Turkish pastries names. Turkish national cuisine

03.05.2020 Grill menu

When you arrive in Turkey, forget about the fast food chains. National Turkish cuisine is delicious and varied. On the Turkish cuisine menu you will find a mixture of Central Asian, Middle Eastern and Balkan culinary traditions.

Therefore, it is so difficult to squeeze all the variety down to a short list that you should definitely try food in Turkey. But I still tried to highlight the main and most delicious dishes that the Turks cook and eat at home and in restaurants.

Turkish breakfast

Turkish breakfast food is slightly different from European food. Instead of coffee, it is customary to drink tea in the morning. Often a vegetable plate with chopped tomatoes and / or cucumbers is served for breakfast. They eat white bread, but recently the trends of healthy food have reached Turkey, now you can choose grain bread made from rye or other cereals for breakfast.

White cheese like feta, old cheese ( kaş ar peyniri), olives or olives ( zeytin), butter, honey, jam, scrambled eggs or boiled eggs ( yumurta) - the main components of a Turkish breakfast.

Also for tomorrow you can eat sucuklu yumurta and bö rek. Sucuklu yumurta is a dried beef sausage with garlic and spices (red pepper, cumin and sumac). Sujuklu fried in a pan with eggs, it turns out fatty, but very tasty. Bö rek(burek or burek) – It is a thin sheet of dough stuffed with cheese, minced meat and / or vegetables, fried or baked.

Minimen / Menimen (Menemen) - delicious Turkish omelet. Fried onions and peppers are stewed with tomatoes, and then poured with eggs, sprinkled with herbs and ground pepper.

National Turkish Vegetable Food

Many vegetables are grown in Turkey, which is noticeably reflected in local dishes. If you are a vegetarian, then it is important for you to know that Turkish dishes that do not contain meat are called zeytin yağ lı cooked in olive oil. Typically, these dishes are served cold. Here are some of the best vegetable dishes in Turkey:

Sarma (Yaprak Sarma) - grape leaves stuffed with rice, onions and spices (mint, currant, pepper and cinnamon).
Dolma (Dolma) - Fresh or dried eggplants, peppers, tomatoes or zucchini stuffed with rice, onions and spices.
Taze Fasulye- beans or chickpeas (chickpeas) stewed with tomatoes or tomato paste and onions.
Jadzhik (Cacı k) - a refreshing Turkish soup. It is made from finely chopped cucumbers, sour cream, garlic and mint. On a hot summer day, it is served with ice cubes.

Turks are very fond of meat, and therefore all of the above dishes, except for the last soup, can also be found in the meat version.

Turkish meat dishes

Karnyaryk (Karnı yarı k) - fried eggplants with minced meat, onions, parsley, garlic and tomato filling. This dish is definitely worth trying. To make sure it's of good quality, look at the eggplant. The dark color of the skin should not be transferred to the peeled pulp, and the meat should not be dark and dry.
Lahmajun (Lahmacun) - Turkish pizza with meat, onions and spices on a thin puff pastry. Served with tomatoes and salad. Many people prefer to squeeze lemon juice onto a lahmajun, roll it up and eat like Mexican tacos. Real Turkish street food.
Kuru Fasulier (Kurufasulye) - dry beans. Turks just love legumes. This national dish of Turkish cuisine is usually served with slices of dried beef ( pastı rma), rice (sade pilav), pickles and sauerkraut turş u.

The most famous national dishes of Turkish cuisine

Kebab (Kebap) - this is meat, skewered and fried on coals - a shashlik familiar to everyone. Lamb, beef or chicken are usually fried. Turkey has a huge variety of kebabs, I advise you to try the popular iskander kebab.
Dener (Dö ner) - shawarma or shawarma. This is meat roasted on a skewer with salad, local herbs and spices.
Sweatshirt (Kö fte) - cutlets or meatballs of various shapes and sizes. Lamb or mutton with boiled bread, onions and spices is used for minced meat. The most popular dish with cutlets is Izgara Köfte. In it, meat is grilled with green peppers, parsley and dry red pepper and served with rice or bread.
Manty (Mantı ) - delicious Turkish dumplings. The ingredients are simple dough, meat (beef or lamb), onions, salt and pepper.

Popular Turkish side dishes

Pilav (Pilav) - in the national Turkish cuisine, there are many options for cooking pilav. This is not quite pilaf, although it is based on rice, and these two words are consonant. The most popular pilav in Turkish cuisine is sade pilav... It's just rice boiled in water with vegetable oil and small şehriye noodles. Usually rice is mixed with eggplant, chickpeas, meat or pieces of liver and, of course, spices: cinnamon, pepper, thyme, cumin and even almonds.

Pilav from bulgur (Bulgur Pilavı) - it looks like this Turkish dish is just a plate of boiled rice, but in fact it is wheat. Most often it is prepared with fried onions, green peppers, tomato paste and mint.

Fried vegetables- fried eggplants, green peppers and zucchini with tomato sauce or sour cream are one of the best dishes. There are a lot of options for Turkish food made from fried vegetables, choose any combination to your taste.

Mujver (Mü cver) - zucchini, eggs and flour - this is the whole composition of delicious Turkish-style dranniki. Mujver is made with white cheese, green onions and mint, lightly fried in olive oil and served as a side dish.

Meze (Meze) - a set of snacks, which are often served with raki or other alcoholic beverages. Restaurants that specialize in serving meze are called meyhane. More often than not, the waiter comes to the table and presents all the meze options on a large platter, and you can choose according to your taste.

Sweet Turkish Desserts

Künefe (Kü nefe) is a traditional Arabic cheese pastry. Unsalted cheese is placed between two layers of dough made from a simple mixture of water and flour. Künefe is served warm and soaked in syrup. Sprinkle with pistachios on top. Sensations and tastes are very unusual. Crunchy dough on one side, soft cheese soaked in sweet syrup on the other.

Baklava (Baklava) - another Turkish dessert with a simple set of ingredients (dough, nuts and syrup), but very tasty. The decisive factor is how thin the dough layers are. Walnuts, hazelnuts or pistachios will be in your baklava - depending on the region where you taste it.

Street food in Turkey

Street food culture is very common in Turkey. In Istanbul, small street food stalls are piled around every corner. Most often, these are the national dishes of Turkey, with which you are already familiar from this article. Once again, I decided to make the names separately, so that you know how you can have an inexpensive snack while exploring Turkey.

Hot food

Kebab and doner(shashlik and shawarma) are the main representatives of Turkish street food.

Borek- flatbread with various fillings: ı spanaklı bö rek(with spinach) peynirli bö rek(with cheese), kı ymalı bö rek(with minced meat) and patatesli bö rek(with potato).

Pide ( Pide ) - stuffed dough boat. Kaş arlı Pide(with cheese) and Sucuklu Pide(with cheese and hot sauce) are the most popular types of pide.

Pizza Lahmajun (Lahmacun)

Misir (Mısır )– boiled or grilled corn on the cob. It is salted or sprinkled and sold during the summer months.

Chestnuts ( Kestane )– and in winter, instead of corn, stalls of roasted chestnuts appear everywhere.

Balyk ekmek ( Bal ı k ekmek ) - literally translated as "fish in bread", which it is. In front of your eyes, the seller fries the fish and puts it in a large loaf.

Cold street food

Simit ( Simit ) - a crispy, round salty bagel topped with sesame seeds. There are 2 main options for a sim: sokak simit- sold on the streets, very crispy and pastane simit- sold in stores, softer.

Achma ( A ç ma )– round bun, one might say - donut. Delicious, but oily.

Pogacha ( Po ğ a ç a ) - delicious crumbly cookies. There are options without filling - sade, or stuffed: peynirli – cheese, kı ymalı - chopped meat, zeytinli- olives cut into pieces.

Carefully

While you wander the streets of Istanbul or other cities, you will come across these two Turkish dishes more than once. They are delicious, but must be bought with care on sunny streets.

Dolma from mussels (Midye dolma) - stuffed mussels. They are very tasty, I advise you to eat them in restaurants.

