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Turkey, the country that has a wealth of heritage and culture, is also well-known for its food, which combines spices and ingredients of different origins. Turkish food is a mix of Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, Central Asian, and Balkan cuisines which provides a very exciting variety of dishes suitable to every taste. Turkish cuisine, enchanted with its abundance of tastes, has been loved by the food lovers for a long time. Whether it's juicy meats, mouth-watering pastries or delightful desserts, Turkish food offers a fascinating trip through centuries of culinary heritage.
We can start with the exploration of the colorful Turkish traditional cuisine and discover its popular taste sensations. Therefore, let's not waste time and dive directly into the magic field of best Turkish dishes that will definitely take your senses and palate on a memorable journey. Follow us on a culinary trip through the tastiest Turkish dishes you will wish you could always come back to.
Kebabs are one of the most famous Turkish food, and no exploration of Turkish cuisine is truly complete without mentioning them. Kebab is a Turkish word that denotes grilled meat skewers and it is a popular Turkish dish that comes with various names such as Adana kebab, shish kebab, and doner kebab. They can be either vegetables or meat, though they are mostly made of grilled meat. The outcome is a huge spectrum of flavors to satisfy your taste buds.
Adana kebab derives its name from the city of Adana. It is made with spiced minced meat mixed on skewers and grilled afterwards. Shish kebab is an aromatic kebab with meat and vegetable pieces perfectly grilled on skewers. Doner kebab, well-known sujuk, which is a vertically rotated meat with thin layers, is a much embraced street food by local people and visitors.
Meze, which is the Turkish equivalent of appetizers or tapas, is very colorful and the small plates have a variety of flavors to offer. Mezes are formed by a range of starter dishes or bite-sized snacks that are part of the lovable Turkish traditional cuisine. The varieties of meze are diverse, ranging from creamy hummus and smoky baba ghanoush through to sour grape stuffed leaves and spicy ezme salad, yet each one offers a fascinating introduction to Turkish cuisine.
Other mezes known to people are ezme – a hot paste of tomato and pepper, and sigara borek – a pastry parcel, filled with cheese or minced meat and fried. Make the best of them with a loaf of the freshly baked bread and a glass of raki, the anise-flavored Turkish spirit, for a truly local taste. Mezze are meant to be shared with your friends and relatives, and thus make it essential part of Turkish dining culture.
The talk about Turkish cuisine is not complete without mentioning baklava, a sweet and tasty pastry which is assembled with different layers of phyllo dough, nuts and syrup. This is the most popular Turkish food renowned across the globe. This delightful sweet contains thin pastry layers filled with chopped nuts and enriched with syrup or honey, which results in a luscious feast for the taste buds. Baklava means the end of meal in Turkish and is either served at the end of meal on special occasions and holidays or more frequently nowadays as a coffee companion. Each piece of baklava is a feast of flavors and textures, those crispy nuts are held up so well against that sweet syrup that it tastes heavenly.
Depending on whether you want to have it with the Turkish tea or as a dessert, baklava is a necessary item for tasting the Turkish cuisine. You can either enjoy baklava as a post-meal dessert or enjoy it with a cup of strong Turkish coffee. One thing is for sure: it will be unforgettable.
The Gozleme, a traditional Anatolian dish, is the stuffed flatbread made on a griddle and cooked to perfection. These savory pastries come in different varieties; spinach and cheese dough, or minced meat and herbs mixture, featured inside a very thin dough which is baked until it turns golden brown. Served warm and crunchy, gozleme stands as the most loved street food across Turkey, and is enjoyed together with its blend of tastes and textures.
İskender kebab, the famous dish of İskender Efendi, the creator of it, is a high standard royal banquet that fit for the sultans. This is a very fulfilling dish made out of the fine slices of the döner kebab, stacked on some Turkish bread, and then topped with some tomato sauce and drizzles of butter and yogurt. A bowl of İskender kebab served hot will give you the whole symphony of tastes that will make you forget the world and be totally immersed in Turkey with every bite.
