Turkey has one of the best cuisines in the world . Typical Turkish dishes are full of flavor and it is very easy to find restaurants with good food in any corner of the country. Also, typical Turkish food is usually very cheap, they are street food lovers! But you will also find We share the best typical food in Turkey , with 20 Turkish dishes that you should not miss . We have divided them into categories: breakfast, lunch and dinner, desserts and drinks . Bon Appetite!
Typical Turkish food for breakfast
1. Traditional Turkish breakfast
In Turkey the day starts with a bang! Typical Turkish breakfast looks more like a buffet than a single dish. Trying it is one of the best things to do in Istanbul or any other city in the country. It is made up of a huge variety of traditional products :
- Bread , always freshly made and warm. Turkey is a bread lover’s paradise!
- Various types of cheeses
- olives
- Honey
- Delicious fruit jams
- Eggs , either boiled or fried
- Sausages or sausages
- Tomato and cucumber salad seasoned with spices
As a curiosity, you will find it on the menu as Kahvalti, a word that can be translated as “the meal before coffee”. Turks cannot miss a coffee to accompany the first meal, followed by a few more throughout the day!
Turkish food for lunch or dinner
2. Kofte, delicious Turkish meatballs
Kofte is one of the typical Turkish dishes that you must try no matter what. They are meatballs made with beef or lamb and a mixture of spices that make them a real delicacy. Each Turkish region has its own kofte recipe, as it is one of the most popular dishes in the country . It is very easy to find restaurants specializing in these meat balls, which are even sold in street food stalls. There is also a vegan version made with bulgur instead of meat. It is essential to try them!
3. Kebab, the most international typical food of Turkey
The best known Turkish food worldwide is the kebab. While in most of the world we think of a sandwich stuffed with meat (doner kebab), in Turkey they speak of kebab to refer to any meat cooked on the grill . It is generally minced lamb, chicken or beef mixed with spices and served on a skewer. They are spectacularly rich! It is usually accompanied with grilled vegetables, Turkish bread and pilaf , a typical way of cooking rice (or orzo) with olive oil or butter and spices.
4. Doner, the quintessential Turkish sandwich
Lamb, chicken or beef cooked by turning on a metal stick and cut into thin slices. That is used to fill a pita along with lettuce, tomatoes, and onion . A stellar combination that triumphs on the streets of Turkish cities and towns! It can even be found in many other countries. It is the best known fast food in Turkey , similar to the Greek gyros or the Arabic shawarma .
5. Stews, a very tasty typical Turkish food
In addition to kofte, kebabs, and doners, stews are another delicious way to cook meat in Turkey. They are usually made with lamb accompanied by dried fruits such as plums, apricots, raisins or nuts . The juices from the meat and fruit come together creating a wonderful sauce. On many menus you will see stews called “the sultan’s delight” or something similar. That’s because, in its day, it was a luxurious dish that was greatly enjoyed by sultans .
6. Sarma, a typical Turkish food perfect for an aperitif
A great dish as an appetizer are these little bags made with grape leaves, cabbage or chard . They are boiled and then filled with rice, onion, parsley and spices in their vegetarian version. You can also add minced meat. In any case, they are very juicy and full of flavor . Highly recommended!
7. Lentil soup, a delicious typical Turkish food
There is nothing as comforting as a delicious soup. In Turkey they know how to make one of the best lentil soups, thick and full of flavour. It has onion, carrot and potato and is seasoned with red pepper and lemon juice . They serve it in most restaurants as a starter, don’t miss it!
8. Stuffed aubergines, a typical Turkish dish with a lot of flavor
Eggplants are another star ingredient in typical Turkish food. Eggplant purees are made to accompany various dishes. There is also the Turkish version of moussaka , one of the best-known typical Greek dishes.
But the most common use of eggplant in Turkish cuisine is to make them stuffed with other vegetables and minced meat . They are cut in half and their pulp is mixed with meat, onion, peppers, tomatoes, garlic and spices before being baked in the oven. They are usually served with Turkish bread and yogurt sauce. One of our favorite typical Turkish dishes !
