Turkish cuisine () is the cuisine of

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula ...

and the

Turkish diaspora The Turkish diaspora ( tr, Türk diasporası or ''Türk gurbetçiler'') refers to ethnic Turkish people who have migrated from, or are the descendants of migrants from, the Republic of Turkey, Northern Cyprus or other modern nation-states tha ...

. It is largely the heritage of

Ottoman cuisine Ottoman cuisine is the cuisine of the Ottoman Empire and its continuation in the cuisines of Turkey, the Balkans, Caucasus, Middle East and Northern Africa. Today, Turkish cuisine is a continuation of Ottoman cuisine. Sources The Ottoman p ...

, which can be described as a fusion and refinement of

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on ...

Balkan The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the who ...

Middle Eastern The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Province), East Thrace (Europea ...

Central Asian Central Asia, also known as Middle Asia, is a region of Asia that stretches from the Caspian Sea in the west to western China and Mongolia in the east, and from Afghanistan and Iran in the south to Russia in the north. It includes the form ...

and Eastern European cuisines. Turkish cuisine has in turn influenced those and other neighbouring cuisines, including those of

Southeast Europe Southeast Europe or Southeastern Europe (SEE) is a geographical subregion of Europe, consisting primarily of the Balkans. Sovereign states and territories that are included in the region are Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia (a ...

(

Balkans The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the who ...

Central Europe Central Europe is an area of Europe between Western Europe and Eastern Europe, based on a common historical, social and cultural identity. The Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) between Catholicism and Protestantism significantly shaped the a ...

, and

Western Europe Western Europe is the western region of Europe. The region's countries and territories vary depending on context. The concept of "the West" appeared in Europe in juxtaposition to "the East" and originally applied to the ancient Mediterranean ...

. The

Ottomans The Ottoman Turks ( tr, Osmanlı Türkleri), were the Turkic founding and sociopolitically the most dominant ethnic group of the Ottoman Empire ( 1299/1302–1922). Reliable information about the early history of Ottoman Turks remains scarce, ...

fused various culinary traditions of their realm taking influences from and influencing Mesopotamian cuisine,

Greek cuisine Greek cuisine ( Greek: Ελληνική Κουζίνα) is the cuisine of Greece and the Greek diaspora. In common with many other cuisines of the Mediterranean, it is founded on the triad of wheat, olive oil, and wine. It uses vegetables, ol ...

Levantine cuisine Levantine cuisine is the traditional cuisine of the Levant. Perhaps the most distinctive aspect of Levantine cuisine is ''meze'' including ''tabbouleh'', ''hummus'' and ''baba ghanoush''. Levantine dishes * Arabic coffee (قهوة عر ...

Egyptian cuisine Egyptian cuisine makes heavy use of poultry, legumes, vegetables and fruit from Egypt's rich Nile Valley and Delta. Examples of Egyptian dishes include rice-stuffed vegetables and grape leaves, hummus, falafel, shawarma, kebab and kofta ...

, Balkan cuisine, along with traditional Turkic elements from

Central Asia Central Asia, also known as Middle Asia, is a region of Asia that stretches from the Caspian Sea in the west to western China and Mongolia in the east, and from Afghanistan and Iran in the south to Russia in the north. It includes the fo ...

(such as mantı, ayran, kaymak), creating a vast array of specialities. Turkish cuisine also includes dishes invented in the Ottoman palace kitchen. Turkish cuisine varies across the country. The cooking of

Istanbul ) , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = 34000 to 34990 , area_code = +90 212 (European side) +90 216 (Asian side) , registration_plate = 34 , blank_name_sec2 = GeoTLD , blank_i ...

Bursa ( grc-gre, Προῦσα, Proûsa, Latin: Prusa, ota, بورسه, Arabic:بورصة) is a city in northwestern Turkey and the administrative center of Bursa Province. The fourth-most populous city in Turkey and second-most populous in the ...

, Izmir, and rest of the

Anatolia Anatolia, tr, Anadolu Yarımadası), and the Anatolian plateau, also known as Asia Minor, is a large peninsula in Western Asia and the westernmost protrusion of the Asian continent. It constitutes the major part of modern-day Turkey. The re ...

region inherits many elements of Ottoman court

cuisine A cuisine is a style of cooking characterized by distinctive ingredients, techniques and dishes, and usually associated with a specific culture or geographic region. Regional food preparation techniques, customs, and ingredients combine to ...

, including moderate use of spices, a preference for rice over

bulgur Bulgur (from tr, bulgur, itself from fa, بلغور, bolġur (bolghur)/balġur (balghur), groats ), also riffoth (from biblical he, ריפות, riffoth) and burghul (from ar, برغل, burġul ), is a cracked wheat dish found ...

, koftes, and a wider availability of vegetable stews (''türlü''),

eggplant Eggplant ( US, Canada), aubergine ( UK, Ireland) or brinjal (Indian subcontinent, Singapore, Malaysia, South Africa) is a plant species in the nightshade family Solanaceae. ''Solanum melongena'' is grown worldwide for its edible fruit. Mo ...

, stuffed

dolma Dolma (Turkish for “stuffed”) is a family of stuffed dishes associated with Ottoman cuisine, and common in modern national cuisines of regions and countries that once were part of the Ottoman Empire. Some types of dolma are made with who ...

s and fish. The cuisine of the

Black Sea Region The Black Sea Region ( tr, Karadeniz Bölgesi) is a geographical region of Turkey. The largest city in the region is Samsun. Other big cities are Trabzon, Ordu, Tokat, Giresun, Rize, Amasya and Sinop. It is bordered by the Marmara Regio ...

uses fish extensively, especially the Black Sea anchovy (''hamsi'') and includes

maize Maize ( ; ''Zea mays'' subsp. ''mays'', from es, maíz after tnq, mahiz), also known as corn (North American English, North American and Australian English), is a cereal grain first domesticated by indigenous peoples of Mexico, indigenous ...

dishes. The cuisine of the southeast (e.g.

Urfa Urfa, officially known as Şanlıurfa () and in ancient times as Edessa, is a city in southeastern Turkey and the capital of Şanlıurfa Province. Urfa is situated on a plain about 80 km east of the Euphrates River. Its climate features ex ...

Gaziantep Gaziantep (), previously and still informally called Aintab or Antep (), is a major city and capital of the Gaziantep Province, in the westernmost part of Turkey's Southeastern Anatolia Region and partially in the Mediterranean Region, approxi ...

, Adıyaman and

Adana Adana (; ; ) is a major city in southern Turkey. It is situated on the Seyhan River, inland from the Mediterranean Sea. The administrative seat of Adana province, it has a population of 2.26 million. Adana lies in the heart of Cilicia, wh ...

) is famous for its variety of

kebab Kebab (, ; ar, كباب, link=no, Latn, ar, kabāb, ; tr, kebap, link=no, ) or kabob (North American) is a type of cooked meat dish that originates from cuisines of the Middle East. Many variants of the category are popular around the wor ...

s, ''

meze Meze or mezza (, ) is a selection of small dishes served as appetizers in the Levant, Turkey, Greece, the Balkans, the Caucasus and Iran. It is similar to Spanish tapas and Italian antipasti. A mezze may be served as a part of a multi-course ...

s'' and dough-based desserts such as ''

baklava Baklava (, or ; ota, باقلوا ) is a layered pastry dessert made of filo pastry, filled with chopped nuts, and sweetened with syrup or honey. It was one of the most popular sweet pastries of Ottoman cuisine. The pre- Ottoman origin of t ...

'', '' şöbiyet'', ''

kadayıf Kadayıf is a traditional Ottoman dessert. Several varieties exist, including tel kadayıf, yassı kadayıf and ekmek kadayıf. Preparation Kadayıf is made by pouring liquid wheat dough onto a rotating hot plate, after which sweeteners are ...

'', ''

katmer Kattama ( kk, қаттама, translit=qattama; ky, каттама, both ), katlama, katmer ( tr, katmer), qatlama Azerbaijani , катма Bulgarian , qator gambir ( mn, гамбир, ) is a fried layered bread common in the cuisines of Cen ...

'' and ''

künefe Knafeh ( ar, كنافة) is a traditional Middle Eastern dessert made with spun pastry called ''kataifi'', soaked in a sweet, sugar-based syrup called attar, and typically layered with cheese, or with other ingredients such as clotted cream, pi ...

''. Especially in the western parts of Turkey, where olive trees grow abundantly,

olive oil Olive oil is a liquid fat obtained from olives (the fruit of ''Olea europaea''; family Oleaceae), a traditional tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin, produced by pressing whole olives and extracting the oil. It is commonly used in cooking: ...

is the major type of oil used for cooking. The cuisines of the Aegean, Marmara and

regions are rich in vegetables, herbs, and fish.

Central Anatolia The Central Anatolia Region ( tr, İç Anadolu Bölgesi) is a geographical region of Turkey. The largest city in the region is Ankara. Other big cities are Konya, Kayseri, Eskişehir, Sivas, and Aksaray. Located in Central Turkey, it is b ...

has many famous specialties, such as '' keşkek'', '' mantı'' (especially from

Kayseri Kayseri (; el, Καισάρεια) is a large industrialised city in Central Anatolia, Turkey, and the capital of Kayseri province. The Kayseri Metropolitan Municipality area is composed of five districts: the two central districts of Kocasina ...

) and '' gözleme''. Food names directly cognate with ''mantı'' are also found in Chinese (''

mantou ''Mantou'' (), often referred to as Chinese steamed bun, is a white and soft type of steamed bread or bun popular in northern China. Folk etymology connects the name ''mantou'' to a tale about Zhuge Liang. Description ''Mantou'' are t ...

'' or steamed bun) and

Korean cuisine Korean cuisine has evolved through centuries of social and political change. Originating from ancient agricultural and nomadic traditions in Korea and southern Manchuria, Korean cuisine reflects a complex interaction of the natural envi ...

('' mandu'') and it is generally considered to have originated in Mongolia during the 13th century. Specialties are often named for places, and may refer to different styles of preparation. For example, '' Urfa kebap'' is less spicy and thicker than ''

Adana kebap Adana (; ; ) is a major city in southern Turkey. It is situated on the Seyhan River, inland from the Mediterranean Sea. The administrative seat of Adana province, it has a population of 2.26 million. Adana lies in the heart of Cilicia, ...

''. Although meat-based foods such as kebabs are common in Turkish cuisine abroad, meals in Turkey largely center around

rice Rice is the seed of the grass species '' Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly ''Oryza glaberrima'' (African rice). The name wild rice is usually used for species of the genera '' Zizania'' and '' Porteresia'', both wild and domesticat ...

vegetable Vegetables are parts of plants that are consumed by humans or other animals as food. The original meaning is still commonly used and is applied to plants collectively to refer to all edible plant matter, including the edible flower, flowers, ...

s, and

bread Bread is a staple food prepared from a dough of flour (usually wheat) and water, usually by baking. Throughout recorded history and around the world, it has been an important part of many cultures' diet. It is one of the oldest human-made f ...

Culinary customs

Breakfast

A traditional Turkish breakfast is rich in variety. A typical serving consists of cheese ('' beyaz peynir'', ''

kaşar Kasseri or Kaşar (Greek: κασέρι, Turkish: ''kaşar''Merriam-Webster Unabridged ''kasseri''/ref>) is a medium-hard or hard pale yellow cheese made from pasteurised or unpasteurised sheep milk and at most 20% goat's milk. "Kasseri" is a pr ...

'', etc.), butter, olives, eggs, muhammara, tomatoes, cucumbers, jam, honey, and kaymak,

sucuk Sujuk or sucuk is a dry, spicy and fermented sausage which is consumed in several Balkan, Middle Eastern and Central Asian cuisines. Sujuk mainly consists of ground meat and animal fat usually obtained from beef or lamb, but beef is mainly use ...