Kokorech ( Kokore ç )– grilled sheep giblets (guts, heart, etc.) with a bunch of spices. A very popular snack after a stormy night or with alcohol. From the outside it is sometimes difficult to distinguish where the shawarma is and where the kokorech is. Fortunately, shawarma is cooked on a vertical spit, and kokorech on a horizontal one.

Turkish national cuisine is very versatile and original. Its formation was influenced by the fact that Turks, Armenians, Persians, Greeks, Assyrians and many other peoples lived on the territory of this country, each of which left its own unique mark in the culinary history of the state. The list includes popular delicacies such as pilaf, kebab and baklava. You will find their recipes in today's article.

Basic nuances

Indigenous Turks turn every meal into a kind of ritual. All meals are served in sequence. Any meal starts with snacks, which include stuffed vegetables, olives and a variety of pickles. After them, soups, fish or meat dishes and desserts appear on the table.

Vegetables are often used for cooking. Eggplants are especially popular. They are served pickled, stuffed, baked, stewed, steamed or fried. Also, the local population loves to generously add not only to side dishes, but also to various sauces.

Meat is very much appreciated in Turkey. It is consumed in any form, but most often it is grilled or fried in a skillet. Milk occupies a special place in the national cuisine of this state. On its basis, amazing cheeses, delicious desserts and incredibly healthy yoghurts are made.

Turkish eggs

This interesting dish vaguely resembles a traditional omelet. It has an extraordinary taste and is ideal for a family breakfast. Before preparing one of the many Turkish national dishes, check in advance if your kitchen has everything you need. In this case, you will need:

8 chicken eggs.
100 grams of butter.
100 milliliters of broth.
150 grams of chicken liver.
A couple of tomatoes.
Salt and spices.

Washed and dried chicken livers are fried in butter. As soon as it acquires a golden hue, it is poured with broth, previously mixed with chopped tomatoes. Beaten salted eggs are also added there. The future omelet is baked in the oven at a standard temperature. Before serving, the finished dish can be poured with tomato sauce.

Lentil soup

This is one of the most popular Turkish national dishes. It is prepared from simple budget ingredients sold in any supermarket. To pamper your family with such a soup, stock up on everything you need in advance. This time you will need:

3 liters of drinking water.
A couple of tablespoons of tomato paste.
1.5 cups red lentils
A tablespoon of flour and ground paprika.
Salt, aromatic spices and vegetable oil.

The washed lentils are poured with cold water and sent to the stove. As soon as the liquid boils, the foam that appears is removed from its surface and left to boil over minimal heat.

A little vegetable oil is poured into a separate saucepan, heated up and wheat flour is fried there. After a few minutes, add tomato paste, a little water, basil and oregano there. Mix everything well and leave on the stove. After a couple of minutes, a little more water is added there and the resulting frying is sent to a pan with lentils. All this is salted, seasoned with mint and almost immediately removed from the burner. The finished soup is grinded through a sieve and poured into bowls. A little lemon juice is squeezed into each portion.

Baklava

This dessert is very popular not only among the local population, but also among numerous tourists. Like all other recipes for Turkish national dishes, this option assumes the presence of a certain set of components. Therefore, before starting to work with the test, check if you have at hand:

250 grams of butter.
Egg.
300 grams of powdered sugar.
A pound of wheat flour.
200 milliliters of milk.
Cinnamon, salt and walnuts.
A glass of water and sugar.
A tablespoon of honey.

Like many other national Turkish dishes, photos of which can be seen in today's publication, baklava is prepared using the simplest technology possible. A pinch of salt, melted butter and warmed milk are alternately added to a bowl filled with sifted wheat flour. Everything is well kneaded until a sufficiently cool, but at the same time elastic mass is obtained. The finished dough is placed in a plastic bag and left for half an hour.

In the meantime, you can do the rest of the products. The nuts are chopped with a meat grinder and combined with cinnamon and powdered sugar. The present dough is divided into twelve approximately identical balls. Each of them is rolled out in a thin layer, greased with butter, sprinkled with a nut filling and rolled into a roll, tucking the edges inward. The resulting blanks are laid out on a baking sheet. Their surface is smeared with yolk. Products are baked at two hundred degrees for about a quarter of an hour. Then the temperature is lowered to 160 0 C. Baklava is coated with butter and returned to the oven. After fifty minutes, it is transferred to a deep bowl, poured with a syrup consisting of water, sugar and honey, and left for six hours.

Pilaf

This is one of the simplest and most hearty Turkish national dishes. It is prepared from inexpensive and readily available ingredients. To create it you will need:

700 grams of chicken.
1.5 cups long rice
A couple of tablespoons of pine nuts.
A pound of tomatoes.
3 tablespoons of butter.
Bulb.
A handful of parsley, basil and dried cranberries.
Salt and spices.

In a thick-bottomed frying pan, in which there is already butter, lay out the washed and dried chicken. As soon as it is browned, half rings of onion are added to it and continue to fry. A few minutes later, pine nuts and tomatoes rubbed through a sieve are sent there. Almost immediately, washed cranberries, chopped greens and rice are placed in the pan. All this is poured with water, covered with a lid and cooked until the liquid is completely absorbed. Before serving, pilaf is garnished with basil.

Lula kebab

It is one of the many culinary delights for which Turkish cuisine is renowned. The national dishes of this country are known far beyond its borders. Therefore, in order to try lula kebab, it is not at all necessary to go to Turkey. You can also cook it in your own kitchen. To do this, you will need:

A kilo of lean lamb.
100 grams of bell pepper.
200 g fat tail fat.
25 grams of wheat flour.
75 g garlic.
100 grams of parsley.
150 g tomatoes.
0.25 kg of onions.

The flour is soaked in a small amount of hot water and squeezed out. Lamb, pepper and fat tail fat are ground in a meat grinder and sent to the refrigerator. An hour later, the minced meat is salted, seasoned with spices and carefully strung on skewers. Lula-kebab is fried on smoldering coals, not forgetting to periodically turn it over. It is served with a sauce made from chopped tomatoes, onions, garlic and parsley.

Turkish coffee

This aromatic invigorating drink leaves a pleasant aftertaste. It is prepared according to several different recipes (a photo of Turkish national dishes can be found while reading this article). To make real strong coffee, you will need:

A couple of teaspoons of sugar.
Ground coffee.
A teaspoon of cinnamon and vanilla.
A pod of cardamom.
Carnation.
200 milliliters of water.

Ground coffee is poured into the preheated cezve. Cold water is poured there and the vessel is placed on the stove. The drink is kept on minimal heat for half an hour, not allowing it to boil. In the process of cooking, sugar, spices and spices are added to the cezve. Ready coffee is poured into cups and served at the table.

Revaney

This delicious dessert also belongs to Turkish national dishes. It is a delicate pie soaked in lemon syrup. To prepare it, you will need:

3 eggs.
A glass of flour, semolina and sugar.
200 milliliters of vegetable oil and yogurt.
Baking powder bag.

In order to cook the syrup, prepare in advance:

3 glasses of water.
Juice of half a lemon.
3 cups of sugar.

Eggs are combined with yogurt and sugar, and then beat, gradually adding semolina, flour, baking powder and vegetable oil. The finished dough is poured into a mold with high sides and sent to the oven. Dessert is baked at one hundred and fifty degrees for at least forty minutes. The cooled cake is cut into portions and poured over with hot syrup consisting of water, sugar and lemon juice.

Istanbul style eggplants

This spicy appetizer also belongs to the national dishes of Turkish cuisine. It is prepared so simply that even a novice cook can do it without any problems. It includes:

3 large eggplants.
Medium onion head.
3 fresh tomatoes.
Medium carrot.
150 grams of celery root.
Sweet bell pepper.
A slice of garlic.
A bunch of parsley.
A pinch of ground dried thyme.
Salt, spices, and vegetable oil.

The eggplants are cut lengthwise and soaked in cold salted water. After half an hour, they are washed, dried and fried on the inside in vegetable oil. The browned pulp is separated from the skin and chopped.

