Turkish Cuisine
Turkish Food
Turkish cuisine is considered one of the most diverse in the world and combines specialties that make it impossible to resist. The catch here is that Turkish cuisine is rooted in Ottoman tradition which in turn bears the traits of the Greek, Balkan and Arab traditions. Thus, Turkish food will not leave any explorer unsatisfied – you will find the nutritive power of meat entries, the gentleness of vegetables and the sweetness of mind-boggling desert, as well as the burning heat of eastern spice combined in the most intricate way. Such an unusual diversity and quality of Turkish food is achieved as a result of millennium-long entanglement of different cultures that inhabited the territory of modern Turkey.
Breakfast
Today Turkish breakfast (kahvalti) is usually served at hotels and resorts in the form of buffet tables, also known as Swedish tables and consists of bread or toast with butter, cheese, jam, honey, and olives. There is also an unlimited amount of tea, while coffee is usually served separately. Many people like to start the day with meat pie, cheese pie, or potato pie (burek or rosa), which are sold in small cafes and small storefronts along the streets. Others go even lighter choosing bagels sprinkled with sesame seeds (simit). A traditional eastern Anatolian breakfast however is called mercimek çorbası, a cup of lentil soup served with lemon and chili peppers.
Lunch
During lunch and during the day in general there are sales people walking around offering small pizzas topped with diced meat (lahmacun) and in towns and cities near the coast midye tava are a common dish – a thoroughly fried on both sides mussel entry. Another popular dish is Turkish pizza (pide), which consists of a flat loaf of bread with different fillings, served at pideci or pidu salonu. Another special dish is called manti, these are meat raviolis dipped in yogurt and butter sauce.
Supper
The menu comprises at least three entries, which are always served with a salad. In the summertime lunch is served somewhere around 8PM! All the closest relatives, family friends, and neighbours gather somewhere outside. Many are invited ahead of time in order to manage with the prep work. The menu depends on whether or not there are any alcoholic beverages. By the time guest arrive cold appetizers are already plated and placed on a table in the garden or on the balcony. The main courses are served a couple of hours later. Supper starts with soup, followed by meat and vegetable courses, dishes with olive oil, deserts, and finally fruits.
Restaurants (lokanta) serve predominantly hot courses with tomato sauces, while kepapci specialize on grilled kebabs. In numerous state-owned restaurants alcoholic beverages are forbidden; private restaurants on the other hand are allowed to serve alcohol, but it will cost you a lot of money. In this respect meyhane (taverns) stand out the most as places where a great range of cold appetizers are available, hot meals, grilled kebabs, fish, and a wide selection of alcoholic beverages. Drink and eat all you can! Meze, or side dishes, are served in all sizes and shapes, the most common being dolma – rice filled bell peppers, patlican salata – courgettes in tomato sauce, as well as a mix of tomato pasta, onions, chili peppers and parsley (acili), and seafood salads. The main menu items of the locanta restaurants include a certain number of vegetable dishes such as green beans or baked beans in tomato sauce, usually served as a side dish for lamb or bird (chicken, duck, turkey, partridge, etc). Meat dishes include several varieties of kebabs: pieces of meat on pide (pizza) in seasoned tomato sauce, yogurt and salad, called Iskender kebab, meat balls (kufte), big pieces of grilled meat (sis), or small pieces of lamb (zup sis). Fish and other seafood dishes are very tasty but usually more expensive and thus sold by weight rather than retailed. Many state-owned restaurants and canteens serve freshly fried sardines (sardalya), Bonita (palamut), mackerel (iskumru), halibut (kalkan), mullet (kefal).
Eastern Sweets/Deserts
Finally those of you who like something sweet should definitely try the amazing specialties of the candy shops (pastane): the most delicious sweets are honey dipped baklava and various milk puddings, the most famous of which is rice pudding called satlaz. All of these can be ordered as desert at any restaurant. Additionally you could try the Noah pudding (asure) – a jello type desert decorated with pod veggies, raisins and nuts, and the most famous Turkish sweet lukum (lokum) also known as “Turkish delight” –hard sugar and pectin with the taste of rose water, and sometimes pistachios sprinkled with sugar powder.
Beverages
Tea (zai) is the main drink at Turkish coffee shops. It is served in tiny transparent cups that look like tulips, so that you can see the beauty of the tea color and warm you hands. Tea is usually served with sugar, but without any milk. A day cannot pass by without drinking this beverage, not even a work week day. Women regularly gather with their girlfriends and some tea right after noon to chat, trade some recipes or exchange some news, opinions, or impressions.
Turkish coffee (kahve) is also very widespread. Coffee is served in small cups. You can order natural grounded coffee as well as instant coffee. You should drink coffee very carefully, taking small sips in order not to get your mouth full of thick coffee sediment. Ordering a cup of coffee when you are in a company of people is a good way to avoid an unpleasant conversation.
Fruit juices (meyva suyu) can be truly astonishing, however these are usually very sweet. Mineral water, both carbonated and flat is usually present on every table in most restaurants. You can also try a popular drink called ayran – a yogurt mixed with water.
Alcoholic beverages (iзkiler) are available without restrictions at resort areas and in big cities. The most common brands of beer are Tuborg, Efes Pilsner and the recently popularized Carlsberg; imported beer is also available, but the number of brands is limited. Turkish wine (sarap) can vary in quality. The most famous brands are Kavaklidere and Doluca,offering a large selection of wines. The national liquor is raki; it has the taste of anise and is stronger than its Greek counterpart Ouzo. Raki is usually served on the rocks and sometimes mixed with water.