(a spicy Turkish meat similar to sausages), '' pastırma'', ''

börek Börek or burek are a family of pastries or pies found in the Balkans, Middle East and Central Asia. The pastry is made of a thin flaky dough such as filo with a variety of fillings, such as meat, cheese, spinach or potatoes. Boreks are mainly ...

'', '' simit'', '' poğaça'', '' açma'', fried dough (known as '' pişi''), as well as soups are eaten as a morning meal in Turkey. A specialty for breakfast is called

menemen Menemen is a district of İzmir Province in Turkey and its central town. The district extends on a fertile plain formed by the alluvial soil carried by the Gediz River. Adjacent districts are, from east to west; Aliağa and Foça to the north and ...

, which is prepared with tomatoes, green peppers, onion, olive oil and eggs. The breakfast menu can also include kuymak (depending on the province the dish is also known as ''muhlama, mıhlama'' and ''yağlaş''). Another specialty is the Balkan Turkish dish çılbır, also known as Turkish eggs, made with poached eggs and yogurt. Invariably, Turkish tea is served at breakfast. The Turkish word for breakfast, ''kahvaltı'', means "before coffee".

Homemade food

Homemade food is still preferred by Turkish people. Although the newly introduced way of life pushes the new generation to eat out; Turkish people generally prefer to eat at home. A typical meal starts with soup (especially in wintertime), followed by a dish made of vegetables (olive oil or with grounded meat), meat or legumes boiled in a pot (typically with meat or minced meat), often with or before Turkish pilav, pasta or

pilav accompanied by a salad or

cacık Tzatziki ( el, τζατζίκι), also known as tarator or cacık (), is a dip, soup, or sauce found in the cuisines of Southeast Europe and the Middle East. It is made of salted strained yogurt or diluted yogurt mixed with cucumbers, garli ...

(diluted cold yogurt dish with garlic, salt, and cucumber slices). In summertime many people prefer to eat a cold dish of vegetables cooked with olive oil ('' zeytinyağlı yemekler'') instead of the soup, either before or after the main course, which can also be a chicken, meat or fish plate.

Restaurants

Although fast food is gaining popularity and many major foreign fast food chains have opened all over Turkey, Turkish people still rely primarily on the rich and extensive dishes of Turkish cuisine. In addition, some traditional Turkish foods, especially ''

köfte Kofta is a family of meatball or meatloaf dishes found in Balkan, Middle Eastern, South Caucasian, South Asian and Central Asian cuisines. In the simplest form, koftas consist of balls of minced meatusually beef, chicken, pork, lamb or mutto ...

'', '' döner'', '' kokoreç'', '' kumpir,'' ''midye tava,'' ''

'' and '' gözleme'', are often served as fast food in Turkey. Eating out has always been common in large commercial cities. ''Esnaf lokantası'' (meaning restaurants for shopkeepers and tradesmen) are widespread, serving traditional Turkish home cooking at affordable prices.

Summer cuisine

In the hot Turkish summer, a meal often consists of fried vegetables such as eggplant (aubergine) and peppers or potatoes served with yogurt or tomato sauce.

Menemen Menemen is a district of İzmir Province in Turkey and its central town. The district extends on a fertile plain formed by the alluvial soil carried by the Gediz River. Adjacent districts are, from east to west; Aliağa and Foça to the north and ...

and çılbır are typical summer dishes, based on eggs. Sheep cheese, cucumbers, tomatoes, watermelons and melons also make a light summer meal. Those who like helva for dessert prefer ''summer helva'', which is lighter and less sweet than the regular one.

Key ingredients

Frequently used ingredients in Turkish specialties include lamb, chicken, beef, fish, rice,

s, green peppers,

onion An onion (''Allium cepa'' L., from Latin ''cepa'' meaning "onion"), also known as the bulb onion or common onion, is a vegetable that is the most widely cultivated species of the genus '' Allium''. The shallot is a botanical variety of the on ...

garlic Garlic (''Allium sativum'') is a species of bulbous flowering plant in the genus '' Allium''. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chive, Welsh onion and Chinese onion. It is native to South Asia, Central Asia and northeas ...

lentil The lentil (''Lens culinaris'' or ''Lens esculenta'') is an edible legume. It is an annual plant known for its lens-shaped seeds. It is about tall, and the seeds grow in pods, usually with two seeds in each. As a food crop, the largest p ...

bean A bean is the seed of several plants in the family Fabaceae, which are used as vegetables for human or animal food. They can be cooked in many different ways, including boiling, frying, and baking, and are used in many traditional dishes th ...

s, zucchinis,

chickpea The chickpea or chick pea (''Cicer arietinum'') is an annual legume of the family Fabaceae, subfamily Faboideae. Its different types are variously known as gram" or Bengal gram, garbanzo or garbanzo bean, or Egyptian pea. Chickpea seeds are h ...

s and

tomato The tomato is the edible berry of the plant ''Solanum lycopersicum'', commonly known as the tomato plant. The species originated in western South America, Mexico, and Central America. The Mexican Nahuatl word gave rise to the Spanish word ...

es. Nuts, especially

pistachio The pistachio (, ''Pistacia vera''), a member of the cashew family, is a small tree originating from Central Asia and the Middle East. The tree produces seeds that are widely consumed as food. ''Pistacia vera'' is often confused with other spe ...

chestnut The chestnuts are the deciduous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Castanea'', in the beech family Fagaceae. They are native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The name also refers to the edible nuts they produce. The unrel ...

almond The almond (''Prunus amygdalus'', syn. ''Prunus dulcis'') is a species of tree native to Iran and surrounding countries, including the Levant. The almond is also the name of the edible and widely cultivated seed of this tree. Within the genu ...

hazelnut The hazelnut is the fruit of the hazel tree and therefore includes any of the nuts deriving from species of the genus '' Corylus'', especially the nuts of the species ''Corylus avellana''. They are also known as cobnuts or filberts according ...

s, and

walnut A walnut is the edible seed of a drupe of any tree of the genus ''Juglans'' (family Juglandaceae), particularly the Persian or English walnut, '' Juglans regia''. Although culinarily considered a "nut" and used as such, it is not a true ...

s, together with spices, have a special place in Turkish cuisine, and are used extensively in desserts or eaten separately.

Semolina Semolina is coarsely milled durum wheat mainly used in making couscous, and sweet puddings. The term semolina is also used to designate coarse millings of other varieties of wheat, and sometimes other grains (such as rice or corn) as well. Ety ...

flour is used to make a cake called ''revani'' and ''irmik helvasi''.

Olive The olive, botanical name ''Olea europaea'', meaning 'European olive' in Latin, is a species of small tree or shrub in the family Oleaceae, found traditionally in the Mediterranean Basin. When in shrub form, it is known as ''Olea europaea'' ' ...

s are also common on various breakfasts and meze tables frequently. Beyaz peynir and yoğurt are part of many dishes including

, manti,

and

Oils and fats

Butter Butter is a dairy product made from the fat and protein components of churned cream. It is a semi-solid emulsion at room temperature, consisting of approximately 80% butterfat. It is used at room temperature as a spread, melted as a condim ...

margarine Margarine (, also , ) is a spread used for flavoring, baking, and cooking. It is most often used as a substitute for butter. Although originally made from animal fats, most margarine consumed today is made from vegetable oil. The spread was or ...

sunflower oil Sunflower oil is the non-volatile oil pressed from the seeds of the sunflower (''Helianthus annuus''). Sunflower oil is commonly used in food as a frying oil, and in cosmetic formulations as an emollient. Sunflower oil is primarily composed o ...

, canola oil, and

corn oil Corn oil (North American) or maize oil (British) is oil extracted from the germ of corn (maize). Its main use is in cooking, where its high smoke point makes refined corn oil a valuable frying oil. It is also a key ingredient in some margar ...

are widely used for cooking.

Sesame Sesame ( or ; ''Sesamum indicum'') is a flowering plant in the genus ''Sesamum'', also called benne. Numerous wild relatives occur in Africa and a smaller number in India. It is widely naturalized in tropical regions around the world and is cul ...

peanut The peanut (''Arachis hypogaea''), also known as the groundnut, goober (US), pindar (US) or monkey nut (UK), is a legume crop grown mainly for its edible seeds. It is widely grown in the tropics and subtropics, important to both small an ...

and

oils are used as well. ''Kuyruk yağı'' (

tail fat Tail fat is the fat of some breeds of sheep, especially of fat-tailed sheep. It is fat accumulated in baggy deposits in the hind parts of a sheep on both sides of its tail and on the first 3–5 vertebrae of the tail. The weight of this part of a ...

sheep Sheep or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are domesticated, ruminant mammals typically kept as livestock. Although the term ''sheep'' can apply to other species in the genus '' Ovis'', in everyday usage it almost always refers to domesticate ...

) is sometimes used in kebabs and meat dishes.

Fruit

The rich and diverse flora of Turkey means that fruit is varied, abundant and cheap. In Ottoman Cuisine, fruit frequently accompanied meat as a side dish.

Plum A plum is a fruit of some species in ''Prunus'' subg. ''Prunus'.'' Dried plums are called prunes. History Plums may have been one of the first fruits domesticated by humans. Three of the most abundantly cultivated species are not found ...

apricot An apricot (, ) is a fruit, or the tree that bears the fruit, of several species in the genus '' Prunus''. Usually, an apricot is from the species '' P. armeniaca'', but the fruits of the other species in ''Prunus'' sect. ''Armeniaca'' are al ...

pomegranate The pomegranate (''Punica granatum'') is a fruit-bearing deciduous shrub in the family Lythraceae, subfamily Punicoideae, that grows between tall. The pomegranate was originally described throughout the Mediterranean Basin, Mediterranean re ...

pear Pears are fruits produced and consumed around the world, growing on a tree and harvested in the Northern Hemisphere in late summer into October. The pear tree and shrub are a species of genus ''Pyrus'' , in the Family (biology), family Rosacea ...

apple An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple trees are cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus '' Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, where its wild ancest ...

grape A grape is a fruit, botanically a berry, of the deciduous woody vines of the flowering plant genus '' Vitis''. Grapes are a non- climacteric type of fruit, generally occurring in clusters. The cultivation of grapes began perhaps 8,000 years a ...

fig The fig is the edible fruit of ''Ficus carica'', a species of small tree in the flowering plant family Moraceae. Native to the Mediterranean and western Asia, it has been cultivated since ancient times and is now widely grown throughout the world ...

s and

quince The quince (; ''Cydonia oblonga'') is the sole member of the genus ''Cydonia'' in the Malinae subtribe (which also contains apples and pears, among other fruits) of the Rosaceae family. It is a deciduous tree that bears hard, aromatic bright ...

s along with many kinds of

citrus ''Citrus'' is a genus of flowering trees and shrubs in the rue family, Rutaceae. Plants in the genus produce citrus fruits, including important crops such as oranges, lemons, grapefruits, pomelos, and limes. The genus ''Citrus'' is native to ...

are the most frequently used fruit, either fresh or dried, in Turkish cuisine. For example, '' komposto'' (compote) or '' hoşaf'' (from Persian ''khosh âb'', literally meaning "nice water") are among the main side dishes to meat or pilav. ''

Dolma Dolma (Turkish for “stuffed”) is a family of stuffed dishes associated with Ottoman cuisine, and common in modern national cuisines of regions and countries that once were part of the Ottoman Empire. Some types of dolma are made with who ...

'' and Pilav usually contain currants or raisins. ''Etli Yaprak Sarma'' (vine leaves stuffed with meat and rice) used to be cooked with sour plums in Ottoman cuisine. Turkish desserts do not normally contain fresh fruit, but may contain dried varieties. Eggplant ( tr, patlıcan) has a special place in the Turkish cuisine.