Boil peeled carrots and celery until half cooked and cut into small cubes. The pepper is baked in the oven, separated from the peel and seed, and chopped. All this is combined in one vessel. Fried onions, chopped tomatoes, salt, aromatic herbs and chopped garlic are also added there. The resulting mass is spread in eggplant boats and baked at a standard temperature.

It so happened that on my first visit to Turkey, I made many unexpected discoveries about this country, including the variety of delicious food that surprised me. What dishes immediately come to mind if you remember Turkey? Kebabs, baklava, Turkish delight, and coffee drinks, of course. In general, you don't think about any balanced and wholesome food when you talk about this eastern country. But in reality everything is not at all like that.

Turkey's cuisine is very diverse, and even vegetarians need not worry about their diet when going there on vacation. I always say that food is an important part of any tourist trip. Of course, new places, culture and sights are more important than cafes and restaurants, but the local cuisine, as it were, reinforces the overall impression. And through food you can learn a lot about any nation. What makes Turkish cuisine different?

Features of Turkish cuisine

It is clear that traditions in everything, including food, are formed over time. The culinary preferences of the Turks are rooted in the customs of the Turkic tribes. So it turns out that traditional Turkish cuisine has a lot from the Arab, Balkan, Mediterranean and Caucasian diet. To be honest, I never thought about how close the western coast of Turkey is to Greece, and therefore I was very surprised by the numerous attributes of the original Greek cuisine in Turkish food.

And the traditions of Islam also influence the diet of most Turks. Turkey is a Muslim country and there are special regulations for food preparation. There are legal foods - halal, there are forbidden ones - haram. The most famous example is the Muslim ban on pork, which is why this meat is rarely found on the menu. Plus, on some holidays and holy days, additional regulations apply. In the holy month of Ramadan for every Muslim, believers fast until nightfall and do not eat meat.

But do not worry, because the laws of Islam apply only to Muslims (and not all of them strictly adhere to them), and in the tourism business they understand that guests want to taste everything at any time, so you can find ordinary Turkish dishes on the menu even during fasting ...

And a few words about people who do not eat meat, and think that in Turkey they will have to interrupt with baklava. For me, Turkey is also strongly associated with a meat country, where there are a million varieties of kebabs. But there is where even strict vegetarians can roam - fresh fruits and vegetables, pastries, snacks and main courses of eggplant, chickpeas, nuts, lentils, mushrooms. And baklava with Turkish delight, of course.

Turkish breakfast can also be included in the specialties of the cuisine of this country. And you must try it, because turkish breakfast is a real feast for the whole world. Turks have a very thorough breakfast, and in many cafes / restaurants / hotels you get a traditional set in the morning: scrambled eggs, toast, homemade cheese, several types of olives, toasted sausages, jam, sometimes vegetables and unlimited tea.

So, there are many different food in Turkey, and now I will tell you about the traditional and the most delicious.

Vegetables and fruits

Oh, what juicy, fresh and tasty vegetables, fruits, herbs are there! And it's all year round! I confess that here I underestimated the beautiful Turkey.

There you can absorb vitamins in fresh local tomatoes (several types of cherry), peppers (very often used in Turkish cuisine), cucumbers (some kind of plastic, but delicious), eggplants, carrots, potatoes, mushrooms, herbs, oranges, bananas, strawberries, apricots, watermelons ...

Everything has its own season, of course. And it is right. In Turkey, at the legislative level, the addition of pesticides and other poisons when growing fruits and vegetables is prohibited, so they are only natural and healthy here.

I was honestly shocked by the amazingly juicy oranges in February! It turns out that they are available there at any time, except in summer (and even that can be found here and there in the gardens). You can also find these fruits on the trees on one of the walks around Antalya.

Lemons and avocados ripen with oranges. We also met them just by the road.

In April-May, it's time for strawberries. The price starts from a few dollars per kilogram and gradually decreases to one. Large berries melt in your mouth.

Summer is the time of cherries, medlar (a very interesting fruit called "Japanese apple", ripe fruits taste like quince and pear), mulberries, apricots, watermelons. In early autumn, pomegranates and figs ripen. Well, the oranges are starting to slowly fill with taste.

Bananas are eaten at almost any time of the year. I didn’t know that their huge bunches were first removed from the trees in green. Then the fruits lie for a while and ripen. So they filmed them at the end of winter.

Do not miss a trip to the Turkish market, especially if you are in the country for a long time. It is cheaper, more colorful and there is more choice. But you can also buy good fruits and vegetables in supermarkets.

Snacks, salads and pastries

In Turkey, they definitely love meat, but to get to this main dish, you still need to master the irreplaceable attributes of the beginning of a Turkish meal - meze, snacks, salads and all kinds of bread.

Meze and other snacks

Meze among the Turks is cold or hot snacks that are served with drinks before meals.

Cold ones are most often made from yogurt, adding finely chopped carrots, pepperoni, pickled cucumber to the sauce. Lemon juice with olive oil is often used in such a sauce. I liked the Jajik the most. In addition to yogrut, cucumber, lemon juice and olive oil, mint and sometimes garlic are added there.

There are also hot snacks. This, for example, baked shrimp or something like julienne (baked mushrooms with cheese).

According to my observations, on the table of an ordinary Turkish family there is often one type of meze, but there are more other snacks. These are, for example, delicious sun-dried olives (there are a lot of them in Turkey), pickles (gherkins and pepperoni are popular), several types of cheese (usually feta cheese or homemade cheese), cherry tomatoes.

Sarma, popular in Greece, is also common - rice wrapped in grape leaves with vegetables or minced meat.

One of my discoveries - various, so to speak, "spreads" on bread.

In Turkey, delicious hummus with various additives was often found. And the best thing is a paste made from grated sun-dried tomatoes, peppers, nuts and spices.

Salads

I am not a big fan of salads and always prefer cutting fresh vegetables to them. As I already said, vegetables in Turkey are fresh and tasty, so they make excellent salads.

Salads in Turkish cuisine are usually unpretentious: cucumber, tomato, onion, sweet pepper, feta cheese (or without it). All this is almost always seasoned with lemon juice and olive oil.

Bakery

In Turkey, bread is served with almost any dish. Sometimes in their restaurants and cafes they even bring a whole bread basket for free. Such an edible aperitif.

I really love all Turkish pastries - they just melt in your mouth. And some of its types will pass for a full meal or at least a good snack.

Here's what you should definitely try:

Soups

In Turkey, soups are held in high esteem, although it seems to me that they are not perceived as a full meal. That is, you can't eat too much with one first dish - Turkish soups are not very satisfying.

I will single out the three most-most:

Main dishes

But here we will already talk about what Turkish cuisine is known for outside the country - about kebabs. Also in Turkey, different types of pilaf, meatballs, stews are popular. In the Mediterranean you will find a wide variety of seafood dishes.

But first about the kebabs. There are many types of them in Turkey. Of course, there are several main ones, but the fact is that in numerous regions of the country, different chefs have their own differences in the preparation of each type of kebab. And in fact, all this is fried meat.

Here's some basic information about how meat is served in different kebabs:

Now I will tell you about one of my discoveries in Turkey - köfte. These are meatballs that have a lot of variations and tastes. They are made from different types of meat (mainly lamb). But I was not impressed by these ordinary meatballs, but by their special type - chi kofte.

Chi kofte looks like pressed minced meat, so vegetarians are afraid to try this dish. But in fact, these are the most non-meat cutlets in the world. This minced meat consists of bulgur, tomato paste, nuts and many spices (they say that there are almost 100 of them). This "minced meat" is prepared in an unusual way: the cook first mixes all the ingredients, and then for a long time (from an hour to 3-5 hours) kneads the mass with his hands. Bulgur cooks thanks to the warmth of the hands! Previously, minced meat dishes were prepared in the same way, if there were difficulties with fire. It is said that the chefs were encouraged by dancing and singing.

In general, the thing is very tasty. It is served in pita bread or separately on a plate. Vegetables, herbs, lemon, tomato sauce (special for these meatballs) and delicious viscous pomegranate sauce must go with chi kofte. This dish is especially popular during Ramadan.

