Straddling Europe and Asia, Turkish cuisine is a melting pot of Central Asian, Middle Eastern, and European/Balkan influences has led Turkey cuisine to become one of the leading culinary cultures of the world. Delicious, famous Turkish food, drinks, and more beckon travelers from all over the world.

TURKISH MEALS

Kofte

Turkish ‘meatballs’ come in all shapes and sizes, and can be eaten solo as street snacks or served with rice and salad.

Shish kofte is just 1 of almost 300 kinds of meatballs found in Turkish cuisine, so it shouldn’t surprise you to know that every region has its own favorite variety. Meatball meatballs are made by mixing ground meat with various herbs, onions, and spices like garlic, putting it on a skewer, and then broiling it.

Our favorite version was found in Cappadocia and served as a casserole topped with tomatoes and melted cheese.

Manti

Manti is a Turkish dish that is often referred to as a ‘Turkish dumpling,” filled with ground meat and various spices and covered in a yogurt and spice-laden sauce.

So many people rave about manti; we tried it once, and because it was nothing like described above (the dumplings were empty and it served with bland tomato sauce), we didn’t order it again. I hope you have better luck.

Kahvalti

A classic Turkish breakfast known as “kahvaltı” (kah-VAHL’-tuh) consists of bread, cheeses like feta and kashkaval, hard-boiled or fried eggs, tomatoes, cucumber, sweet peppers and slices of bacon or “sucuk” (soo-JOOK’) – a type of soft salami, black olives, fruit preserves, honey, and plenty of brewed black tea served in Turkish tea glasses.

Gözleme

Gözleme is literally everywhere…in restaurants, served as street food in the old towns, and stands along the side of the road. This traditional dish is served as breakfast or as a snack. It is a simple pastry dough filled with cheese cheese, or sometimes vegetables, or mincemeat are added. It is sealed and cooked on a griddle. It reminded me of a variation of a quesadilla.

Hummus

Hummus is a Middle Eastern dip, spread, or savory dish made from cooked, mashed chickpeas blended with tahini, lemon juice, paprika, and garlic, and served with wedges of pita bread.

Lahmacun

Lahmacun is essentially a Turkish pizza that has a very thin crispy crust and is topped with a mixture made of tomatoes, peppers, a tiny bit of minced meat, and herbs. It wasn’t my favorite, maybe because it was missing cheese.

Moussaka

Moussaka is a casserole-style dish containing layers of eggplant, potato, ground beef or lamb, tomato sauce, and creamy béchamel sauce. it was first introduced in Greece, but has also become a famous Turkish food. It tastes like an exotic version of lasagna.

Pide

Pide is also known as ‘Turkish pizza,’ but in my opinion, is much better than lachmacun (above). Pide is made from an oval, bread-like base topped with cheese and assorted meat and vegetables, heated in a stone oven. It’s very hearty and tasty.

Shawama

A legacy originating from the former Ottoman empire and one of the most famous Turkish dishes, Shawarma, aka doner kebab, is made from slowly rotating spits of marinated lamb, chicken, or beef. The tasty meat is cut into thin slices, put in warm pockets of pita bread then topped with yogurt and za’atar, a spice blend made with tangy sumac.

Şiş Kebap

Lamb is one of the tastiest meats around and is loved by most Middle Eastern countries. My favorite is the lamb kebab – spiced chunks of lamb, skewered and then grilled over charcoal to savory perfection. If there’s a tastier carnivore choice, I haven’t found it yet.

Testi Kebab

Niels Elgaard Larsen, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Meaning “jug” in Turkish, testi or pottery kebab is prepared in a clay pot or jug. It’s usually made with lamb, beef, or chicken with vegetables like carrots, celery, onions, garlic, and potatoes, then sealed in the clay pot and cooked slowly in its own juices for several hours in a tandoor, wood burning or charcoal oven.

When the meal is ready, the steaming hot jug is presented and cracked in front of the patrons, releasing the aroma of bubbling fillings with great dramatic flair.

Testi kabab is the most famous Turkish food in Cappadocia.