Meats

In some regions, meat, which was mostly eaten only at wedding ceremonies or during the ''Kurban Bayramı'' (''

Eid ul-Adha Eid al-Adha () is the second and the larger of the two main holidays celebrated in Islam (the other being Eid al-Fitr). It honours the willingness of Ibrahim (Abraham) to sacrifice his son Ismail (Ishmael) as an act of obedience to Allah's co ...

'') as ''etli pilav'' ( pilav with meat), has become part of the daily diet since the introduction of industrial production.

Veal Veal is the meat of calves, in contrast to the beef from older cattle. Veal can be produced from a calf of either sex and any breed, however most veal comes from young male calves of dairy breeds which are not used for breeding. Generally, v ...

, formerly shunned, is now widely consumed. The main use of meat in cooking remains the combination of ground meat and

, with names such as '' kıymalı fasulye'' (beans with ground meat) or ''kıymalı ıspanak'' (spinach with ground meat, which is sometimes served with yoğurt). Alternatively, in coastal towns cheap fish such as ''sardalya'' (sardines) or ''hamsi'' (anchovies) are widely available, as well as many others with seasonal availability. Poultry consumption, almost exclusively of chicken and eggs, is common. Milk-fed lambs, once the most popular source of meat in Turkey, comprise a small part of contemporary consumption. ''Kuzu çevirme'', cooking milk-fed lamb on a spit, once an important ceremony, is rarely seen.

Dishes and foods

Dairy products

Yoğurt is an important element in Turkish cuisine. In fact, the English word yogurt or yoghurt derives from the Turkish word ''yoğurt''. Yoğurt can accompany almost all meat dishes (kebabs, köfte), vegetable dishes (especially fried eggplant, courgette, spinach with minced meat etc.), ''meze'' and a specialty called ''mantı'' (folded triangles of dough containing minced meat). In villages, yoğurt is regularly eaten with pilav or bread. A thicker, higher-fat variety, ''süzme yoğurt'' or "strained yogurt", is made by straining the yoğurt curds from the

whey Whey is the liquid remaining after milk has been curdled and strained. It is a byproduct of the manufacturing of cheese or casein and has several commercial uses. Sweet whey is a byproduct resulting from the manufacture of rennet types of har ...

. One of the most common Turkish drinks, '' ayran'', is made from yoğurt. Also, yoğurt is often used in the preparation of cakes, some soups and pastries.

Kashk Kashk ( fa, کشک ''Kašk'', ku, keşk), qurut ( Tuvan and ky, курут, kk, құрт, tk, gurt, uz, qurt, az, qurut, ps, قروت, hy, չորթան-''chortan'', Turkish: ''kurut'') or aaruul and khuruud ( Mongolian: ''ааруул' ...

is a fermented and strained sour yogurt that can be consumed on its own as a cheese, or used as an ingredient in soups.

Cheeses

Turkey produces many varieties of

cheese Cheese is a dairy product produced in wide ranges of flavors, textures, and forms by coagulation of the milk protein casein. It comprises proteins and fat from milk, usually the milk of cows, buffalo, goats, or sheep. During productio ...

, mostly from

's milk. In general, these cheeses are not long matured, with a comparatively low fat content. The production of many kinds of cheese is local to particular regions. There are 193 different cheeses in Turkey, but only 8 of these cheeses have geographical indication. * '' Beyaz peynir'' is a salty

brined cheese Brined cheese, also sometimes referred to as pickled cheese for some varieties, is cheese that is matured in brine in an airtight or semi-permeable container. This process gives the cheese good stability, inhibiting bacterial growth even in warme ...

taking its name from its white color ("white cheese"). It is similar to ''

feta Feta ( el, φέτα, ) is a Greek brined white cheese made from sheep's milk or from a mixture of sheep and goat's milk. It is soft, with small or no holes, a compact touch, few cuts, and no skin. Crumbly with a slightly grainy texture, it ...

'' but not as strong. This is produced in styles ranging from unmatured cheese curds to a quite strong mature version. It has many varieties due to source of milk, region ( Ezine or

Thrace Thrace (; el, Θράκη, Thráki; bg, Тракия, Trakiya; tr, Trakya) or Thrake is a geographical and historical region in Southeast Europe, now split among Bulgaria, Greece, and Turkey, which is bounded by the Balkan Mountains to ...

) and production methods (classic or cultured). It is eaten plain (e.g. as part of the traditional Turkish breakfast), used in salads, and incorporated into cooked foods such as ''

'', ''

'' and ''

pide The International and State Defense Police ( pt, Polícia Internacional e de Defesa do Estado; PIDE) was a Portuguese security agency that existed during the '' Estado Novo'' regime of António de Oliveira Salazar. Formally, the main roles of th ...

''. * '' Çerkez peyniri'', means " Circassian cheese". It has two variations, smoked or non-smoked. * '' Çökelek'' is dried

cottage cheese Cottage cheese is a curdled milk product with a mild flavor and a creamy, non-homogeneous, soupy texture. It is made from skimmed milk by draining the cheese, as opposed to pressing it to make cheese curd—retaining some of the whey and keep ...

. There are many regional varieties of ''çökelek''. Some are eaten fresh while others are preserved, either by storage in goatskin bags or pottery jars, or by drying in the sun. * '' Çömlek cheese'' is a typical artisanal cheese from Central Anatolia. * ''Kurut'' and ''keş'' are regional names for dried bricks of yogurt made from low-fat milk or from ''çökelek'' made from buttermilk. * '' Golot cheese'' is one of the most important traditional cheeses produced in the region of East Black Sea. * '' Gravyer'' is produced in Turkey as well. Among others,

Kars Kars (; ku, Qers; ) is a city in northeast Turkey and the capital of Kars Province. Its population is 73,836 in 2011. Kars was in the ancient region known as ''Chorzene'', (in Greek Χορζηνή) in classical historiography (Strabo), part of ...

is famous for this type of cheese. * '' Hellim'' is a salty, firm-textured goat cheese, generally with some mint added, made in

Northern Cyprus Northern Cyprus ( tr, Kuzey Kıbrıs), officially the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC; tr, Kuzey Kıbrıs Türk Cumhuriyeti, ''KKTC''), is a '' de facto'' state that comprises the northeastern portion of the island of Cyprus. Rec ...

. In Turkey, it is common to fry ''hellim'' in a pan in some olive oil. * ''

Kaşar Kasseri or Kaşar (Greek: κασέρι, Turkish: ''kaşar''Merriam-Webster Unabridged ''kasseri''/ref>) is a medium-hard or hard pale yellow cheese made from pasteurised or unpasteurised sheep milk and at most 20% goat's milk. "Kasseri" is a pr ...

'' is Turkey's other ubiquitous cheese, a moderately fatty sheep's cheese similar to the Greek '' kasseri'', sometimes marketed as "Turkish cheddar", being closer in consistency and taste to mild cheddar-style cheese than other Turkish cheeses. Less matured ''kaşar'', called fresh ''kaşar'', is widely consumed as well. Two varieties are popular

and Thrace. * '' Kaşkaval'' is a wheel-shaped yellow sheep's cheese, similar to fresh ''kaşar''. The name comes from Romanian word ''cașcaval'', which bears the Italian structure of ''caciocavallo''. * ''

Lor LOR or Lor may refer to: Science * Loricrin, a protein of the epidermis * Loss of resistance, in epidural anesthesia * Lunar orbit rendezvous, a method used to land man on the moon and safely return People *Lor, a native of Lorestan * Lor, a s ...

'' is the other type of unsalted whey cheese, similarly made from the whey left over from ''kaşar'' or ''strained yogurt'' manufacture. ''Lor'' is used in traditional foods and desserts made from unsalted cheese like "ekşimik" and ''höşmerim'' * ''

Mihaliç peyniri Mihaliç peyniri is an aged sheep's milk cheese from Turkey. Similar to kelle, kefalotyri cheese or beyaz peynir, Mihaliç peyniri is stored in brine. The curds are placed in hot water and stirred, then left in the water to harden and acquire a ...

'' or ''Kelle peyniri'' is a hard sheep's cheese that can be grated, like

Parmesan cheese Parmesan ( it, Parmigiano Reggiano; ) is an Italian hard, granular cheese produced from cows’ milk and aged at least 12 months. It is named after two of the areas which produce it, the provinces of Parma and Reggio Emilia (''Parmigiano'' ...

. Sometimes goat or cow milk is used. It is a specialty from Karacabey, a town in Bursa province which was called Mihaliç during Byzantine and Ottoman period. Mostly it is produced from non-pasteurized milk and processed by salt. * '' Örgü peyniri'', "

braided cheese Braided cheese is a dairy product made from strips of highly elastic cheese wound together in a braid. Kurdistan, Turkey, Armenia, Lebanon, Syria, and many Latin American nations make varieties of braided cheese. These cheeses can be used in a va ...

", is a specialty from

Diyarbakır Diyarbakır (; ; ; ) is the largest Kurdish-majority city in Turkey. It is the administrative center of Diyarbakır Province. Situated around a high plateau by the banks of the Tigris river on which stands the historic Diyarbakır Fortres ...

. * '' Otlu peynir'',

Van herbed cheese Van herbed cheese ( tr, Van otlu peyniri) is a type of cheese made out of sheep's or cow's milk. Ripened cheese varieties containing herbs are traditional in Turkey and have been manufactured for more than 200 years in the east and southeast of ...

("herbed cheese") is produced in many areas, chiefly in East Anatolia. Traditionally sheep's or goat's milk is used, but more recently cow's milk ''otlu peynir'' has been produced. The type of herb used varies by region: in Van wild garlic is traditional; Bitlis ''otlu peynir'' contains a damp-loving herb known as ''sof otu''. In other areas horse mint (''

Mentha longifolia ''Mentha longifolia'' (also known as horse mint, fillymint or St. John's horsemint; syn. ''M. spicata'' var. ''longifolia'' L., ''M. sylvestris'' L., ''M. tomentosa'' D'Urv, ''M. incana'' Willd.) is a species in the genus ''Mentha'' (mint) nati ...

'') and '' Pimpinella rhodentha'' are used. * ''

Tulum Tulum (, yua, Tulu'um) is the site of a pre-Columbian Mayan walled city which served as a major port for Coba, in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo. The ruins are situated on cliffs along the east coast of the Yucatán Peninsula on the Carib ...

'' is a mostly sheep's curd molded in an animal skin bag called as tulum. There are regional varieties of ''tulum peynir'' in such areas as İzmir, Ödemiş and Erzincan. And each of the tulum cheeses have very different characteristics.

Soups

A Turkish meal usually starts with a thin

soup Soup is a primarily liquid food, generally served warm or hot (but may be cool or cold), that is made by combining ingredients of meat or vegetables with stock, milk, or water. Hot soups are additionally characterized by boiling soli ...

(''çorba''). Soups are usually named after their main ingredient, the most common types being mercimek (

) çorbası, yogurt, and

wheat Wheat is a grass widely cultivated for its seed, a cereal grain that is a worldwide staple food. The many species of wheat together make up the genus ''Triticum'' ; the most widely grown is common wheat (''T. aestivum''). The archaeologi ...

(often mashed) called tarhana çorbası. Delicacy soups are the ones that are usually not the part of the daily diet, such as İşkembe soup and

paça Khash ( hy, խաշ; known by the derivations ''khashi'' () and , respectively) is a dish of boiled cow or sheep parts, which might include the head, feet, and stomach (tripe). It is also known by other designations, namely ( fa, پاچه; al, ...