I am not a big specialist in fish cuisine, but I can say with confidence that there is no shortage of fresh seafood on the Mediterranean coast. Try the local dorado.

Turkish sweets

Oh, and I love this theme! Not only do I really love sweet treats, but in Turkey they just melt in your mouth. Each sweetness is a bouquet of flavors. Juicy baklava with pistachios, sesame halva, the most delicate thread writing ... and I have not yet mentioned this about Turkish delight with its variety of flavors!

In general, something, but I tasted Turkish sweets. I share a list of those that cannot be missed:

As you understand, there are enough delicious sweets in Turkey.

One tip: don't take too much at once, rather enjoy and savor every sweet oriental delicacy.

Popular drinks

And even here the Turks can offer something special and interesting.

Soft drinks

I'll start with the most popular and very unusual drink for me - ayrana... There is no analogue in our kitchen. Some people say that it is something like carbonated kefir. But this is not the case. Please do not confuse all these "Tans" and "Ayrans" that are present on the shelves of domestic stores with the original drink from Turkey! We have it some kind of carbonated and not at all like the one that is drunk in cafes and sold in stores in Turkey.

Ayran is a fermented milk drink. It is based on yogurt, water and salt. A special sourdough is used, the consistency of the drink is very different. Surprisingly, ayran is the best accompaniment to shawarma, and to many other dishes. At first I was very surprised that instead of the usual cola in establishments like McDonald's, people are more willing to take ayran. The drink is sold everywhere: there are entire refrigerators in supermarkets, shelves in stores and home cooking options in cafes / restaurants. Ayran refreshes and invigorates. Drink Ayran in Turkey!

And now about turkish tea... I read that it has been grown on the Black Sea coast of Turkey for a long time. But I never tasted local tea there.

Surprisingly, but true: the Turks in large numbers jam the usual packaged or packaged black Lipton. In stores, it is sold in downright huge packs.

Whatever tea the locals use, they brew it in a special way. At the same time, the tea leaves are similar to fine dust, which I personally am not used to calling tea. So, in Turkey there are special two-story teapots: water is constantly boiling in the large lower one, heating the upper small one with water and tea leaves.

Tea leaves are poured into small glass glasses (a trademark of tea gatherings in Turkey) and boiling water is added. Tea is preferred strong and very sweet. The taste really turns out to be some kind of special. The glasses are small, they are drunk five or six at a time. The tea is constantly hot because the kettle is boiling all the time. Now in Turkey there are even electric kettles with such a two-piece system.

I fell in love with this strong and sweet tea, even sometimes I brew Lipton at home, which I have never done before.

Turkish coffee... This drink is loved by both locals and tourists. The main secret is the cooking method. Traditionally, coffee is brewed in a Turk (cezve). Sugar is added immediately during preparation, so indicate the amount in advance if you order coffee in a cafe. The portions are very small but incredibly tasty. Someone thinks this coffee is strong ... And yes, at the bottom of the cup there is a lot of thick ground (the Turks use finely ground coffee), which is considered a very important part of the drink.

Salep is a traditional hot drink for Turkish winter. It is made from milk and sugar with the addition of salep powder. It's hard to believe, but this powder is made from the roots of the orchid of the same name. These flowers grow in Anatolia. Only a couple of teaspoons of salep are taken per liter of milk, sugar, cinnamon and vanilla are added to taste. The drink is wonderful and nutritious. Turks believe that they can heal a whole bunch of diseases.

In stores, you can find ready-made salep, which you just need to heat up or add water. But for an original taste, go to pastry shops and cafes.

Alcoholic drinks

Probably almost every country has its own traditional strong alcoholic drink. In Turkey it is cancers... The strength of the drink can be from 40 to 70 degrees. In fact, this is anise vodka. They only use it, diluting it into three parts with water. If the crayfish is good, then the glass will contain a milky-white liquid. Ice can be added after thinning. It is better to drink from thin glasses.

In general, you can safely take crayfish as a gift for connoisseurs of alcoholic beverages. Duty Free, for example, will definitely be of good quality.

There are several brands in Turkey beer but the most popular is EFES. There are different types and containers. The beer is delicious. Unfortunately, the Russian spill EFES does not match the Turkish one. By the way, beer in bottles will be a little more expensive than in cans, but glass containers can be given in large and small stores, receiving a little money for it. It's good for the environment, and you can buy yourself an extra bottle of beer.

Another interesting drink in Turkey is bose... I would say that it is only conditionally alcoholic, because there is only a few percent of it in Bose. It is a fermented beverage that is obtained by fermenting cereals and adding a sourdough with sugar to them.

Before my next trip to Istanbul, I read the book by Orhan Pamuk “Istanbul. City of Memories ". It describes the fate of the Bozo street vendor, of which there were many before the modernization of the city. The book is very atmospheric and helps to better understand the spirit of Istanbul, I recommend it. But now Boza is not so popular in the city anymore.

Where to taste traditional cuisine

I told about all the very best dishes and drinks in Turkey, and now I want to tell you where to look for and try them. I am sure that you will appreciate the authentic cuisine of this country in any case if you walk around the city and go to restaurants, cafes for locals, try sweets from street vendors, or buy something in chain supermarkets. The food in Turkey is very high quality. The only thing is that many guests of all inclusive hotels complain about the monotonous food, but there are specificities, and no one promises true Turkish cuisine. Keep this in mind. So, where to get acquainted with purely Turkish food.

On the streets of Turkish cities

Yes, Turkey is definitely the place where you can and should buy snacks on the street. You can still find street vendors there with fried chestnuts, fresh pastries, and seafood.

My choice is a crispy simit with a cup of strong Turkish tea. But the main thing is that the bread is fresh! Guys with trays often serve small cups of tea in public places like train stations and docks. Tea costs a penny (or rather Turkish kurush), less than 0.5 USD per cup.

Of course, among the street food is full of "shawarma". You will most likely buy a good doner where there is a constant flow of buyers, including from local ones. Average price - 3-4 USD.

On the coast, huge mussels with lemon juice are a popular street delicacy. You can easily spot them by the pungent smell of the sea. Rice and spices are added to the shells. Before you start eating, sprinkle the filling with lemon juice. By the way, the seller arranges the clams on a tray strictly according to size: the more, the more expensive, of course, the mussel. The size of the portion itself depends only on you, for 5–7 USD you can eat well for one person.

There are other sweets on the streets of cities. You can't taste all of them at once. Some look very interesting, for example, the lollipop, which is made right in front of you.

In cafes and restaurants in Turkey

I liked the large selection of all kinds of cafes and restaurants in this country. Let's say that in popular tourist places the prices are too high, and sometimes the food does not match the indicated price at all. But such places are designed for inexperienced tourists.

Top tip: look at the number of people in the establishment. If the restaurant hall is empty, and you are persuaded by all means to stay, then most likely something is wrong here. On the other hand, the tourist industry in Turkey is going through hard times now, and many good establishments are really empty. I always try to move a block or two from the main tourist street and find a place to eat there. Experience has shown that prices go down significantly, and you can find something truly authentic.

In general, good restaurants and noteworthy cafes are often listed in the TOP lists on various resources. Better to write down the addresses of several of them when going to a new city.

The portions are often large and filling. One main course was always enough for me to eat. Often, before submitting your order, a fresh flatbread with sauces / spices / snacks is brought free of charge.

The Mediterranean region is famous for its fishing establishments. And in Istanbul there is a place where fish restaurants are one after another. You will find it under the Galata Bridge.

I love to taste delicious sea view dishes. And this place also has a funny twist: fishing rods will hang from the upper tier of the bridge. This is because Galata Bridge has been a favorite place for Istanbul fishermen for many generations in a row.

In the bazaars of Turkey

The bazaar is the concentration of local life, and in Turkey this type of trade has been popular since ancient times. In Istanbul, some bazaars from the times of the Ottoman Empire still function and have become recognizable landmarks of the city. I advise you to read more about the bazaars of Istanbul on our website.

