance to melting and a particularly rich, chewy texture. This ice cream is a delicious combination of Arab gum, added to the basic milk and sugar mixture which makes it chewy and so delicious.

The tradition of ice cream making in Turkey date back to the 15th century. Also, the name dondurma comes from the Turkish word for "cut," because it's traditionally made with strong curdled milk called salep and eaten with a knife and fork. Dondurma Ice cream is sold on the streets as well as in specialist dondurmas stores and restaurants in Turkey. This delicious Turkish ice cream will melt in the mouth, rather than in your hand.

7. Corba

Soups are the best and the most common food in Turkey that is served for breakfast. Corbas, or Turkish soups, come in a range of flavors and are made with a variety of ingredients to make each cup unique and memorable. Lentil soup, a sort of yogurt soup, is very prevalent, however, this food type can constantly be varied. The Ezo Gelin orbas is a lentil soup made from rice or pounded wheat. Cack is a side dish made with yogurt, garlic, cucumber, mint, and olive oil as well as other ingredients. Other flavors for this Turkish food come as Domates Çorbası- Tomato soup or the İşkembe Çorbası made of salt, vinegar, oil, egg yolks, garlic, butter, and cayenne. It is used to cure a hangover. You can also try Kelle Paça Çorbası, Mantar Çorbası, Paça Çorbası Sebze Çorbası and Tarhana Çorbası. The Tarhana Çorbas is the most delicious and healthy soup made of exotic herbs and spices.

8. Pilav

Pilav is a traditional food in Turkey that should not be missed. The Turks prepare rice in a unique way, infusing it with the finest spices and herbs to enhance the flavor and aroma. All of the ingredients' creamy, buttery, and exotic flavors melt in the mouth, providing a pleasant essence while also relieving hunger.

Pilav has a long and fascinating history, and it is a popular dish in many Middle Eastern destinations and Asian households. Hamsi Pilav is a Turkish Black Sea cooking staple. The delicate fishes are served with rice and stock made with fried onions, butter, peanuts, Turkish allspice, and raisins.

A dough stuffed with rice, currants, chicken, pine nuts, almonds, and butter are made to cook the most delicious Perde pilav. This is a lavish Turkish cuisine that is served at a wedding with sides like soup or some dessert. Eggplants, chickpeas, meat, or liver slices are some top garnishing to add to enhance the flavor.

Give yourself a refreshing touch of exotic taste with the best food in Turkey. While every cuisine of this country is linked to its bygone traditions, the taste is nothing less than feasting in paradise. There will be veggie delights, soups, savory non-veg food, and even some fast food or snacks defining the rich gastronomic art of the Turks. Explore the food streets, dine in at the old restaurants and enjoy the enticing flavors of Turkish spices and herbs that make every bite flavorful and tempting. As you plan your Turkey tour, do explore the eateries and make your list of must-try-food in Turkey.

FAQ’s