Think of a European food that you either love or want to try, I bet you’re not thinking of anything Turkish are you? That’s not intended as a slight, Turkish cuisine is extremely varied and heavily influenced by Turkey’s location in relation to Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and the Balkans.
There’s a lot more to Turkish food than just baklava and kebabs, you just have to know where to look. Whilst some of it won’t be to everyone’s taste (e.g. Kokoreç – think of a haggis kebab) there are some fantastic dishes out there such as Mantar Sote or Tavuklu Guvec.
So after much deliberation, here are our top tips for the best food in Turkey.
Şiş Dürüm
A dürüm is essentially a wrap, very similar to a burrito. Usually filled with chicken or lamb, it’s one of the most popular street foods in Turkey. Şiş (or shish) simply refers to the skewer the meat was cooked on. The secret to a good dürüm lies in the flatbread used, it should have crisp edges and a moist, chewy centre. If you’re in Istanbul, head to Antiochia in the Beyoğlu district for perhaps the best dürüm in the city. Serving food from the Hatay region, Antiochia has a stylish dining room and good service all for a reasonable price. Often worth booking as it gets busy!
Börek
The word börek describes any pastry that’s been filled and baked, the only essential is it uses filo pastry. They can be prepared in a large pan and cut into portions, or cooked as individual pastries as a cigar or a triangle. Eaten at breakfast, lunch or as a snack, börek are a delicious and varied food that really must be tried.
Popular varieties include püf börek, these little triangular versions are filled with cheese and parsley and then deep-fried to make it puff up.
Another delicious version of this is su börek. This uses layers of filo sprinkled with cheese and chopped parsley. These are steamed, cut into squares and served either hot or cold.
Try Asli Börek in Istanbul, they produce the most amazing börek in town and can be found just off the spice market on Buyuk Postahane Caddesi.
Künefe
This is a traditional Arab cheese pastry dessert that’s become a speciality of Antakya (Antioch). A layer of cheese is spread between two layers of kadayıf (a simple dough pushed through a sieve into thin strands – often shredded filo) this is then baked and served with syrup and ground pistachios.
When done well, künefe is perhaps the most delicious desert in Turkey. Done badly and it can be sickly and cloying. Cinaralti Künefe in the centre of Antakya has perhaps the best reputation for good Künefe and is considered the next best thing to homemade.
Lahmacun
Often thought of as Turkish pizza, lahmacun is most commonly topped with minced lamb or beef and vegetables. The dough is much thinner and crispier than a traditional pizza and most people roll them into a wrap to make them easier to eat. Have one fresh from the oven, topped with lemon juice and parsley and you’ll be in foodie heaven!
Lahmacun can be found at any number of restaurants or food stands throughout Turkey and even the big chain restaurants do them well. Keep an eye out for Halil Lahmacun at Kadıköy Balık Pazarı, it’s a particularly popular venue.
İskender Kebab
Often confused with a döner kebab, the İskender has a number of important differences. Named after its creator, İskender Efendi, it is made of wide, thin strips of meat and served with a sauce and yoghurt, whereas a döner uses smaller pieces of meat and is served plain. The İskender is also served on top of a piece of pide bread and not in it as with a döner.
In this country kebabs are often associated with drunken nights out and poor quality meat (an unfair and untrue assumption) but in Turkey, kebabs are taken to another level. There’s basically only one place to go for the real thing, İskender Restaurant in Bursa. This is where it originated and İskender Efendi’s family continue to produce his creation. It’s not cheap but it’s one of the best.
Yağlama
Mainly found in the mountainous area surrounding Kayseri, Yağlama is not particularly well known even in Turkey. Very similar to a stack of real nachos, Yağlama is made with flatbreads, mince, peppers, and onions. The flatbread is rolled until it resembles a tortilla and then stacked with layers of meat and the vegetables in between.
Instead of being eaten in the same way as a taco or nachos, a fork is used to twist the flatbread into a roll sandwiching all the ingredients in the middle. This is a simple but delicious and filling dish that you should definitely try.
Midye Dolma
These gorgeous snacks have become an extremely popular street food throughout the country over the centuries. Midye Dolma are mussels stuffed with a spiced rice and cooked until tender. The basic recipe calls for cracked rice to be cooked with sautéed onions and spices (often garlic, saffron or cumin) and then pushed into the shells. These are then simmered for 10 minutes and served open with a garnish of chopped parsley.
It is an outstanding snack that can convert even the most anti-shellfish person. Just be sensible when choosing a vendor as not all of them keep the mussels chilled.
Raki
Ok it’s not a food but a glass of raki (or Lion’s Milk) is as Turkish as you can get. Very similar to Ouzo, raki is the national drink of Turkey and can be delicious or utterly repulsive depending on your taste. Usually drunk alongside a selection of meze as an aperitif, it’s normally served either straight with chilled water on the side or partly mixed according to personal preference. Ice cubes are sometimes added in addition to or instead of the water. Like ouzo, adding water causes raki to turn milky.
All set?
If you’re off to Turkey (or just got back) let us know where you’re heading and any tips you have. You can get in touch below or via Twitter and Facebook. Alternatively, if you’re in the mood for more foodie temptations, check out these food blogs.