When it comes to buying groceries at the bazaar, locals often go there for the freshest and tastiest goods.

First of all, we are talking about fruits, vegetables, herbs. I was amazed at just a huge selection for quite acceptable, but what is really there, little money.

I was in Turkish markets both in winter and in summer, the choice was always pleasing to the eye. And the quality! No chemistry, everything is fresh and juicy. All in all, ideal for home purchases. Yes, the same bananas, oranges, cherry can be bought at the hotel. But these grocery markets often work only a couple of times a week.

By the way, they buy not only fruits and vegetables there. There are cheese and other homemade dairy products. And also fresh delight, halva. Sometimes they sell sweet souvenirs, but they didn't seem so fresh to me. But popular spice gift sets can be bought at these local markets, where it is much cheaper.

In shops in Turkey

It is unlikely that you will go to the markets if the trip to the country is short and you want to be in time for everything. But you will most likely go to the shops.

It's also interesting there. There are a lot of supermarket chains and small shops in Turkey. In the latter, the choice is not very large: bread, chips, juices / water, chocolates, cookies and the like. But in supermarkets there is where to roam. Most popular: Migros, Şok, 101, Bim. Usually, each of them presents products from different manufacturers. My favorite is the Migros network. Their prices are a little more expensive, but the food is also tastier.

In supermarkets you can buy everything for a delicious picnic or breakfast. I always take sun-dried olives (several types by weight), hummus / grated nut pate with sun-dried tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, lettuce, soft cheese, fresh bread. It is also worth buying Turkish delight and halva. Well, don't forget about ayran in glasses.

Food tourist dictionary

To make communication in cafes and shopping in stores and markets easier, I will write some useful phrases and names.

Of course, don't forget the greeting. Merhaba(hello, "merhaaaba") and expressions of gratitude Teşekkür ederim(thanks, "teshekur ederim"), as well as about universal Evet(yes, "evet") and Hayir(no, "hayir"). In Turkish, ç sounds like h, and ş sounds like sh.

And now the popular foods and drinks:

ekmek (ekmek) - bread;
şeker (shaker) - sugar;
biber (bieber) - pepper;
tuz (ace) - salt;
dondurma (dondurma) - ice cream;
yumurta (yamurta) - egg;
eti (these) - meat;
mercimek - lentils;
bal (ball) - honey;
tavuk (tavuk) - chicken;
peynir (peynir) - cheese;
balk (balyk) - fish;
süt (syut) - milk;
su (su) - water;
çay (tea) - tea;
kahve (kahve) - coffee;
bira (bira) - beer;
şarap (sharap) - wine.

elma (elma) - apple;
çilek (chilek) - strawberry;
karpuz (karpuz) - watermelon;
kavun (kavun) - melon;
kiraz (kiraz) - cherry;
portakal (portakal) - orange.

biber (bieber) - pepper;
domates (domates) - tomatoes;
mısır (mysyr) - corn;
patates (patates) - potatoes;
salatalık (salad) - cucumber;
zeytin (zeytyn) - olives;
mantar (mantar) - mushroom.

For the dishes the following:

çorba (chorba) - soup;
salata (lettuce) - salad;
tatlı (tatly) - dessert;
kebab (kebab) - barbecue.

The following words will also come in handy:

çok (chok) - very;
sıcak (sijak) - hot;
soğuk (sojuk) - cold;
iyi (s) - good;
tatlı (tatly) - sweet;
acı (aji) - sharp;
tuzlu (tuzlu) - salty;
take (taze) - fresh;
büyük (buyuk) - large;
küçük (kuchuk) - small;
tamam (tamam) - good, everything is in order.

What to try in Turkey: my TOP 5

Lentil soup. Hearty, spicy, with a rich balanced taste.
Kebab. Grab doner on the street and adana kebab at the restaurant.
Chi kofte. Be sure to try these non-meat patties with the scrumptious pomegranate sauce.
Gozleme / lahmajun / simit. Let these flour products be at one point. You have already understood everything about my attitude to simit, but you will also pay attention to other delicious pastries.
Writing. And yet halva and Turkish delight are not the leaders in my list of sweets. These sweet threads of pistachio melting in my mouth I will always adore.

Finally

Oh, and I wrote a lot about Turkish cuisine! At the same time, I am sure that I have not tried everything yet and not in all Turkish regions.

The traditional Turkish cuisine is bright, juicy, full-bodied and at the same time balanced and healthy in an oriental way. This country has a large selection of both meat and vegetable dishes. Snacks, soups, main courses, desserts - everything is interesting, tasty and nutritious. Turks skillfully use spices, emphasizing the taste of each dish.

Also an aggregation of prices from all distributors, all in one place, let's go!

Anything to add?

Turkish cuisine is very different and is fraught with many different delicacies: first courses, second courses, salads, hot and cold appetizers with savory sauces, drinks, sweet dough products - all this has incomparable taste, being prepared according to the traditional recipes of the country, and therefore is unique food and drink.

The basis of the national cuisine of Turkey is vegetables and cereals, mostly wheat and rice. An equally important place is given to meat dishes. The Turks do not season their dishes with spices and spices in large quantities, but put seasonings in moderation, believing that the true taste of delicacies should not be interrupted. The people love stewed and stuffed vegetables. The chefs use minced meat as a filling, sometimes it is mixed with rice and other cereals. Eggplants and bell peppers are very popular among vegetables. National Turkish dishes are very famous: pilaf, boreki (bereki), dolma with minced rice, manti, shashlik - all these delights are served in Europe, clearly following the classic recipes.

Fish dishes are not well-known in Turkey. The cooks are very careful in cooking and are kind to their work, and therefore use exclusively fresh fish and seafood. For this reason, dishes from these products are served only in establishments located near the sea.

Turkish residents bake a lot of different types of bread and pastries made from ordinary and puff pastry.

This eastern country is famous for an abundance of sweets: a lot of delicious pies, cakes with filling, Turkish delight, baklava, halva, puddings. Among the drinks, the Turks prefer coffee, which must be freshly brewed.

Turkey's meat dishes are nutritious, vegetables are always very tender, sweet desserts will turn everyone's head. Spiciness, piquancy, sophistication, softness, sweetness - all this is about traditional Turkish dishes.

It is not so difficult to get acquainted with the nuances of cooking oriental dishes of this country, especially using the step-by-step recipes with photos offered on our website, after mastering which you yourself will be able to give master classes on cooking Turkish dishes.

Turkish recipes with step by step photos

Puff pastry baklava
Imam Bayaldy
Turkish baklava
Lavash roll with minced meat
Lahmajun
Chicken tabaka with potatoes
Shish kebab
Lamb with potatoes in a slow cooker
Turkish shawarma
Turkish eggplants with minced meat
Chicken saute
Filo dough baklava

Characteristics of the peculiarities of the national cuisine of Turkey

The characteristics of the peculiarities of the national cuisine of Turkey are very interesting: the inhabitants of the country make magnificent dishes from meat, vegetables, fruits, without overusing spices and spices, their unique sweets do not leave indifferent anyone who once tasted a delicacy, and the recipes of traditional drinks because of their excellent taste popular outside their homeland.

If we turn to the history of Turkish cuisine, it is worth noting that it is ancient. Its formation was influenced by Greek, Armenian, Egyptian, Arabic, French, Italian. Today there is an assimilation with Russian, Uzbek cuisine. However, the culinary area of Turkey has its own characteristics. Chefs replenish the menus of cafes and restaurants with original dishes, and housewives experiment with ingredients at home, deviating slightly from classic recipes, creating new unique dishes.

The eastern country is the owner of the Mediterranean cuisine. That is why residents give their preference to vegetables, fruits, nuts and spices. Regarding the latter, Turkish wives, aunts, professional chefs and everyone associated with cooking have one very important rule: you cannot overdo it with seasonings, because the real taste of the dish should remain that way, you cannot hide or saturate it with sauces and seasonings ... That is, in a lamb dish, lamb should be felt, in pepper - pepper, and beans - beans, and so on.