çorbası, although the latter also used to be consumed as a nutritious winter meal. Before the popularisation of the typical Turkish breakfast, soup was the default morning meal for some people. The most common soups in Turkish cuisine are: Yayla_çorbası

* '' Analı kızlı soup'' * ''

Yayla çorbası Yayla çorbası ('highland soup'), also known as ('yogurt soup'), is a Turkish yogurt soup cooked with a variety of herbs (mint, purslane, parsley and others), rice, and (sometimes) chickpeas. Variations of it occur throughout the Middle East. ...

'' * '' Erişte aşı'' * '' Buğday aşı''/'' Ayran çorbası'' (which is served cold) * ''

Corba The Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA) is a standard defined by the Object Management Group (OMG) designed to facilitate the communication of systems that are deployed on diverse platforms. CORBA enables collaboration between s ...

'' * ''Domates çorbası '' ( tomato soup) * ''Düğün çorbası'' (wedding soup) * '' Ekşi Aşı'' * '' Ezogelin çorbası'' * '' İşkembe çorbası'' * '' Keledoş'' * ''Lahana çorbası'' (

cabbage Cabbage, comprising several cultivars of ''Brassica oleracea'', is a leafy green, red (purple), or white (pale green) biennial plant grown as an annual vegetable crop for its dense-leaved heads. It is descended from the wild cabbage ( ''B.&n ...

soup) * '' Mahluta'' * ''Mercimek çorbası'' (

lentil soup Lentil soup is a soup with lentils as its main ingredient; it may be vegetarian or include meat, and may use brown, red, yellow, green or black lentils, with or without the husk. Dehulled yellow and red lentils disintegrate in cooking, making a ...

) * ''

Paça Khash ( hy, խաշ; known by the derivations ''khashi'' () and , respectively) is a dish of boiled cow or sheep parts, which might include the head, feet, and stomach (tripe). It is also known by other designations, namely ( fa, پاچه; al, ...

'' * '' Pazı'' * '' Şehriye'' * Sheep's sorrel soup * '' Sulu köfte'' * '' Sumak aşı'' * '' Tarhana çorbası'' * ''Tavuk'' ( chicken soup, with almond becomes "Bademli Tavuk") *

Toyga soup Toyga ( tr, Toyga or tr, Toğga) is a national meal of Turkish cuisine. It is a yogurt soup cooked with a variety of herbs (mentha and others), wheat and (sometimes) chickpeas. See also * Ash-e doogh, a similar Iranian dish * Dovga, a similar Az ...

* ''Trabzon Balık çorbası'' * '' Tutmaç'' (lentil dish with noodles) * '' Yüksük çorbası'' * '' Arabaşı çorbası''

Bread

* Bazlama * Gözleme * ''Mısır ekmeği'' (

corn bread Cornbread is a quick bread made with cornmeal, associated with the cuisine of the Southern United States, with origins in Native American cuisine. It is an example of batter bread. Dumplings and pancakes made with finely ground cornmeal are s ...

) *

Lavaş Lavash ( hy, լավաշ) is a thin flatbread usually leavened, traditionally baked in a tandoor (''tonir'') or on a ''sajj'', and common to the cuisines of South Caucasus, Western Asia, and the areas surrounding the Caspian Sea. Lavash is one ...

* Poğaça *

Pide The International and State Defense Police ( pt, Polícia Internacional e de Defesa do Estado; PIDE) was a Portuguese security agency that existed during the '' Estado Novo'' regime of António de Oliveira Salazar. Formally, the main roles of th ...

(a broad, round and flat bread made of wheat flour) * Simit (known as "''gevrek''" in Izmir, another type of ring-shaped bread covered with sesame seeds. Simit is commonly eaten in Turkey, plain or with cheese, butter or marmalade). * Yufka, also known as ''sac ekmeği'' a round and flat bread, made of wheat flour, thinner than pide. * Pişi

Pastries

Turkish cuisine has a range of savoury and sweet pastries. Dough-based specialties form an integral part of traditional Turkish cuisine. The use of layered dough is rooted in the nomadic character of early Central Asian Turks.Perry, Charles
"The Taste for Layered Bread among the Nomadic Turks and the Central Asian Origins of Baklava"
in ''A Taste of Thyme: Culinary Cultures of the Middle East'' (ed. Sami Zubaida, Richard Tapper), 1994. p. 89. The combination of domed metal sac and oklava (the Turkish rod-style rolling pin) enabled the invention of the layered dough style used in

(especially in '' Su Böreği'', or 'water pastry', a salty baklava-like pastry with cheese filling), güllaç and

Börek Börek or burek are a family of pastries or pies found in the Balkans, Middle East and Central Asia. The pastry is made of a thin flaky dough such as filo with a variety of fillings, such as meat, cheese, spinach or potatoes. Boreks are mainly ...

is the general name for salty pastries made with yufka (a thick phyllo dough), which consists of thin layers of dough. Su Böreği, made with boiled yufka/phyllo layers, cheese and parsley, is the most frequently eaten. Çiğ börek (also known as '' Tatar böreği'') is fried and stuffed with minced meat. Kol böreği is another well-known type of börek that takes its name from its shape, as do fincan (coffee cup), muska (talisman), Gül böreği (rose) or

Sigara böreği ''Sigara'' is a genus of water boatmen in the family Corixidae. Some species within this genus are halophiles; for example, occurrences of the genus have been noted in the hypersaline Makgadikgadi Pans in Botswana.C. Michael Hogan (2008''Makgadi ...

(cigarette). Other traditional Turkish böreks include Talaş böreği (phyllo dough filled with vegetables and diced meat), Puf böreği. Laz böreği is a sweet type of börek, widespread in the

Black Sea region The Black Sea Region ( tr, Karadeniz Bölgesi) is a geographical region of Turkey. The largest city in the region is Samsun. Other big cities are Trabzon, Ordu, Tokat, Giresun, Rize, Amasya and Sinop. It is bordered by the Marmara Regio ...

. Poğaça is the label name for dough based salty pastries. Likewise

çörek Tsoureki ( el, τσουρέκι) also known as ''Šurēk'' (, Arabic), ''choreg'' or "chorek" (Armenian չորեկ, կաթնահունց), ''çörək'' ( Azerbaijani), ''çyrek'' ( Albanian), ''kozunak'' ( Bulgarian козунак), ''cozonac'' (R ...

is another label name used for both sweet and salty pastries. Gözleme is a food typical in rural areas, made of

lavash Lavash ( hy, լավաշ) is a thin flatbread usually leavened, traditionally baked in a tandoor (''tonir'') or on a ''sajj'', and common to the cuisines of South Caucasus, Western Asia, and the areas surrounding the Caspian Sea. Lavash is on ...

bread or phyllo dough folded around a variety of fillings such as spinach, cheese and parsley, minced meat or potatoes and cooked on a large griddle (traditionally sac).

Katmer Kattama ( kk, қаттама, translit=qattama; ky, каттама, both ), katlama, katmer ( tr, katmer), qatlama Azerbaijani , катма Bulgarian , qator gambir ( mn, гамбир, ) is a fried layered bread common in the cuisines of Cen ...

is another traditional rolled-out dough. It can be salty or sweet according to the filling. Katmer with

and kaymak is a sweet food and one of the most popular breakfast items in

. Lahmacun (meaning dough with meat in Arabic) is a thin flatbread covered with a layer of spiced minced meat, tomato, pepper, onion or garlic.

, which can be made with minced meat (together with onion, chopped tomatoes, parsley and spices),

kashar Kashar is a village and a former municipality in the Tirana County, central Albania. The population at the 2011 census was 43,353.kavurma), sucuk, pastırma or/and eggs put on rolled-out dough, is one of the most common traditional stone-baked Turkish specialities. Açma is a soft bagel found in most parts of Turkey. It is similar to simit in shape, is covered in a glaze, and is usually eaten as a part of breakfast or as a snack.

Pilav and pasta

Vegetarian dishes

Vegetable dishes

A vegetable dish can be a main course in a Turkish meal. A large variety of vegetables are used, such as

spinach Spinach (''Spinacia oleracea'') is a leafy green flowering plant native to central and western Asia. It is of the order Caryophyllales, family Amaranthaceae, subfamily Chenopodioideae. Its leaves are a common edible vegetable consumed either f ...

leek The leek is a vegetable, a cultivar of '' Allium ampeloprasum'', the broadleaf wild leek ( syn. ''Allium porrum''). The edible part of the plant is a bundle of leaf sheaths that is sometimes erroneously called a stem or stalk. The genus '' Al ...

cauliflower Cauliflower is one of several vegetables in the species ''Brassica oleracea'' in the genus '' Brassica'', which is in the Brassicaceae (or mustard) family. It is an annual plant that reproduces by seed. Typically, only the head is eaten – t ...

artichoke The globe artichoke (''Cynara cardunculus'' var. ''scolymus'' ),Rottenberg, A., and D. Zohary, 1996: "The wild ancestry of the cultivated artichoke." Genet. Res. Crop Evol. 43, 53–58. also known by the names French artichoke and green articho ...

celery Celery (''Apium graveolens'') is a marshland plant in the family Apiaceae that has been cultivated as a vegetable since antiquity. Celery has a long fibrous stalk tapering into leaves. Depending on location and cultivar, either its stalks, ...

, green and red

bell pepper The bell pepper (also known as paprika, sweet pepper, pepper, or capsicum ) is the fruit of plants in the Grossum Group of the species ''Capsicum annuum''. Cultivars of the plant produce fruits in different colors, including red, yellow, orange ...

s, string bean and

jerusalem artichoke The Jerusalem artichoke (''Helianthus tuberosus''), also called sunroot, sunchoke, wild sunflower, topinambur, or earth apple, is a species of sunflower native to central North America. It is cultivated widely across the temperate zone for its ...

. A typical vegetable dish is prepared with a base of chopped onions, carrots sautéed first in olive oil and later with tomatoes or

tomato paste Tomato paste is a thick paste made by cooking tomatoes for several hours to reduce the water content, straining out the seeds and skins, and cooking the liquid again to reduce the base to a thick, rich concentrate. It is used to impart an inten ...

. The vegetables and hot water will then be added. Quite frequently a spoon of rice and lemon juice is also added. Vegetable dishes usually tend to be served with its own water (the cooking water) thus often called in colloquial Turkish ''sulu yemek'' (literally "a dish with juice"). Minced meat can also be added to a vegetable dish but vegetable dishes that are cooked with olive oil ''( zeytinyağlılar)'' are often served cold and do not contain meat. Spinach, leek, string bean and artichoke with olive oil are among the most widespread dishes in Turkey.

is the name used for stuffed vegetables. Like the vegetables cooked with olive oil as described above dolma with olive oil does not contain meat. Many vegetables are stuffed, most typically green peppers (''biber dolması''), eggplants, tomatoes, or zucchini/courgettes (''kabak dolması''), vine leaves (''yaprak dolması''). If vine leaves are used, they are first pickled in brine. However, dolma is not limited to these common types; many other vegetables and fruits are stuffed with a meat or pilav mixture. For example, artichoke dolma ('' enginar dolması'') is an Aegean region specialty. Fillings used in dolma may consist of parts of the vegetable carved out for preparation, pilav with spices or minced meat. Mercimek köftesi, although being named köfte, does not contain any meat. Instead, red lentil is used as the major ingredient together with spring onion, tomato paste etc.

İmam bayıldı İmam bayıldı (literally: "the imam fainted") is a dish in Ottoman cuisine consisting of whole eggplant stuffed with onion, garlic and tomatoes, and simmered in olive oil. It is a ( olive oil-based) dish and is found in most of the form ...

is a version of

karnıyarık Karniyarik (lit. 'riven belly' in Turkish) is a dish found in Turkish cuisine consisting of eggplant stuffed with a mix of sautéed chopped onions, garlic, black pepper, tomatoes, optional green pepper, parsley and ground meat. A similar di ...

with no minced meat inside. It can be served as a meze as well. Fried eggplant and pepper is a common summer dish in Turkey. It is served with yoğurt or tomato sauce and garlic.