Turkish breakfast, which is called kahvaltı in Turkish, is a divine treat to the tongue, as it includes several dishes that you can barely stop eating. Ranging from the classy creamy feta cheese and olives to the fresh vegetables such as tomatoes and cucumbers, Turkish breakfast presents a wide array of dishes to cater to every appetite. Don’t stay away from such masterpieces as Menemen, an amazing mixture of eggs, tomatoes and peppers, or simit, a wonderfully crispy bread ring seasoned with sesame seeds that is great for eating together with creamy labneh or tangy jams.
Lahmacun, commonly known as Turkish pizza, is a celebrated street food consisting of a light and airy dough with a flavorful topping of minced together with onions and herbs. With the help of the wood-fired oven, cooked till perfection, lahmacum is generally served with some fresh herbs, lemon wedges, and spicy peppers so as to get varieties of flavors and heat. This local delicacy has gained widespread popularity and is sometimes consumed as a quick snack amidst a busy day or on the go.
Lahmacun is usually accompanied by fresh vegetables, herbs, and a squirt of lemon, which give each bite an extra flavor and freshness. Although it may be thought of as a quickly satisfying snack or a filling grab and go meal, the delicious flavors of lahmacun make it a must try for any food lover navigating Turkish traditional cuisine. Whether consumed as a snack or a light lunch, lahmacun is a juicy and fragrant meal, which truly represents the Turkish street food culture.
Manti, which are widely known as Turkish dumplings, are small parcels of dough with minced meat and spices inside, and are served with yogurt and butter sauce containing garlic. These little treats are one if the most popular Turkish dishes in Turkey and slightly different in preparation for different regions. Ground red pepper and mint is the topping that adds a twist of special flavor to every bit of manti. From being steamed, boiled or baked, manti is a simple yet pretty filling dish which express beautifully the basic tastes of Turkish food.
Pide is an open-faced, boat-shaped flatbread that is traditionally topped with a variety of ingredients like cheese, meat, vegetables, and herbs. This amazing Turkish meal is a great alternative to pizza, but the flavor of this particular dish has got its own qualities that distinguish it. Pide can be adjusted to accommodate different tastes, making it a top vote for both a local and tourists. From a full meal to being an appetizer, pide is a wonderful and filling dish expressing Turkish cuisine's richness and diversity.
The Turkish tea, also known as çay in Turkish, is one of the most important cultural tradition in Turkey and in Turkish hospitality. For Turkish people, Turkish tea is such an important beverage, as it is served in small tulip-shaped glasses throughout the day and is also used to welcome guests via this tradition. Be it baklava, the favorite sweet of Turkish tea, or kebabs, the most beloved savory dish, Turkish tea is a flawless match for them both. Turkish tea, whether at a crowded or personal setting, serves the refreshing and calming role in the life of Turkish people and is a symbol of the hospitality of Turkish culture.
The bottom line is that Turkish kitchen stands for colorful recipes, fragrances and textures that are the notation of country’s culture. Having a variety of tastes, unique history, and colorful cooking traditions, Turkish cuisine presents you with an unbelievable chance to have a delightful meal. Excellent kebabs with savory flavor and sweet pastries make Turkish food delicious and diversified when it comes to the culinary experience. If you are a food lover from Buffalo, New York, and want to try Turkish delicacies mentioned here, you can go to Sofra restaurant and Bakery where you can try these delights. Whether you are tasting succulent kebabs, indulging in sweet baklava or enjoying the diverse array of meze and street foods, every bite at Sofra carries a unique tale of authentic centuries-old Turkish cultural heritage. Sofra offers a Turkish feast that will readily stay in your memory. So, dig in using your fork and get into a trip of Turkish cuisine with Sofra, which will make you travel to the core of Turks where delicious foods are the order of the day.