Almost all dishes are seasoned with olive oil, lemon juice and fermented milk products, often with plain yogurt. Since Turkey is an eastern country, which is very hot, they prepare breakfast, lunch and dinner very quickly, for one meal.

Breakfast at the Turks has its own characteristics. At this time, the table is served as for a holiday, many different treats are served: bread, flat cakes, hard cheese and feta cheese, butter, jam, cut vegetables, fresh fruits, eggs. For breakfast in Turkey, it is customary to drink exclusively freshly brewed tea. Here coffee is inferior to him. The morning meal should be very satisfying, unhurried, energized for the whole day. Family members gather at the table and share plans, slowly discuss matters.

Breakfasts in cafes and restaurants are quite common. To raise the spirits, these establishments are located on the embankments, by the sea, in nature, where an incredible view opens up to the eyes. An average earner can afford a breakfast of minced meat pie, cheese or spinach, buns filled with olives, olives, potatoes, cheese, and a sesame bagel called simit.

There are a lot of dishes on the table for lunch or dinner. The most popular dish is Turkish kebab. This is meat that is cooked over an open fire. They use not only ram and lamb meat, but also poultry - chicken, in rare cases fish. Today, there are several varieties of kebabs: for example, if, according to the classic recipe, to which we are accustomed, the meat is strung on a skewer and fried over a fire, then this is a shish kebab, but if a whole lamb carcass is baked in the ground, then it turns out a tandoor kebab ...

Interestingly, all the ingredients for the first, second course or appetizers are cooked in one bowl. Thanks to this, the food turns out to be more aromatic, and the taste seems even richer.

Residents of Antalya attach great importance to harvesting for the winter. They can also preserve vegetables and fruits. These can be your favorite eggplants, peppers, tomatoes, pears, apples. Products are harvested in different ways. Sometimes they just dry in the sun. This applies more often to fruits. By the way, Antalya people love to refresh themselves with street food. Kokorich (or, as it is also called, kokorech) is gut-covered mutton giblets. It doesn't sound very appetizing, but it is tasty and adored by the Turks.

The most popular products that are used to prepare almost all dishes are meat, vegetables, olives (also olives), cereals, dairy, and legumes. Meat for the Turks is very valuable, and therefore they eat it, subjecting it to various heat treatments. However, it is most often fried on the grill, over an open fire, or at home on the stove using a regular skillet.

Among vegetables, eggplants take pride of place, since they are bought at any time of the year. Eggplants can be boiled, stewed, fried, stuffed, baked, pickled, and salted. It is pickled and salted vegetables that are served as an appetizer on the table. In Turkey, tomatoes are also loved, which chefs use during the preparation of sauces, pasta, and various side dishes. Olives and olives, like tomatoes, are also an integral part of the Turkish diet. They are put in main dishes, side dishes, or put on the table as a snack.

You cannot do without cereals during cooking. They serve as one of the main ingredients for the first and second courses. This product is essential for baking the famous Turkish bread. The most common cereal is, perhaps, rice. Traditional pilaf is cooked on its basis, adding vegetables, meat, fish.

Using dairy products, Turkey makes incredible desserts and "branded" yoghurts. There are a lot of all kinds of cheeses in this eastern country. Turks love to marinate cheese in brine and enjoy the incredible taste of feta cheese and feta. These products are often used to fill baked goods.

As we said, fish is not used very often, however, the dishes are very tasty. The important thing is that it is not difficult to cook fish at home, since the recipes are very simple. Turks cook from popular varieties - red mullet, stingray, mullet, swordfish. There are a lot of crabs, shrimps, octopuses, squids, cuttlefish, mussels, lobsters and other seafood. Such a wide choice allows the Turks to cook a lot of all kinds of "sea" dishes.

Now let's summarize:

One main traditional dish is missing in oriental cuisine. All dishes are equally important on the table and all create an overall picture of Turkish cuisine.

Turkey is the owner of almost all products: it contains meat, vegetables, fruits, berries, seafood and fish. That is why there are a lot of various dishes - the ingredients alternate, change, supplement with spices, spices and something new, original is obtained.

Turkish dishes bring great benefits to the body, because they use healthy products in the cooking process. For heat treatment, choose cooking, stewing, baking. They do not fry so often. Dishes are rarely too greasy.

There is always a wide selection of food on the table for breakfast, lunch and dinner, because you do not need to have a snack, but eat abundantly, satisfyingly, in order to get energy and a reserve of strength.

With the design of dishes among the Turks, everything is at the highest level: the dishes always look very beautiful, appetizing, bright, emit a pleasant aroma that awakens the desire to try it sooner.

There are traditions regarding serving dishes on the table. Initially, snacks are served. In Turkey they are called "meze". These are stuffed vegetables, olives, salted and pickled foods. Further - the main meals. The main thing is the soup. After that, dishes of meat, fish and side dishes are already served. Finally, they are fortified with desserts.

Eating is a long process, since the Turks eat slowly and chew their food thoroughly. In addition, you need to try every dish on the table. This all takes time. Conversations are being conducted in parallel.

It is not customary to eat alone in Turkey. You should always get together with your family, friends, colleagues and have a meal together.

So now you know what Turkish cuisine is. We will tell you about the varieties of all foods below.

Main dishes

The main dishes in Turkey are quite varied: initially it is customary to eat snacks, then vegetable, meat, chicken, fish soups and stews, pilaf (with a lot of minor ingredients in addition to cereals), meat and vegetable dishes, without which every meal is not complete.

Traditionally, the meal begins with snacks. It is most often prepared from eggplants adored by the Turks.

Famous vegetable dishes are moussaka and karniyaryk. Moussaka is obtained if eggplants are baked in the oven filled with minced meat, seasoned with spices. Karniyaryk differs in that the eggplants are cut into halves, laid out on a baking sheet, minced meat is spread on them and so baked. Main dishes are also made from eggplant: the vegetable is baked whole, then cut and spread on lightly toasted bread. Pieces of fried meat are placed on the eggplant, and the whole thing is seasoned with yogurt.

In addition to eggplant snacks, they are made from other vegetables. Kyzartma is a simple but delicious dish. Vegetables are fried in deep-fried butter (this can be zucchini, the same eggplants, cucumbers, tomatoes, potatoes, peppers), then served on a plate with fresh bread.

One of the most popular snacks is sarma - a kind of stuffed cabbage, only instead of minced meat, pilaf is used as a filling for cabbage leaves. Other cold snacks are also famous. For example, khaidari is made from feta cheese, mint, sugar and yogurt; karidesh povech is made from shrimp, tomatoes, garlic, all this is baked and spices are added; firinda mantar - mushrooms baked in a sauce with cheese.

Wide selection of Turkish first courses. Soups and stews are prepared with different foods and in different ways. For example, stew is hot and cold. The first, that is, hot, is known as chorbu and is prepared with tomatoes, lentils and other vegetables. The second, jajik, is made with cucumbers, garlic, ayran, and herbs. There are also several types of soups, depending on the products used:

merdzimek chorbasy - cooked on red lentils;

tarhana chorbasy - consists of dry and crushed products - peppers, onions, tomatoes, yeast combined with flour;

chorbasy yogurt - made on the basis of yogurt;

imkembe chorbasy - speak with giblets, vinegar and garlic heads.

They also cook shurpa (or shorpu) - rice soup with potatoes.

The most famous second course is pilaf. It is often cooked with rice, but it is no less famous with wheat. Less often, pilaf is made from achma.