Mücver Mücver is a Turkish fritter or pancake, made from grated zucchini. They are typically pan-fried in oil and their batter often includes a mixture of eggs, onion, dill, parsley, flour, and sometimes potatoes and cheese ( beyaz peynir or kaşar). ...

is prepared with grated squash/courgette or potatoes, egg, onion, dill or cheese and flour. It can be either fried or cooked in the oven. Pilav can be served either as a side dish or main dish but ''bulgur pilavı'' (pilav made of boiled and pounded wheat - ''bulgur'') is also widely eaten. The dishes made with ''kuru fasulye'' (

white beans The navy bean, haricot, pearl haricot bean, Boston bean, white pea bean, or pea bean is a variety of the common bean ('' Phaseolus vulgaris'') native to the Americas, where it was first domesticated. It is a dry white bean that is smaller than ...

), ''nohut'' (

s), ''mercimek'' (

s), ''börülce'' (

black-eyed pea The black-eyed pea or black-eyed bean is a legume grown around the world for its medium-sized, edible bean. It is a subspecies of the cowpea, an Old World plant domesticated in Africa, and is sometimes simply called a cowpea. The common commer ...

s), etc., combined with onion, vegetables, minced meat, tomato paste and rice, have always been common due to being economical and nutritious. Turşu is pickle made with brine, usually with the addition of garlic. It is often enjoyed as an appetizer. It is made with a large variety of vegetables, from cucumber to courgette. In the towns on the Aegean coast, the water of turşu is consumed as a drink. It comes from the Persian "Torshi", which refers to pickled "Torsh" (sour) vegetables.

Egg dishes

consists of scrambled eggs cooked in tomato, green pepper, and optionally onion and garlic. *

Çılbır Çılbır is a Turkish dish of poached eggs with yogurt (often with garlic mixed in).

is made with poached eggs, yogurt and oil. * ''Ispanaklı yumurta'' consists of eggs with spinach and onion. * ''Kaygana'' can be described as something of a cross between the crepe and the omelet in Ottoman cuisine. It used to be served with cheese, honey, crushed nuts, or eggplant.

Meze and salads

Meze Meze or mezza (, ) is a selection of small dishes served as appetizers in the Levant, Turkey, Greece, the Balkans, the Caucasus and Iran. It is similar to Spanish tapas and Italian antipasti. A mezze may be served as a part of a multi-course ...

is a selection of food served as the appetizer course with or without drinks. Some of them can be served as a main course as well. Aside from

olive The olive, botanical name ''Olea europaea'', meaning 'European olive' in Latin, is a species of small tree or shrub in the family Oleaceae, found traditionally in the Mediterranean Basin. When in shrub form, it is known as ''Olea europaea'' ' ...

, mature ''kaşar''

kashar cheese Caciocavallo is a type of stretched-curd cheese made out of sheep's or cow's milk. It is produced throughout Southern Italy, particularly in the Apennine Mountains and in the Gargano peninsula. Shaped like a teardrop, it is similar in taste to ...

, white cheese, various mixed pickles turşu, frequently eaten Turkish mezes include: * Acılı ezme – hot spicy freshly mashed tomato with onion and green herbs * Acuka (also known as muhammara) – a spread having both Circassian and

Syria Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...

n origins, prepared with from Aleppo pepper paste, ground

s, tomato paste, bread crumbs, garlic, and spices * Arnavut ciğeri (literally "Albanian liver") – fried liver cubes served with onion, parsley and hot pepper * Roka (

arugula Arugula (American English) or rocket (Commonwealth English) (''Eruca vesicaria''; syns. ''Eruca sativa'' Mill., ''E. vesicaria'' subsp. ''sativa'' (Miller) Thell., ''Brassica eruca'' L.) is an edible annual plant in the family Brassicaceae used ...

) salatası * Patlıcan salatası – eggplant salad *

Piyaz Piyaz ( tr, piyaz, Persian: پیاز, Kurdish: pivaz, piyaz for "onion" or salad) is a kind of Turkish cuisine, Turkish cuisine and Persian salad or meze that is made from any kind of dry beans with onion, parsley and sumac. The name of Pi ...

– white bean or potato salad with onion and vinegar * Şakşuka or in another version köpoğlu – fried and chopped eggplants and peppers served with garlic yogurt or tomato sauce * Bakla ezmesi – hummus prepared from broad bean * Barbunya

pilaki Pilaki is a style of Turkish meze and may refer to several dishes that are cooked in a sauce made out of onion, garlic, carrot, potato, tomato or tomato paste, sugar, and olive oil. Beans prepared in this style (''fasulye pilaki'', with whi ...

–

borlotti bean The borlotti bean is a variety of common bean (''Phaseolus vulgaris'') first bred in Colombia as the ''cargamanto''. It is also known as the cranberry bean, Roman bean, romano bean (not to be confused with the Italian flat bean, a green bean al ...

s cooked with garlic, tomato paste, carrot and olive oil * Borani *

– very thin dough layers stuffed with cheese, meat or vegetables *

Cacık Tzatziki ( el, τζατζίκι), also known as tarator or cacık (), is a dip, soup, or sauce found in the cuisines of Southeast Europe and the Middle East. It is made of salted strained yogurt or diluted yogurt mixed with cucumbers, garli ...

– cucumber with yogurt, dried mint and olive oil * Cevizli biber – a meze prepared with walnut, red pepper, pepper paste, onion and cumin * Çerkez tavuğu (literally "Circassian chicken") * Ahtapot (

octopus An octopus ( : octopuses or octopodes, see below for variants) is a soft-bodied, eight- limbed mollusc of the order Octopoda (, ). The order consists of some 300 species and is grouped within the class Cephalopoda with squids, cuttlefish, ...

) – in seatowns served as a salad or grilled * Çiğ köfte – raw meat patties, similar to steak tartare, prepared with ground beef (sometimes lamb) and fine-ground

; a vegetarian version using tomato paste is known as ''etsiz çiğ köfte'' (literally "meatless raw meatballs") *

Çoban salatası Çoban salatası or choban salad ( Turkish for "shepherd's salad") is a salad that originated from Turkish cuisine and Azerbaijani cuisine consisting of finely chopped tomatoes (preferably peeled), cucumbers, long green peppers, onion, and flat ...

– a mixed salad of tomato, cucumber, onion, green peppers, and parsley * Deniz börülcesi salatası, a salad made with young shoots of '' Salicornia europaea'' (also called common

glasswort The glassworts are various succulent, annual halophytic plants, that is, plants that thrive in saline environments, such as seacoasts and salt marshes. The original English glasswort plants belong to the genus '' Salicornia'', but today the gla ...

or marsh samphire), garlic, lemon juice and olive oil *

– vine leaves, cabbage leaves, chard leaves, peppers, tomato, squash, pumpkin, eggplant or mussels stuffed with rice or meat * Fasulye

–

cooked with garlic, tomato paste, carrot and olive oil * Ezme - red pepper, onion, garlic, parsley leaves with tomato paste. The salad is seasoned with lemon, olive oil, cumin, salt and pepper. * Fava – broad/horse bean puree * Gavurdağı salatası * Hardalotu – mustard plant salad *

Haydari Haydari is a type of yogurt dish similar to a thick ''cacık'', made from certain herbs and spices, combined with garlic and yogurt. It differs from cacık in that the recipe contains no cucumber and calls for strained yogurt or ''labne''. It is s ...

Humus In classical soil science, humus is the dark organic matter in soil that is formed by the decomposition of plant and animal matter. It is a kind of soil organic matter. It is rich in nutrients and retains moisture in the soil. Humus is the Lati ...

(from the

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...

for "chickpea") – a spread prepared from sesame

tahini Tahini () or tahina (, ) is a Middle Eastern condiment made from toasted ground hulled sesame. It is served by itself (as a dip) or as a major ingredient in hummus, baba ghanoush, and halva. Tahini is used in the cuisines of the Levant an ...

, chickpeas, garlic, olive oil, and lemon juice. * İçli köfte (also known as oruk) – served either as a meze or a main dish; especially in the east of Turkey, when it is cooked through boiling in a pot, içli köfte is served as a main dish * Kabak çiçeği dolması – stuffed zucchini blossoms, a kind of

* Kalamar ( calamari) – fried or grilled, served with

tarator Tzatziki ( el, τζατζίκι), also known as tarator or cacık (), is a dip, soup, or sauce found in the cuisines of Southeast Europe and the Middle East. It is made of salted strained yogurt or diluted yogurt mixed with cucumbers, gar ...

sauce * Karides (

shrimp Shrimp are crustaceans (a form of shellfish) with elongated bodies and a primarily swimming mode of locomotion – most commonly Caridea and Dendrobranchiata of the decapod order, although some crustaceans outside of this order are ref ...

) – served as a salad, grilled, or stewed with vegetables in a güveç (a casserole) *

Kısır Kısır is a bulgur based salad found in Turkish cuisine. The main ingredients are finely ground bulgur, parsley, and tomato paste. Common additional ingredients include onion, garlic (in some regions), sour pomegranate molasses, olive oil and ...

(also known as 'sarma içi') – a very popular meze or side dish prepared with fine-ground bulgur, tomato paste, parsley, onion, garlic, sour pomegranate juice and a lot of spices * Kızartma, various fried vegetables (eggplants, peppers, courgettes) served with yogurt or tomato-and-garlic sauce *

Köfte Kofta is a family of meatball or meatloaf dishes found in Balkan, Middle Eastern, South Caucasian, South Asian and Central Asian cuisines. In the simplest form, koftas consist of balls of minced meatusually beef, chicken, pork, lamb or mutto ...

– meatballs *

Lakerda Lakerda is a pickled bonito dish eaten as a mezze in the Balkans and Middle East.Diane Kochilas, ''The Glorious Foods of Greece'', 2001, , p. 20excerpt/ref> ''Lakerda'' made from one-year-old bonito migrating through the Bosphorus is especially ...

- picked bonito traditionally served with raki at taverns * Muhammara: see Acuka * Oruk: see İçli köfte * Semizotu ( summer purslane) salatası – served with yogurt * Sıgara boreğı - feta or hot dogs wrapped in phyllo dough and fried * Soslu patlıcan - cubed eggplant served in a sauce of olive oil and tomato * Tarama – a spread made with fish roe * Turp otu salatası * Zeytin piyazi - olives and green onion salad

Dolma and sarma

is a

verbal noun A verbal noun or gerundial noun is a verb form that functions as a noun. An example of a verbal noun in English is 'sacking' as in the sentence "The sacking of the city was an epochal event" (''sacking'' is a noun formed from the verb ''sack''). ...

of the Turkish verb ''dolmak'' 'to be stuffed (or filled)', and means simply 'stuffed thing'. Sarma is also a

of the Turkish verb ''sarmak'' 'to wrap', and means simply 'wrapped/wrapping'. Dolma and sarma have a special place in Turkish cuisine. They can be eaten either as a meze or a main dish. They can be cooked either as a vegetable dish or meat dish. If a meat mixture is put in, they are usually served hot with yogurt and spices such as oregano and red pepper powder with oil. If the mixture is vegan, only olive oil, rice or bulgur are used, with some nuts and raisins inside, especially blackcurrant. (stuffed leaves with olive oil) is the sarma made with vine leaves stuffed with a rice-spice mixture and cooked with olive oil. This type of dolma does not contain meat, is served cold and also referred to as '' sarma'', which means "wrapping" in Turkish.

Dried fruit Dried fruit is fruit from which the majority of the original water content has been removed either naturally, through sun drying, or through the use of specialized dryers or dehydrators. Dried fruit has a long tradition of use dating back to th ...

such as blackcurrant, raisins, figs or cherries, and cinnamon and allspice used to be added into the mixture to sweeten ''zeytinyağlı dolma'' in Ottoman cuisine.