Typical Turkish food based on bread
9. Simit, the quintessential street snack
Bread is another of the essential foods on Turkish tables, you will find it accompanying all meals. Or it can even be eaten on its own as a snack! Proof of this is the simit , a type of round bread with a hole in the middle covered with sesame seeds and painted with grape syrup . The contrast of the sweet with the flavor of the sesame makes it addictive. You will find it easily, because there are a lot of street food carts that sell it.
10. Turkish bread, ideal to accompany typical Turkish food
Sometimes the simplest is the best. That happens in the case of Turkish bread, cooked in wood ovens for centuries in all the towns of Turkey. It is similar to naan or pita bread : it is thin with a puffy center and crisp around the edges. His dough only has flour, water, yeast and salt but it is completely addictive. It’s hard to stop eating it!
To accompany the meals, most restaurants serve complimentary Turkish bread and sometimes even include some sauces to accompany it. It is delicious with yogurt sauce and mint, pepper or hummus .
11. Pide and lahmacun, the Turkish pizzas
If you fancy a fast, rich and very cheap meal , you have to try these types of Turkish pizzas. They have a thin bread base covered with various ingredients, generally cheese and some type of meat . The pide is elongated in shape, while the lahmacun is circular. Both are very easy to find in typical Turkish food places. In addition, they are very cheap: you can eat for less than €3 !
12. Borek, perfect for cheese lovers
Another common way to eat bread at breakfast time is with this pasta made with several layers of puff pastry . They are generally filled with cheese (although there are variations for all tastes) and put in the oven. The result is a crunchy bread on the outside with a very juicy interior .
Typical Turkish desserts
13. Baklava, the perfect typical Turkish food as a souvenir
You can’t leave Turkey without taking a little box of baklava back home. These small pastries are made with puff pastry soaked in honey and covered with various nuts . The traditional Turkish baklava has pistachios , but you will also find walnuts, hazelnuts or even cashews.
14. Kunefe, another typical Turkish food for sweet lovers
Apart from baklava, which can be eaten at all hours, the most traditional dessert in Turkey is called kunefe. It is a crunchy dough made with kadayif , a very thin noodle made with wheat in syrup with sugar. Melted cheese and crushed pistachios are added to create a balanced flavor to lick your fingers.
Did you know that the recipe originates from Syrian cuisine ? It is said that it arrived in Turkey through Hatay, a city strongly influenced by the gastronomy of the neighboring country.
15. Lokum, Turkish delight
Turkish delight is the most luxurious gummy you will ever taste. They are small gelatinous cubes made with sugar flavored with rose water and various chopped nuts . The mix of flavors is amazing! In many restaurants and cafes they serve Turkish delight to accompany the tea .
16. Dondurma, the delicious Turkish ice cream
We end our list of traditional Turkish food with the children’s favorite dessert. In Turkey they have their own way of making ice cream based on goat’s milk . Salep , a flour made from the roots of a purple orchid, is added to give it a thick, creamy, and somewhat sticky consistency . The ice cream is served with characteristic metallic sticks that you will see in the streets of any corner of the country. Its aroma and sweet taste is irresistible!
Typical Turkish drinks
17. Tea, the national drink
Turks drink tea at all hours , from morning to night. There are many black tea plantations along the Black Sea coast and it could be considered the national drink. Drinking tea after eating is an almost sacred practice. For this reason, in almost all restaurants they invite you to a glass of tea before you leave.
Traditionally, it is prepared in a curious two-tiered teapot and served in tulip-shaped crystal glasses. No matter how hot it is outside, tea in Turkey is always very hot.
18. Turkish coffee, a curious way to prepare it
Coffee in Turkey is consumed as much as tea. But it is not prepared like in other countries , but they use a small saucepan to boil the ground coffee with water. The result is a drink with a grainy texture and an intense flavor. As its bitter taste is quite strong, it is normal for cafeterias and restaurants to serve a glass of water for you to drink after coffee.
19. Ayran, the typical Turkish soft drink
The most popular drink to accompany meals in Turkey is made with yogurt, water, and salt . It sounds like a very strange combination, but the reality is that it is delicious and is an excellent substitute for soft drinks.
20. Raki, the most famous Turkish alcoholic drink
We end our list of typical Turkish food with the most powerful drink in the country. Raki is a strong liquor made from aniseed . It has between 40% and 50% alcohol, so it is usually diluted with water before drinking it to accompany spicy foods.