Rice pilaf. According to the traditional recipe, a dish is prepared from, of course, cereals, tomatoes, nuts, meat (often chicken fillet), butter, herbs (parsley and basil), berries (cranberries or cherries). Making classic Turkish pilaf at home is a snap. The recipe is not complicated. Pine nuts are fried in an empty pan, the onion is cut into half rings, the greens are washed and chopped. Tomatoes are peeled and grated, turning into gruel. The meat, cut into pieces, is fried in a cauldron or high-sided frying pan in butter. Then nuts, tomato paste, herbs, berries and spices are added. After that, washed rice is poured and everything is poured with boiling water, and when ready it is infused under a closed lid.
Wheat pilaf. During cooking, the cereals must be stewed along with vegetables - onions, peppers (red or green - to the taste of the cook), tomatoes, meat. Pilaf is being prepared in a cauldron. First, onion chopped into half rings is fried in oil, then chopped pepper is added, and after a while - tomatoes. Further, wheat, called "bulgur" in Turkey, and chopped greens are sent to the cauldron. After frying, the composition is poured with water, seasoned and stewed under a closed lid until the cereal absorbs the boiling water and the pilaf is ready.

Meat dishes are also at the heart of the meal, which can be served as a separate dish, or can be used as a side dish or as a snack. A common shashlik fried on skewers in Turkey is called "shish-kebab", Turkish shawarma is "dener-kebab", "tandyr-kebab" is the name of a kebab that is baked in the ground. Side dishes are served with the second course. For example, dolma, known in many countries, is a kind of stuffed cabbage, when minced meat or meat is wrapped in cabbage and grape leaves. The dishes are supplemented with kyufte - small round minced meatballs, kuzu pyrzola - with lamb ribs straight from the grill, and Menemen - with an omelet with vegetables.

There are many appetizers, first and second courses, side dishes in Turkish cuisine, and all of them are magnificent and truly unique in their own way.

Turkish salads and sauces

There are many Turkish salads: they are prepared with vegetables (eggplants, tomatoes, cucumbers, cabbage, broccoli), meat, olives and olives, mushrooms, seafood, beans and much more.

One of the best salads in Turkey is Piyaz, where dry beans are the main ingredient. It is boiled. The same is done with the eggs. The onions are pickled in vinegar. Tomatoes and eggs are cut, mixed with boiled beans, then onions are added and all this is seasoned with a special sauce of lemon juice, grape vinegar, sesame paste, cumin, garlic, mushy beans, olive oil. As a result, the ingredients are mixed, garnished with parsley, olives and served.

The popular Turkish eggplant salad is Patlijan. Vegetables are baked in the oven, peeled, then the excess liquid is decanted and the eggplants are cut into small pieces. Next, they are mixed with minced garlic, a mixture of olive oil, yogurt and lemon juice. In addition to this unusual sauce, the taste of the salad is very rich due to the ground black and cayenne peppers.

There is also a vegetable salad with croutons. Ingredients (baked bell peppers, toasted bread, tomatoes, onions, lettuce) are chopped, broken or torn, mixed and seasoned. The sauce is again unusual as it consists of lemon juice, olive oil and pomegranate syrup. Top of the salad is decorated with chopped herbs.

Tasty and common in Turkey salad with wheat, that is, with bulgur - "Kysyr". The groats are boiled and cooled in tomato paste. Pine nuts are fried in a pan. Cucumbers, tomatoes, onions are cut. Mint and parsley are chopped. The whole composition is mixed and seasoned with a classic lemon-olive sauce with chili flakes and sumac.

Turkish salads are easy to prepare, sometimes with a minimal amount of ingredients, but at the same time satisfy the needs of the most fastidious gourmets. The sauces in the dishes are unique, unusual and almost every one contains a mixture of olive oil and lemon juice.

Traditional pastries and sweets

Traditional Turkish pastries and sweets are very original and created for every taste: there are flour products with and without filling, a variety of bagels and bagels, there are also sweet treats that melt in your mouth.

In Turkey, bagels are called "simit", they are sprinkled with sesame seeds on top. They also eat soft cakes called "pita" with yeast or "gözlem" stuffed. Berek bagels are practically a visiting card of Turkish cuisine. We have already noted the fact that the Turks bake their own national bread: black - somun and white - ekmek. They also make lahmajun - pizza with sausage, meat and vegetable fillings.

As for sweets, Turkey is famous for them all over the world. The cook's ready-made delicacies are filled with sugar, syrups, and therefore the already sweet food turns out to be rather sugary. This is in the style of the Turks, since these people are avid lovers of sweets.

The key role is played by the Turkish baklava, known to us as "baklava". This is not just a sweetness, a symbol of respect and some kind of tribute. Guests who are dear to the host are treated to such a meal; during matchmaking, baklava is also indispensable, as in the process of celebrating the birth of a child. On the eve of religious festivals, baklava is an obligatory decoration of every table.

There are also traditional desserts that are prepared only in Turkey, and therefore they are characteristic only for this eastern country. There are simply no similar ones in Russian and other cuisines. These milky sweets resemble manna and soufflé at the same time. We are talking here about syutlach, muhallebi and kazandibi. You should definitely try them while vacationing in Turkey.

Indicative, but already widespread far beyond the borders of the historical homeland, are other goodies - Turkish delight, halva, candied fruits.

Beverages

Drinks in Turkey are famous for: and the people do not live a day without coffee, tea, milk drink, while alcohol is not in demand because of the faith of the residents of the country - Islam.

The Turks drink coffee every day and at every meal, in addition to breakfast. In the morning, it is customary to drink exclusively tea. All sorts of drink are common. Equally common, along with black and green, are red, white, fruit (apple, pear), citrus (orange, lemon, grapefruit), berry (strawberry, strawberry, raspberry) drinks. In Turkey, merchants walk the streets and sell tea in cups. In addition, there are special counters and shops in the markets where tea leaves are sold by weight, so that you can feel the aroma and only then buy.

The Turks also quench their thirst with ayran, their national milk drink, which is made from yogurt.

As for alcohol, in Turkey it is not as popular as tea or coffee, because the country is Muslim. There are only semi-sweet or dry wines, which are consumed exclusively on holidays, and raki - Turkish vodka diluted with water.

Popular Turkish food names

We will share with you the names of popular Turkish dishes and give them a short description, so that when you meet them in the menu of restaurants or cafes, you will already know whose food is in front of you. After that, you may also decide to try making these dishes at home.

Name	Description
First meal
Arabashi chorbasy	This is a soup based on chicken broth, the peculiarity of which is that it is served not with ordinary bread, but with a special dough, which must be eaten with the dish itself with a spoon.
Ishkembe Chorbasy	The dish is based on the offal of beef or lamb. Put garlic with onions, if desired, season with citrus juice (lemon or orange) or diluted vinegar essence.
Merdzimek Chorbasy	Soup, which is cooked with red lentils, herbs and peppers (supplemented with other vegetable products as well).
Tarkhana Chorbasy	A dish based on tarkhana - tomatoes dried and chopped together with pepper and onions, combined with yeast and flour.
Shehrieli yeshil merjimek chorbasy	Lentil noodle soup.
Ezogelin Chorbasy	The dish is prepared with tomatoes, bulgur (wheat), red lentils, rice grits, tomatoes or pasta. It is also called "Bride's Soup".
Yayla Chorbasy	The peculiarity is that the food is seasoned with yogurt. Ingredients: rice groats, butter, mint.
Meat dishes
Adana kebab	Minced meat, which is fried on skewers with hot chili peppers.
Dener kebab	Grilled meat stuffed with vegetables and spices.
Iskender Kebab	This is lamb meat with tortillas. A mixture of tomato paste, olive oil, yogurt is used as a sauce.
	Small cutlets or meatballs from any meat product.
	This is meat pilaf with vegetables made from rice, wheat, achma or other cereals, which is stewed in a cauldron.
	Meat and vegetable cubes baked in the oven.
Shish kebab	Meat with tomatoes and peppers, which are fried on the grill or over the fire. Shashlik.

Antep ezmesi	Chopped onions with pepper, parsley and mint, which are seasoned with lemon-olive sauce with tomato paste, red pepper paste.
	An appetizer of cucumbers, garlic, pepper, mint, seasoned with yoghurt sauce with lemon juice, olive oil.
Karidesh Gyuvech	A dish that consists of oven-baked shrimp, tomatoes and minced garlic.
Berek cigar	Fried or baked dough sausages stuffed with feta cheese and parsley.
Firinda mantar	Champignons baked in sauce, stuffed with different types of cheeses.
Hawuch ezmesi	Carrot and pepper cream, seasoned with a yoghurt mixture with olive oil, lemon juice.
	A creamy snack consisting of feta cheese, yoghurt, sugar and mint.