Vine leaves Grape leaves, the leaves of the grapevine plant, are used in the cuisines of a number of cultures. They may be obtained fresh, or preserved in jars or cans. The leaves are commonly rolled or stuffed with mixtures of meat and rice to produce ...

(''yaprak'') could be filled not only with rice and spices but also with meat and rice, '' etli yaprak sarma'', in which case it was often served hot with yogurt. The word ''sarma'' is also used for some types of desserts, such as fıstık sarma (wrapped pistachio).

Melon A melon is any of various plants of the family Cucurbitaceae with sweet, edible, and fleshy fruit. The word "melon" can refer to either the plant or specifically to the fruit. Botanically, a melon is a kind of berry, specifically a "pepo". T ...

dolma along with

dolma was one of the palace's specialties (raw melon stuffed with minced meat, onion, rice, almonds, cooked in an oven). In contemporary Turkey, a wide variety of dolma is prepared. Although it is not possible to give an exhaustive list of dolma recipes, courgette ("kabak"), aubergine ("patlıcan"),

("domates"),

pumpkin A pumpkin is a vernacular term for mature winter squash of species and varieties in the genus ''Cucurbita'' that has culinary and cultural significance but no agreed upon botanical or scientific meaning. The term ''pumpkin'' is sometimes use ...

("balkabağı"), pepper ("biber"),

("lahana") (black or white cabbage),

chard Chard or Swiss chard (; '' Beta vulgaris'' subsp. ''vulgaris'', Cicla Group and Flavescens Group) is a green leafy vegetable. In the cultivars of the Flavescens Group, the leaf stalks are large and often prepared separately from the leaf bl ...

("pazı") and

mussel Mussel () is the common name used for members of several families of bivalve molluscs, from saltwater and freshwater habitats. These groups have in common a shell whose outline is elongated and asymmetrical compared with other edible clams, which ...

("midye") dolma constitute the most common types. Instead of dried cherries in the Palace Cuisine, currants are usually added to the filling of dolma cooked in olive oil. A different type of dolma is mumbar dolması, for which the membrane of intestines of sheep is filled up with a spicy rice pilav-nut mixture.

Meat dishes

* Consisted of chicken or lean veal, Döner kebap is a common Turkish fast food. *

Tantuni Tantuni is a spicy dish consisting of julienne cut beef or sometimes lamb stir-fried on a sac with a hint of cotton oil. It is a specialty of Mersin in Turkey. The meat in tantuni is first crushed and boiled in salted water, then fried in c ...

(similar to ''dürüm'', meat cut in very small pieces, served with lavash, a specialty from the

Mersin Mersin (), also known as İçel, is a large city and a port on the Mediterranean coast of southern Turkey. It is the provincial capital of Mersin (İçel) Province. It is made up of four municipalities and district governorates: Akdeniz, Mezitl ...

province of Turkey) * Kuzu güveç (lamb cooked in earthenware casserole) * Pastırmalı

kuru fasulye Kuru fasulye is a stewed bean dish in Turkish cuisine. It is made primarily with white beans and olive oil, and onion and tomato paste or tomato sauce Tomato sauce (also known as ''salsa roja'' in Spanish or ''salsa di pomodoro'' in Ita ...

(white kidney bean stew with pastırma) * Kuzu kapama (spring lamb stewed) * Haşlama (boiled lamb with vegetables and lemon juice) * Kavurma which means frying, roasting or parching in Turkish, is generally used for roasted lamb or a variety of fried meat dishes. Çoban kavurma is a variety of it, prepared with diced lamb with tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, peppers and herbs. Kavurma is one of the favorite dishes of Ramadan. * Alinazik, a home-style Turkish

variety which is a specialty of the

Gaziantep province Gaziantep Province ( tr, ) is a province in south-central Turkey. It is located in the westernmost part of Turkey's Southeastern Anatolia Region and partially in the Mediterranean Region. Its capital is the city of Gaziantep. It neighbours Ad ...

. *

Hünkârbeğendi Hünkârbeğendi, or simply beğendi (literally, 'the sultan liked it'), is an eggplant and meat (lamb and mutton, lamb or beef) dish in Ottoman cuisine. It is made from eggplant grilled until the skin is burned, giving it a smoky flavor. The ...

(the name means that the sovereign/sultan liked it, the dish consists of a puree of grilled eggplant with kaşar cheese, topped with cubed lamb meat) *

Türlü Türlü is a casserole of Turkish cuisine. It is made of stewed vegetables and may also include stewed meat. Varieties of this dish are also found in Balkan cuisines. In particular, it is known as turli perimesh in Albania, tourlou or tourlou tou ...

(a stew of vegetables and meat cooked in güveç-casserole) * Külbastı * Ankara tava (pilav with lamb) * Elbasan tava * Tandır (without adding any water, the meat is cooked very slowly with a special technique) * İncik ( lamb shank cooked in the oven) * Boraniye (broad bean/spinach/squash boraniye, vegetables cooked together with meat, yogurt and chickpea) *

Karnıyarık Karniyarik (lit. 'riven belly' in Turkish) is a dish found in Turkish cuisine consisting of eggplant stuffed with a mix of sautéed chopped onions, garlic, black pepper, tomatoes, optional green pepper, parsley and ground meat. A similar di ...

(split-belly eggplant) (eggplants are cut off and fried. Then they are filled with minced meat, onion, garlic and tomato paste and cooked in the oven) *

(meatball) is another meat dish in Turkey. The word

is sometimes preceded by the name of a town, which refers to the technique for cooking it or the ingredients or spices specifically used in that region, for example; İnegöl köftesi, İzmir köfte, Akçaabat köfte, pideli köfte (Bursa),

Filibe Plovdiv ( bg, Пловдив, ), is the second-largest city in Bulgaria, standing on the banks of the Maritsa river in the historical region of Thrace. It has a population of 346,893 and 675,000 in the greater metropolitan area. Plovdiv is the c ...

köfte, Tire köfte, Islama köfte (mainly in

Sakarya province Sakarya ( tr, ) is a province in Turkey, located on the coast of Black Sea. The Sakarya River creates a webbing of estuaries in the province, which is in the Marmara Region. The adjacent provinces are Kocaeli to the west, Bilecik to the sou ...

) etc. Its main ingredients are minced meat, parsley, bread-egg (not necessarily, usually homemade köfte contains egg yolk and some crumbled bread) and a range of spices: cumin, oregano, mint powder, red or black pepper powder with onion or garlic. Kadınbudu köfte is another traditional speciality; minced meat is mixed with cooked rice and fried. Içli köfte can be described as a shell of "bulgur" filled with onion, minced meat and nuts. Çiğ köfte is a meze from south-eastern Turkey meaning raw meatballs, prepared with bulgur wheat and raw minced meat (like beef or lamb). Today in most Turkish restaurants, the raw meat is usually omitted and instead extra-fine Bulgar is used. Terbiyeli Sulu Köfte is another meatball speciality cooked with flour, tomato paste and water in which lemon and egg sauce is added. *

Sucuk Sujuk or sucuk is a dry, spicy and fermented sausage which is consumed in several Balkan, Middle Eastern and Central Asian cuisines. Sujuk mainly consists of ground meat and animal fat usually obtained from beef or lamb, but beef is mainly use ...

is a form of raw sausage (made with beef meat and a range of spices, and garlic) commonly eaten with breakfast. Instead of classical sausages (''sosis''), sucuk is the most used ingredient for snacks and fast-food style toasts and sandwiches in Turkey. * Pastırma is another famous beef delicacy. Both pastırma and sucuk can be put in

(dry beans) to enrich the aroma. Both can be served as a meze as well. Sucuk or pastırma with

scrambled eggs Scrambled eggs is a dish made from eggs (usually chicken eggs) stirred, whipped or beaten together while being gently heated, typically with salt, butter, oil and sometimes other ingredients. Preparation Only eggs are necessary to make scramble ...

, served in a small pan called sahan, is eaten at breakfast in Turkey. * Kokoreç (the intestines of sheep) with spices is a traditional low-price fast food in Turkey. *

Liver The liver is a major organ only found in vertebrates which performs many essential biological functions such as detoxification of the organism, and the synthesis of proteins and biochemicals necessary for digestion and growth. In humans, it i ...

is fried in Turkish cuisine. "Arnavut ciğeri" (meaning Albanian liver), served with onion and sumac, is usually eaten as a meze, in combination with other mezes such as fava. " Edirne ciğeri" is another famous liver dish from

Edirne Edirne (, ), formerly known as Adrianople or Hadrianopolis ( Greek: Άδριανούπολις), is a city in Turkey, in the northwestern part of the province of Edirne in Eastern Thrace. Situated from the Greek and from the Bulgarian borders ...

. Liver is first frozen so that it can be cut into very thin layers. After being cut off, liver layers are fried. * Kelle (roasted sheep's head) * Kuzu etli enginar (artichokes with lamb) * Etli taze fasulye (green beans stew with meat) * Etli bamya (okra with meat) * İşkembeli nohut (chickpea with tripe) * Piliç dolma (stuffed chicken with spice filling)

Kebabs

''Kebab'' refers to a great variety of meat-based dishes in Turkish cuisine. Kebab in Turkey encompasses not only grilled or skewered meats, but also stews and casseroles. * ''

'' or ''kıyma kebabı'' – kebab with hand-minced meat mixed with chili on a flat wide metal skewer (shish); associated with

region although very popular all over Turkey.''Turkish Cookery'' by M.Günür * ''Ali Paşa kebabı'', "Ali Pasha kebab" – cubed lamb with tomato, onion and parsley wrapped in phillo. * '' Alinazik kebab'' – Ground meat kebab sautéed in a saucepan, with garlic, yogurt and eggplants added. * ''Bahçıvan kebabı'', 'gardener's kebab' – Boneless lamb shoulder mixed with chopped onions and tomato paste. * ''

Beyti kebab Beyti is a Turkish dish consisting of ground beef or lamb, grilled on a skewer and served wrapped in lavash and topped with tomato sauce and yogurt. The dish is named after Beyti Güler, the owner of the popular restaurant Beyti in Istanbul. ...

'' – Ground lamb or beef, seasoned and grilled on a skewer, often served wrapped in

and topped with

tomato sauce Tomato sauce (also known as ''salsa roja'' in Spanish or ''salsa di pomodoro'' in Italian) can refer to many different sauces made primarily from tomatoes, usually to be served as part of a dish, rather than as a condiment. Tomato sauces are ...

and

yogurt Yogurt (; , from tr, yoğurt, also spelled yoghurt, yogourt or yoghourt) is a food produced by bacterial fermentation of milk. The bacteria used to make yogurt are known as ''yogurt cultures''. Fermentation of sugars in the milk by these bac ...

, traced back to the famous kebab hous
Beyti
in

and particularly popular in Turkey's larger cities. * ''Bostan kebabı'' – Lamb and aubergine casserole. * ''

Buğu kebabı Buğu kebabı ( Turkish for ''vapour kebab'') is a lamb-based dish from the Turkish cuisine. It is a stew, like tas kebabı. Buğu kebabı is made with leg meat, shallots, tomatoes, fresh oregano, garlic, bay leaves, tomato paste and spices. T ...

