Top 10 Traditional Foods of Turkey you must Try

Those who wander are often hungry. Attention travellers! If you are in Turkey, you will find yourself amidst a place of rich flavors and sumptuous delicacies. Turkey is famous for its eye-catching beauty but also for its mouthwatering cuisine. There are a number of street corners and a lot of restaurants that serve you the world’s most scrumptious dishes that will surely leave you with you licking your plates clean, and we are not even kidding! Head on to our list below and bookmark this with you so you don’t miss out on the tasty treats of Turkey. Simply browse through all the traditional foods of Turkey and you can’t resist yourself from trying one of these:

1. Turkish Delight

Often called Lokum, by the locals, the Turkish Delight is too hard not to binge on. The mouth-watering delicacy consists of chopped dates, pistachios, walnuts, or hazelnuts wrapped in a range of colors with fruity flavors to serve your tastebuds. No wonder, it is listed amongst one of the most popular traditional foods of Turkey that you must try at least once in a lifetime.

2. Iskender Kebab

One can’t afford to miss the popular meat dish – Iskender Kebab while in Turkey. The thinly sliced lamb along with the rich and warm tomato sauce is served over traditional bread pieces. Experience the rich taste with a tinge of yogurt and butter and enjoy Turkish cuisine.

3.Dolma

Dolma is prepared with a delicious mixture of dried fruits, pine nuts, and spices stuffed with flavorful vegetables like peppers and courgettes. You can easily find this unique dish of Turkey food on the streets of Istanbul. Served in a large circular pattern, fresh lemon juice accentuates this street food staple.

4. Mezze

Once in Turkey, you will definitely have Mezze served along with or before your meal. The scrumptious starter is a selection of yoghurt with herbs, hummus, rice-stuffed vine leaves (dolmas), meatballs (kofte), eggplant salad, white cheese and of course, delicious, warm pide.

5. Baklava

Amidst the plethora of spicy flavours, the sweet and rich flake pastry is too good to be missed. The amalgamation of finely chopped nuts with the soft layers of extra sweetness, the desert can be found on every street of Turkey. The classic taste originating from the Ottoman Empire should be definitely on your list.

6. Shish Kebab

A very famous dish that you might find on the menu of restaurants, Shish Kebab is the royal delicacy served on a skewer with salads or fries. The grilled chicken or lamb may appear simple but it is sumptuous to munch on.

7. Çig Köfte

The raw meatballs, often known as kofte are savoury balls of delicious kneaded bulgar tossed with spices. You can have them served with lemon juice, garnished with lettuce or a flatbread. It’s perfect for the evening when you want to munch on some light snacks.

8. Manti

Inspired by Italian cuisine, this traditional food of Turkey is a unique form of ravioli which is delicious and full of flavours. Manti varies in shape and form, but usually is small and angular pouches filled with bits of meat. The Turkish edition gets eclectic with the addition of a scoop of yoghurt to complement the meaty taste. There is one more variant to serve your taste buds with a coal-grilled stuffing of eggplant.

9. Karniyarik (Stuffed Eggplant)

Who doesn’t love indulging in a warm and stuffed eggplant with a soft and cooked filling of ground meat, tomatoes, onions, and parsley team with black pepper? A perfect delight for a hungry gut, this dish is both mouthwatering and hearty.

10. Simit

One of the most popular street and traditional foods of Turkey that you must have often seen a number of travel bloggers holding and posing is Simit. A delicious concoction of pretzel and bagel, this is the cheapest snack you can binge on while wandering on the streets of Turkey. The circular frame of the bread is filled with sesame seeds and can be eaten with jam, cheese, cream or Nutella.

What’s next?

So if you have plans to cut down your calories to get that beach body you have been working hard for, we advise you to forget that as Turkey cuisine is too hard to resist. We have provided you with the list of the top ten tasty delights of Turkey and we hope that you hop onto these places that serve your tastebuds with flavours. Inspired heavily by Ottoman Cuisine, the traditional foods of Turkey mentioned above has influences from all over the world. From starters to desserts, indulge yourself in the delicacies and enjoy your guilty pleasure through Turkey tour packages. If you are a foodie then don’t forget to check our other travel food guides that will definitely interest you.