	Vegetable (tomatoes, onions, cucumbers) with bulgur (wheat) and nuts.
Patlyjan	Eggplant salad with garlic, seasoned with chopped parsley with olive oil.
	From beans, tomatoes, eggs, onions. Sauce - olive oil, sesame paste, lemon juice, grape vinegar, bean gruel.
	Arugula, which is fried with meat (chicken).
	Tomato-cucumber with onion, feta cheese and pepper.

	Bagels stuffed with a mixture of cheese, herbs and spices.
	Flatbread with different fillings (cheese-spinach, meat, vegetable, cottage cheese).
Lahmajun	Thin flatbread, sprinkled with minced meat, vegetable slices, spices. This is analogous to pizza.
	"Boat" with cheese filling and onions, tomatoes, herbs.
	Yeast-baked flatbread with meat, vegetable, cheese filling.
	Sesame bagels.
	Turkish analogue of the white bread we are used to.
Sweets
Quince tatlysy	Boiled quince in syrup, served with cream.
	Puff pastry, where chopped nuts are placed between each layer, and sprinkled with pomegranate seeds on top.
Jezerye	Jelly made from fruits and pomegranate juice, carrot syrup and pistachios.
Tavern Tatlysy	Candied pumpkin, boiled in pieces.
	Cookies with jam or jam inside. Can be baked without filling.
	Balls of dough fried in butter or cream, poured over with sweet syrup.
	Sugar and honey cubes with pistachios, dried fruits, coconut or nuts.
	Nut or pistachio flour sweetness in syrup.
	A delicacy in the form of grape juice syrup.
	Pie with semolina in syrup.
	Rice porridge cooked in milk with vanilla.
	The sweetness of the dough in a syrup without filling in the shape of a cylinder.
	Sesame sugar paste with cocoa powder.

	Drinking yoghurt based.
	A mass of yeast, sugar and millet that ferments and produces a sweet drink.
	Drink that is obtained by brewing ground coffee or beans. With or without sugar.
	It is an alcoholic drink of the Turkish nation. "Vodka" made from anise, which is mixed with mineral water.
Salgam (shalgam)	Bitter-sour turnip-based drink.
Salep (salip)	A milk drink that is consumed hot.
	Drinking from different types of tea, which is brewed fresh.
	Grape juice.
	Turkish wine.

Now you know what Turkish cuisine is, what are the features of such dishes and drinks. You can safely try to cook or enjoy in restaurants, cafes. Everyone is satisfied with the taste, therefore be sure to reproduce at home one of the step-by-step photo recipes given on this page.

Turkish cuisine is varied and very bright, it is not for nothing that it is one of the three most popular and delicious cuisines in the world. Stunning combinations of various tastes, an abundance of fresh vegetables and fruits, heat treatment methods in which the products do not lose their useful qualities, make Turkish cuisine not only incredibly tasty, but also beneficial to our body.
We present you the top 10 Turkish cuisine dishes that you should definitely try when you come to Turkey. Without tasting these products of national cuisine, acquaintance with Turkey will be incomplete, because traditions in cooking are as important for understanding the essence of the country as its historical sights.

Kebab

Let's start our acquaintance with Turkish cuisine with kebab. This is a traditional oriental barbecue made from minced meat. The main meat in the preparation of kebabs is lamb. A prerequisite will be the addition of fat tail fat, which gives the kebab its characteristic taste, and also makes the minced meat more fatty. One of the most famous kebab options in Turkey is Adana Kebab. In this dish, minced meat is strung on special wide skewers and fried over an open fire. Served Adana kebab with pickled onion and greens salad, thin lavash and a slice of lemon.

Doner kebab is no less popular. This is a peculiar way of cooking meat, in which large pieces of beef are strung on a vertical skewer that slowly rotates around its axis. The fried meat is cut into very thin strips and served in freshly baked bread. Iskender doner is a variant of Doner kebab - a favorite dish of both the Turks themselves and many tourists. For Iskender doner, strips of meat are placed on pre-prepared bread soaked in oil and fat flowing down from the doner being prepared. The dish is poured over the top with tomato sauce and served with Turkish yogurt.

Kefte.

Another very common meat dish in Turkey is kefte. These are national cutlets made from a mixture of lamb and ground beef. In addition to meat, minced onion and a large amount of spices are added to the minced meat for kefte. Minced meat is formed into small flat cutlets, which are fried on the grill. Kefte is served with a salad of pickled sweet onions and herbs.

Borek

A dough dish that is often served for breakfast. The thinnest layers of dough are stacked in layers, and minced meat from salted cottage cheese, spinach or fried meat is added between them. All this is poured into a sauce made from milk and eggs. Borek is baked in the oven until crisp and served hot. A sweet version of borek is also possible, when ordinary sugar is put inside instead of filling. Sweet borek is especially loved by children, who gobble up crispy flatbreads with pleasure. A variant of this dish called Cigara Borek is very popular. In this case, the dough is rolled up in the form of cigars, putting the filling inside: feta cheese, potatoes or minced meat. Borek cigar is fried in a pan in olive oil.

Simit and lahmajun

Flour dishes, without which the Turks cannot imagine their life. Simit is the most common street food, a must-have for Turkish breakfast. Early in the morning, in any city, you can hear the inviting shouts of a simit Turkish bagel seller offering his goods. Fresh hot simit sprinkled with sesame seeds is sold directly on the street from special carts. Processed cheese and tea are immediately offered to him.
Lahmajun is a kind of Turkish pizza. The main difference between this dish and traditional pizza is the thinly rolled dough. Minced meat with tomatoes, herbs and bell peppers is used as a filling for lahmajun. Serve lahmajun with lots of parsley and lemon. The product is so thin that it can be rolled into a roll with herbs and sweet onion salad in the middle.

Turkish pilaf

Unlike traditional pilaf in our understanding, in Turkey pilaf (or pilaf, as it is called here) is not cooked from rice, but from wheat groats. Often, chickpeas laptop is added to the dish, and then it turns out that the laptop is sawing; eggplants - Patlydzhan sawing; tomatoes - Domates sawing and even fish - Khamsi sawing. Basically, pilaf in Turkish cuisine serves as a side dish for the main course. Pilaf is usually served with yogurt.

Chicken beans

Bean stew is a dish that is eaten with equal pleasure in the homes of the rich and in the poorest families. The beans are soaked overnight, and then stewed with tomato paste, onions and spices for about two hours. Chicken beans are usually served with boiled rice and yogurt.

Manty

Turkish manti, unlike our usual Central Asian ones, are small lumps of dough with minced meat. The size of Turkish manti should not exceed the size of a fingernail. Now manti is made with the help of machine equipment, and earlier the entire female part of the family gathered to sculpt this dish. Up to a thousand small dumplings were prepared at a time! Manti is served with yoghurt sauce with garlic, and the dish is poured with melted butter with spices on top.

Sarma

One of the most popular and delicious Turkish snacks. Minced rice and meat are wrapped in grape leaves. The shape of the sarma is remarkable - in the form of female fingers. As they say in Turkey, the thickness of the sarma should not exceed the size of the "little finger of a young girl." Sarma is a rather spicy and spicy dish, as befits an appetizer, the main purpose of which is to stimulate a good appetite.

Baklava

Bahlava is a visiting card of the East. It is impossible to travel from Turkey without taking with you a box of this deliciously delicious sweet. The thinnest weightless dough is stacked in numerous layers, sprinkled with various types of nuts and filled with sweet syrup. The calorie content of this dish is simply off scale, but there is no way to refrain from trying at least a piece of dessert that melts in your mouth.

Künefe

Another dessert that belongs to the category of the most delicious dishes in Turkish cuisine. Soft goat cheese is placed between layers of special pastry in the form of noodles. All this is fried in a large amount of oil and served hot.