'', "steamed kebap" – cooked in low heat until the meat releases its moisture and reabsorbs it. * '' Cağ kebab'', 'spoke kebab' – Cubes of lamb roasted first on a ''cağ'' (a horizontal rotating spit) and then on a skewer, a specialty of

Erzurum Erzurum (; ) is a city in eastern Anatolia, Turkey. It is the largest city and capital of Erzurum Province and is 1,900 meters (6,233 feet) above sea level. Erzurum had a population of 367,250 in 2010. The city uses the double-headed eagle as ...

region with recently rising popularity. * '' Ciğer kebabı'', 'liver kebab' - usually eaten with sliced onions, salad and bread. * ''Ciğerli kağıt kebabı'', 'liver paper kebab' – Lamb liver kebab mixed with meat and marinated with

thyme Thyme () is the herb (dried aerial parts) of some members of the genus ''Thymus'' of aromatic perennial evergreen herbs in the mint family Lamiaceae. Thymes are relatives of the oregano genus '' Origanum'', with both plants being mostly indigen ...

parsley Parsley, or garden parsley (''Petroselinum crispum'') is a species of flowering plant in the family Apiaceae that is native to the central and eastern Mediterranean region (Sardinia, Lebanon, Israel, Cyprus, Turkey, southern Italy, Greece, ...

and dill. * ''Çardak kebabı'', 'arbor kebab' – Stuffed lamb meat in a

crêpe A crêpe or crepe ( or , , Quebec French: ) is a very thin type of pancake. Crêpes are usually one of two varieties: ''sweet crêpes'' () or ''savoury galettes'' (). They are often served with a wide variety of fillings such as cheese, ...

. * Çökertme kebabı – Sirloin veal kebap stuffed with

and potatoes. * ''Çömlek kebabı'', 'earthenware bowl kebab' – Meat and vegetable casserole (called a '' güveç'' in Turkish) with eggplant, carrots, shallots, beans, tomatoes and green pepper. * Çöp şiş, "small skewer kebab" – a speciality of

Selçuk Selçuk is a town in İzmir Province in the Aegean Region of Turkey. It is located northeast of the ancient city of Ephesus, that was once home to the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Its previous Greek name, ...

and

Germencik Germencik is a town and a district of Aydın Province in the Aegean region of Turkey. Geography Germencik is located in the middle of the fertile Büyük Menderes (Meander) plain, inland from the Aegean coastal town of Kuşadası, on the Ayd ...

near

Ephesus Ephesus (; grc-gre, Ἔφεσος, Éphesos; tr, Efes; may ultimately derive from hit, 𒀀𒉺𒊭, Apaša) was a city in ancient Greece on the coast of Ionia, southwest of present-day Selçuk in İzmir Province, Turkey. It was built i ...

, pounded boneless meat with tomatoes and garlic marinated with black pepper,

and oil on wooden skewers. * ''

Döner kebab Doner kebab (, ; tr, döner or , ), also spelled döner kebab, is a type of kebab, made of meat cooked on a vertical rotisserie. Seasoned meat stacked in the shape of an inverted cone is turned slowly on the rotisserie, next to a vertical cook ...

'' * ''Hünkâri kebabı'', 'Sultan's kebab' – Sliced lamb meat mixed with '' patlıcan beğendi'' (aubergine purée), basil,

and

bay leaf The bay leaf is an aromatic leaf commonly used in cooking. It can be used whole, either dried or fresh, in which case it is removed from the dish before consumption, or less commonly used in ground form. It may come from several species of tr ...

. * '' İskender kebap'' – döner kebap served with

, tomato sauce and

butter Butter is a dairy product made from the fat and protein components of churned cream. It is a semi-solid emulsion at room temperature, consisting of approximately 80% butterfat. It is used at room temperature as a spread, melted as a condim ...

, originated in

. The kebab was invented by İskender Efendi in 1867. He was inspired from Cağ kebab and turned it from horizontal to vertical. * '' İslim kebabı'', 'steamed kebab' – Another version of the aubergine kebab without its skin, marinated in sunflower oil. * '' Kağıt kebabı'' – Lamb cooked in a paper wrapping. * '' Kuyu kebabı'', 'pit kebab' – Prepared from the goat it is special for

Aydın Aydın ( ''EYE-din''; ; formerly named ''Güzelhisar'', Ancient and Modern Greek: Τράλλεις /''Tralleis''/) is a city in and the seat of Aydın Province in Turkey's Aegean Region. The city is located at the heart of the lower valley of ...

region, similar to ''

tandır kebabı A tava(h) / tawa(h) (mainly on the Indian subcontinent), saj (in Arabic), sac (in Turkish) and other variations and combinations thereof, is a metal-made cooking utensil. The tawa is round and can be flat, but more commonly has a curved prof ...

''. * '' Kuzu incik kebabı'', 'lamb shank kebab' – Lamb shanks mixed with peeled eggplants and chopped tomatoes, cream, salt and pepper. * '' Kuzu şiş'' – Shish prepared with marinated milk-fed lamb meat. * '' Köfte kebap'' or ''Shish köfte'' – minced lamb meatballs with herbs, often including

and

mint MiNT is Now TOS (MiNT) is a free software alternative operating system kernel for the Atari ST system and its successors. It is a multi-tasking alternative to TOS and MagiC. Together with the free system components fVDI device drivers, XaAE ...

, on a stick, grilled. * '' Manisa kebabı'' – This

Manisa Manisa (), historically known as Magnesia, is a city in Turkey's Aegean Region and the administrative seat of Manisa Province. Modern Manisa is a booming center of industry and services, advantaged by its closeness to the international port ci ...

region version of the kebab is smaller and flat size shish meat on the sliced

bread, flavored with butter, and stuffed with tomato, garlic and green pepper. * '' Orman kebabı'', 'forest kebab' – Lamb meat on the bone and cut in large pieces mixed with carrots, potatoes and peas. * '' Patates kebabı'', 'potato kebab' – Beef or chicken mixed with potatoes, onions, tomato sauce and bay leaves. * '' Patlıcan kebabı'', 'aubergine kebab' – Special kebap meat marinated in spices and served with

(aubergine), hot pide bread and a yogurt sauce. * '' Ramazan kebabı'', '

Ramadan , type = islam , longtype = Religious , image = Ramadan montage.jpg , caption=From top, left to right: A crescent moon over Sarıçam, Turkey, marking the beginning of the Islamic month of Ramadan. Ramadan Quran reading in Bandar Torkaman, Iran. ...

kebab' – Meat mixed with yogurt, tomato and garlic stuffed with fresh mint or garnish on Pide bread. * '' Shish kebab'' – Prepared with fish, lamb or chicken meat on thin metal or reed rods, grilled. * '' Şiş tavuk'' or '' Tavuk şiş'' –

Yogurt Yogurt (; , from tr, yoğurt, also spelled yoghurt, yogourt or yoghourt) is a food produced by bacterial fermentation of milk. The bacteria used to make yogurt are known as ''yogurt cultures''. Fermentation of sugars in the milk by these bac ...

marinate Marinating is the process of soaking foods in a seasoned, often acidic, liquid before cooking. The origin of the word alludes to the use of brine (''aqua marina'' or sea water) in the pickling process, which led to the technique of adding flavor b ...

d chicken grilled on a stick.''The Complete Book of Turkish Cooking'', A.Algar (1985) * ''Sivas kebabı'' – Associated with the

Sivas Sivas (Latin and Greek: ''Sebastia'', ''Sebastea'', Σεβάστεια, Σεβαστή, ) is a city in central Turkey and the seat of Sivas Province. The city, which lies at an elevation of in the broad valley of the Kızılırmak river, is ...

region, similar to Tokat kebab but especially lamb ribs are preferred and it also differs from Tokat kebabı on the point that there are no potatoes inside. * ''Susuz kebap'', 'waterless kebab' – Cooked after draining excess fluid from the meat rubbed with salt and cinnamon in saucepan. * ''Talaş kebabı'', 'sawdust kebab' – Diced lamb, mixed with grated onions, brown meat mixed with flour dough. * ''Tandır kebabı'', 'tandoor kebab' – Lamb pieces (sometimes a whole lamb) baked in an oven called a '' tandır'', which requires a special way of cooking for hours. Served with bread and raw onions. * ''Tas kebabı'', 'bowl kebab' – Stewed kebab in a bowl, beginning with the cooking of the vegetables in butter employing a method called ''yaga vurmak'', ("butter infusion"), before the meat itself is cooked in the same grease. * ''Testi kebabı'', 'earthenware-jug kebab' – Ingredients are similar to '' çömlek kebabı'', prepared in a ''

testi Kebab (, ; ar, كباب, link=no, Latn, ar, kabāb, ; tr, kebap, link=no, ) or kabob (North American) is a type of cooked meat dish that originates from cuisines of the Middle East. Many variants of the category are popular around the wor ...

'' instead of a '' güveç'', generally found in Central Anatolia and the Mid-Western Black Sea region. * ''Tokat kebabı'' – Associated with the

Tokat Tokat is the capital city of Tokat Province of Turkey in the mid- Black Sea region of Anatolia. It is located at the confluence of the Tokat River (Tokat Suyu) with the Yeşilırmak. In the 2018 census, the city of Tokat had a population of 155, ...

region, it is made with veal marinated in olive oil, aubergine, tomatoes, potatoes, onion, garlic and special

pita Pita ( or ) or pitta (British English), is a family of yeast-leavened round flatbreads baked from wheat flour, common in the Mediterranean, Middle East, and neighboring areas. It includes the widely known version with an interior pocket, also ...

bread. * ''Urfa kebabı'' – is similar to

Adana kebabı Adana kebabı is a dish that consists of long, hand-minced meat. It is similar to or synonymous with a dish called kabab koobideh from Iranian cuisine. Mounted on a wide iron skewer and grilled on an open mangal filled with burning charcoal. The ...

, but less spicy.

Fish

Turkey is surrounded by seas that contain a large variety of fish. Fish are grilled, fried or cooked slowly by the ''buğulama'' (poaching) method. ''Buğulama'' is fish with lemon and parsley, covered while cooking so that it will be cooked with steam. The term ''pilâki'' is also used for fish cooked with various vegetables, including onion in the oven. In the Black Sea region, fish are usually fried with thick corn flour. Fish are also eaten cold; as smoked (isleme) or dried (çiroz), canned, salted or pickled (lâkerda). Fish is also cooked in salt or in dough in Turkey. Pazıda Levrek is a seafood speciality which consists of

sea bass Sea bass is a common name for a variety of different species of marine fish. Many fish species of various families have been called sea bass. In Ireland and the United Kingdom, the fish sold and consumed as sea bass is exclusively the European ...

cooked in

leaves. In fish restaurants, it is possible to find other fancy fish varieties like ''balık dolma'' (stuffed fish), ''balık iskender'' (inspired by İskender kebap), fishballs or fish en papillote.

Fish soup Fish soup is a food made by combining fish or seafood with vegetables and stock, juice, water, or another liquid. Hot soups are additionally characterized by boiling solid ingredients in liquids in a pot until the flavors are extracted, form ...

prepared with vegetables, onion and flour is common in coastal towns and cities. In

's Eminönü and other coastal districts, grilled fish served in bread with tomatoes, herbs and onion is a popular fast food. In the inner parts of Turkey,

trout Trout are species of freshwater fish belonging to the genera '' Oncorhynchus'', '' Salmo'' and '' Salvelinus'', all of the subfamily Salmoninae of the family Salmonidae. The word ''trout'' is also used as part of the name of some non-salm ...

''alabalık'' is common as it is the main type of freshwater fish. Popular seafood mezes at coastlines include stuffed mussels, fried

and fried ''kalamar'' (

squid True squid are molluscs with an elongated soft body, large eyes, eight arms, and two tentacles in the superorder Decapodiformes, though many other molluscs within the broader Neocoleoidea are also called squid despite not strictly fittin ...

) with

sauce. Popular sea fish in Turkey include: * anchovy *

sardine "Sardine" and "pilchard" are common names for various species of small, oily forage fish in the herring family Clupeidae. The term "sardine" was first used in English during the early 15th century, a folk etymology says it comes from the It ...

bonito Bonitos are a tribe of medium-sized, ray-finned predatory fish in the family Scombridae – a family it shares with the mackerel, tuna, and Spanish mackerel tribes, and also the butterfly kingfish. Also called the tribe Sardini, it consists ...

