Essential Turkish Cuisine: What to Try First!

Turkish dishes are world-renowned, especially most of them being the legacy of the Ottoman Empire, while sharing spices and ingredients from the regions around it. Aegean, Middle-Eastern, Black Sea, and Mediterranean cuisine all share some taste with Turkish food, but can hardly reach the taste. They are quite different yet mouth-watering. We have listed some of the Turkish dishes that you should try. While you can certainly try to make them at home, we recommend visiting an authentic Turkish restaurant to achieve the ultimate taste.

MAIN DISHES

İSKENDER KEBAP

İskender Kebap is one of the most popular dishes in Turkey. The best Kebab is made in the city of Bursa. The small pieces of a special type of bread are topped with some thinly sliced meat. The dish is served with tomato sauce and melted butter poured on top. It is served with some Turkish yogurt, tomato slices, and green pepper.

LAHMACUN

Similar to a pizza, lahmacun is formed of thin dough that is crisply cooked in a stone oven and filled with tomato sauce and seasoned meat. On the other hand, lahmacun is eaten by rolling the dough like a tortilla after it has been filled with salad.

DURUM

Durum is one of the most popular foods in Turkey. It is similar to a wrap or burrito. Chicken or meat along with some tomatoes are wrapped with thin bread. Sometimes the durum may include green pepper, onion as well as pickles depending on where you are eating it. In Istanbul, the best place where you can eat dürüm is, no doubt, Durumci Baba located in Yeşilköy which is a popular stop for many celebrities when it comes to eating traditional Turkish food.

AYRAN ASHI SOUP

Ayran Ashi Soup is a soup that is drunk cold. It sounds strange but it is a great dish to eat during the summertime. Ayran Ashi includes chickpeas, wheat, yogurt as well as some refreshing spices such as mint. Even though the chickpeas and wheat are cooked, they are added into the cold yogurt after chilling. Some olive oil and mint added to the mixture before serving it. It is a very refreshing soup that tastes best on hot days.

DOLMA

Dolma is a dish that can be eaten both cold and hot depending on the making style. It is a stuffing made of many different vegetables such as bell pepper, tomato, eggplant, zucchini, and cabbage. If the dolma is stuffed with meat, it is served warm with some yogurt on the side. However, if the dolma is stuffed with rice, then it is usually served cold and made with olive oil.

Midye Dolma

Midye Dolma is mussels stuffed with seasoned rice (garlic, salt, pepper, currants) and served in their shells with a slice of lemon. They’re the true street food in Istanbul, usually offered from little black and yellow wagons on the busiest streets. Midye Dolma is the most popular food among Istanbulites after Kokorech and Durum, especially at night, when only the exquisite, bite-size snacks can fix the hunger while creating more cravings for itself (try to stop at just a few pieces). If you are concerned about eating shellfish on the street, there are plenty of restaurants offering plates of this ridiculously delicious street food.

IMAM BAYILDI & KARNIYARIK

These two dishes look the same which is why we are mentioning them together. They are mainly made of eggplant that is sliced open like a little boat. Inside the eggplant, onion, pepper, tomato and minced meat are added. If the dish includes meat, it is served warm and it is called karnıyarık. However, if the dish does not include meat, it is served cold and it is called imam bayıldı.

DESSERTS

Turkish desserts are also very famous and different from the deserts found in the rest of the world. Some of them are mixed with cheese or legumes, leaving the foreigners confused.

ASHURE

Ashure is made during a special time in the year and the mixture is quite interesting. You will see why in a second. Ashure is made of wheat, rice, chickpeas, dried beans, apricot, dried grapes, hazelnut, milk, and sugar. Making ashure takes a long time, however it tastes amazing. Some also prefer to add rose water into it. It is topped with nuts and sometimes with pomegranate.

GULLACH

Gullach is eaten during the month of Ramadan. It is made of thin cornstarch leaves, dipped in warm milk mixed with sugar and rose water. The dipped cornstarch leaves are added on top of each other layer by layer. And in between a few layers, either pistachio, hazelnut or walnut is added. It is topped with nuts and cherries.

KUNEFE

Kunefe is made with shredded wheat filled with cheese and topped with pistachios. It is served hot for the cheese to be soft. Even though cheese may be confusing in a dessert, it balances the sweet flavor beautifully without making it salty.