TURKISH SWEETS

Mediterranean sweets have a complexity to them that American sweets do not. The use of spices and layers of flavor produce desserts that have bold and delicate, sweet and savory aspects that are positively addicting.

Baklava

While the name may sound familiar, the Turkish baklava isn’t as sticky or soaked with honey as say the baklava of Greece. Dating back to the Ottoman Empire, baklava is one of the most iconic Turkish dishes and a must for anyone with a sweet tooth.

Layers of flaky phyllo pastry alternate with a paste made of butter, ground pistachios, and sugary honey syrup.

Kunefe

Kunefe is a traditional Mediterranean pastry made with two layers of crispy filo dough with string kadayıf cheese in the middle, thin noodles, and pistachios on top for extra texture and crunch. Unlike Jordanian kunefe, it is not covered with sticky, sugary sweet syrup that oozes from the edge of the pastry. The Turkish version is not as sweet as the Jordanian.

Turkish Delight

This Turkish sweet is really a delight and is the most famous Turkish food! If you haven’t been to the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, it’s a great start to see the mass variety available, as well as snag a sample or two. The confection is based on a gel of starch and sugar. My favorite varieties contain chopped dates, pistachios, or walnuts bound by the gel.

The origin of Turkish delight is not exactly known but traced to have been produced in Turkey and Persia as early as the late 18th century.

Turkish delight is considered to be an early precursor to the jelly bean, inspiring its gummy interior, although we found some to have a texture more like marshmallows, depending on region, and also whether it was mass packaged instead of the fresh street food variety.

Dondurma

Turkish ice cream, called dondurma, has a different, almost chewy texture than traditional US ice cream.

While walking on Istiklal Street, I encountered one of the infamous “magic ice cream” vendors. The vendor pretended to hand me my cone, and though I could touch the cone I could never take it… every single time I tried, the vendor tricked me, taking it away, turning it upside down, sticking it to my nose, replacing it with a foot of ice cream, etc. It was so much fun, and luckily I got my ice cream in the end.

If you’re visiting Istanbul, don’t miss the magic ice cream show!

TURKISH DRINKS

Turkish Coffee

If you are a coffeeholic like me, you can’t visit Turkey without having a cup of the traditional but infamous Turkish coffee.

Thick, rich, and spiced with Cardamom, Turkish coffee is an acquired taste. Turkish coffee has its own unique identity, sometimes described as “mud-like,” I do like the taste…and the dramatic pick-me-up!

Each cup is individually prepared and served in small demitasse cups with saucers. But don’t drink it to the last drop because the bottom of the cup is filled with thick, mud-like coffee grinds.

Turkish Tea

The preparation and consumption of Turkish tea is an important part of Turkish life. Everywhere you go and after every meal, you’ll be offered a small clear glass of strongly steeped black chai tea.

Apple tea is also popular and quite delicious.

MISCELLANEOUS

Shisha

Shisha aka hookah is popular throughout Turkiye. Shisha is flavored tobacco smoked through a water pipe that became popular in Turkey in the 17th century and was considered a status symbol.

There are dozens of hookah lounges where you can relax after enjoying a meal or coffee. There are lots of flavors to choose from; Kary liked apple best.

Most photos by Kary Kern.

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About the Author

Patti Morrow is a freelance travel writer and founder of the award-winning international blog Luggage and Lipstick and the southern travel blog Gone to Carolinas. TripAdvisor called her one of the “20 Baby Boomer Travel Bloggers Having More Fun Than Millennials” and she was named one of the “Top 35 Travel Blogs” in the world.

She is also the star of the upcoming TV series “Destination Takeover” which is scheduled to premiere in the next few months.

Patti is the author of the book “Girls Go Solo: Tips for Women Traveling Alone,” and has over 150 bylines in 40 print and online publications, including The Huffington Post, International Living Magazine, Washington Post Sunday Travel, Travel Girl, Travel Play Live Magazine, and Ladies Home Journal. She has traveled extensively through six continents looking for fabulous destinations, exotic beaches, and adventure activities for her Baby Boomer tribe.