* gilt-head bream or * red mullet *

* whiting or * haddock *

swordfish Swordfish (''Xiphias gladius''), also known as broadbills in some countries, are large, highly migratory predatory fish characterized by a long, flat, pointed bill. They are a popular sport fish of the billfish category, though elusive. Swordf ...

* turbot * red pandora *

Jack mackerel Jack mackerels or saurels are marine fish in the genus ''Trachurus'' of the family Carangidae. The name of the genus derives from the Greek words ''trachys'' ("rough") and ''oura'' ("tail"). Some species, such as ''T. murphyi'', are harvested i ...

* white grouper *

bluefish The bluefish (''Pomatomus saltatrix'') is the only extant species of the family Pomatomidae. It is a marine pelagic fish found around the world in temperate and subtropical waters, except for the northern Pacific Ocean. Bluefish are known as t ...

Desserts

Wasserweltfest 2012 - Türkische Mehlspeise

Cuisine in the late Ottoman Empire was heavily influenced by ''

alafranga Alafranga and alaturca are musical and cultural concepts specific to the Ottoman Empire and its people. The terms describe a distinction between Western culture and Eastern culture in the Balkans. They are also associated with the old-fashioned ( ...

'' style food, in fashion all over Europe and in Russia in the late 19th century. In the Turkish context it has been regarded as a symbol of Westernization. This influence could still be seen in the earliest cookbooks of the early Republican period like the first edition of the ''Türk Kadınlar Tatlı Kitabı'' (Turkish Women's Book of Desserts) which had recipes for Western style sponge cake (''pandispanya''),

mille feuille A (, "thousand-sheets"),The name is also written as and . also known by the names Napoleon, vanilla slice, and custard slice, is a dessert made of puff pastry layered with pastry cream. Its modern form was influenced by improvements made by Ma ...

petit beurre The Petit Beurre, or Véritable Petit Beurre, also known under the initials VPB, is a kind of shortbread from Nantes, that is best known in France in general and especially in Pays de la Loire. It is the Petit Beurre of the LU company, which has ...

and other western desserts. The revised edition published in 1966 devoted far more attention to traditional

confectionery Confectionery is the Art (skill), art of making confections, which are food items that are rich in sugar and carbohydrates. Exact definitions are difficult. In general, however, confectionery is divided into two broad and somewhat overlappi ...

like şekerpare,

and helva. One of the world-renowned desserts of Turkish cuisine is

. Baklava is made either with pistachios or walnuts. Turkish cuisine has a range of baklava-like desserts which include .

Kadaif Knafeh ( ar, كنافة) is a traditional Middle Eastern dessert made with spun pastry called ''kataifi'', soaked in a sweet, sugar-based syrup called attar, and typically layered with cheese, or with other ingredients such as clotted cream, pis ...

('Kadayıf') is a common Turkish dessert that employs shredded yufka. There are different types of

kadaif Knafeh ( ar, كنافة) is a traditional Middle Eastern dessert made with spun pastry called ''kataifi'', soaked in a sweet, sugar-based syrup called attar, and typically layered with cheese, or with other ingredients such as clotted cream, pis ...

: tel (wire) or

Burma Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John C. Wells, Joh ...

(wring) kadayıf, both of which can be prepared with either walnuts or pistachios. Although carrying the label "kadayıf",

ekmek kadayıfı Ekmek kadayıfı is a bread pudding that was historically part of Ottoman cuisine and in modern times remains part of the cuisines of the former Ottoman Empire. It is usually served with kaymak, a kind of clotted cream. In Turkey it is considere ...

is totally different from "tel kadayıf".

Künefe Knafeh ( ar, كنافة) is a traditional Middle Eastern dessert made with spun pastry called ''kataifi'', soaked in a sweet, sugar-based syrup called attar, and typically layered with cheese, or with other ingredients such as clotted cream, pi ...

and

are rich in syrup and butter, and are usually served with kaymak (clotted/scrambled butter). Künefe contains wire kadayıf with a layer of melted cheese in between and it is served hot with pistachios or walnuts.

is made as a dessert with kaymak (clotted cream,) and like many other delicacies from

and Kilis , is also filled and topped with pistachios. Among milk-based desserts, the most popular ones are

muhallebi Muhallebi is a milk pudding commonly made with rice, sugar, milk and either rice flour, starch or semolina, popular as a dessert in the Middle East. While the dessert is called Muhallebi in Greece, Turkey and Iraq, the Egyptian variant is c ...

, su muhallebisi, sütlaç (rice pudding), keşkül,

kazandibi Kazandibi or kazan dibi ( tr, Kazandibi, lit. 'bottom of kazan or cauldron') is a Turkish dessert and a type of caramelized milk pudding. It is developed in the kitchens of the Ottoman Palace and one of the most popular Turkish desserts today. It ...

(meaning the bottom of "kazan" because of its burnt surface), and tavuk göğsü (a sweet, gelatinous, milk pudding dessert quite similar to kazandibi, to which very thinly peeled chicken breast is added to give a chewy texture). A speciality from the Mediterranean region is haytalı, which consists of pieces of starch pudding and ice cream (or crushed ice) put in rose water sweetened with syrup. Helva (halva): un helvası (flour helva is usually cooked after someone has died),süt helvası(its ingredients are raw cow's milk, butter, flour and sugar. it is cooked by frying the top in an oven at 250 °C.is popular in

) irmik helvası (cooked with semolina and pine nuts), hoşmerim (cheese helva), yaz helvası (made from walnut or almond), tahin helvası (crushed sesame seeds. it is also eaten for breakfast), kos helva,

pişmaniye ''Pişmaniye'' ( Bosnian: Ćetenija) is a Turkish and Bosnian sweet in fine strands made by blending flour roasted in butter into pulled sugar. It is sometimes garnished with ground pistachio nuts. Although it is sometimes compared to cotton ca ...

(floss halva). Other popular desserts include;

Revani Basbousa () is a sweet, syrup-soaked semolina cake that originated in Egypt. The semolina batter is baked in a sheet pan, then sweetened with orange flower water, rose water or simple syrup, and typically cut into diamond (lozenge) shapes or squar ...

(with semolina and starch), şekerpare, kalburabasma,

dilber dudağı Dilber dudağı, (lit. ''lady lips'' or ''sweetheart's lips'' in Turkish), is a Turkish dessert. The ingredients are egg, yogurt, milk, butter, sunflower oil, baking powder, lemon, flour, sugar, water. The dessert reveals sexual imaginations just ...

, vezir parmağı, hanım göbeği, kemalpaşa, tulumba,

zerde Zerde is a traditional Persian, Iraqi, Turkish, dessert. The original rice pudding, infused with a generous amount of saffron giving it a vibrant yellow hue and a delicate floral flavour. This is a festive dish popular at weddings, births, and d ...

, paluze, irmik tatlısı/peltesi, lokma. Güllaç is a dessert typically served at Ramadan, which consists of very thin, large dough layers put in milk and rose water, served with pomegranate seeds and walnuts. A story is told that in the kitchens of the Palace, those extra thin dough layers were prepared with "prayers", as it was believed that if one did not pray while opening phyllo dough, it would never be possible to obtain such thin layers. Aşure can be described as a sweet soup containing boiled beans, wheat and dried fruits. Sometimes cinnamon and rose water is added when being served. According to legend, it was first cooked on

Noah's Ark Noah's Ark ( he, תיבת נח; Biblical Hebrew: ''Tevat Noaḥ'')The word "ark" in modern English comes from Old English ''aerca'', meaning a chest or box. (See Cresswell 2010, p.22) The Hebrew word for the vessel, ''teva'', occurs twice in ...

and contained seven different ingredients in one dish. All the Anatolian peoples have cooked and are still cooking aşure especially during the month of Muharrem. Some traditional Turkish desserts are fruit-based: '' ayva tatlısı'' (

), ''incir tatlısı'' (

), '' kabak tatlısı'' (

), ''elma tatlısı'' (

) and ''armut tatlısı'' (

). Fruits are cooked in a pot or in an oven with sugar, carnations and cinnamon (without adding water). After being chilled, they are served with walnuts or pistachios and kaymak. Homemade cookies/biscuits are commonly called

kurabiye Qurabiya (also ghraybe, ghorayeba, ghoriba ( ar, غريبة), ghribia, ghraïba, or ghriyyaba and numerous other spellings and pronunciations) is a shortbread-type biscuit, usually made with ground almonds. Versions are found in most Arab and Ot ...

in Turkish. The most common types are

acıbadem kurabiyesi Acıbadem kurabiyesi ( tr, acıbadem kurabiyesi, lit=bitter almond biscuit) is a traditional Turkish biscuit made of almonds, sugar and egg whites. The traditional recipes include a small amount of bitter almonds, which gives this cookie its ...

(prepared only with eggs, sugar and almonds), un kurabiyesi (flour kurabiye) and cevizli kurabiye (kurabiye with walnuts). Another dough based dessert is ay çöreği. Tahin-pekmez is a traditional combination especially in rural areas. Tahin is sesame paste and pekmez is grape syrup. These are sold separately and mixed before consumption. Lokum (

Turkish delight Turkish delight or lokum ( ota, لوقوم) is a family of confections based on a gel of starch and sugar. Premium varieties consist largely of chopped dates, pistachios, hazelnuts or walnuts bound by the gel; traditional varieties are often fl ...

), which was eaten for digestion after meals and called "rahat hulkum" in the Ottoman era, is another well-known sweet/candy with a range of varieties.

Cezerye Cezerye is a semi-gelatinous traditional Turkish dessert made from caramelised carrots, shredded coconut, and roasted walnuts, hazelnuts, or pistachios. Cut into matchbox-sized rectangular chips it is served on special occasions. It originated ...

cevizli sucuk Churchkhela ( ka, ჩურჩხელა, ) is a traditional Georgian cuisine candle-shaped candy. The main ingredients of Churchkhela are grape must, nuts, and flour. Almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, and chocolate and sometimes raisins are ...

(named after its sucuk/sujuk like shape, also known as

Churchkhela Churchkhela ( ka, ჩურჩხელა, ) is a traditional Georgian cuisine candle-shaped candy. The main ingredients of Churchkhela are grape must, nuts, and flour. Almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, and chocolate and sometimes raisins are ...

in Circassian region) and

pestil Pestil, a Turkish word meaning dried fruit pulp, is best exemplified in the English term "fruit leather." Fruit leather is made from mechanically pulverizing fruit, then spreading it out to dry into a tough, yet flexible and edible material which ...

(fruit leather) are among other common sweets.

Marzipan Marzipan is a confection consisting primarily of sugar, honey, and almond meal (ground almonds), sometimes augmented with almond oil or extract. It is often made into sweets; common uses are chocolate-covered marzipan and small marzipan imit ...

''badem ezmesi'' or ''fıstık ezmesi'' (made of ground pistachios) is another common confection in Turkey. Another jelly like Turkish sweet is

macun Macun (in Turkish also Macun şekeri) is a soft, sweet and colorful Turkish toffee paste. It is a street food that may be prepared with many herbs and spices. Macun originated from spicy preparations of Mesir macunu, a traditional Turkish herba ...

. Mesir macunu of

İzmir İzmir ( , ; ), also spelled Izmir, is a metropolitan city in the western extremity of Anatolia, capital of the province of the same name. It is the third most populous city in Turkey, after Istanbul and Ankara and the second largest urban aggl ...

(which was also called "nevruziye" as this Macun was distributed on the first day of spring in the Ottoman Palace) contains 41 different spices. It is still believed that "mesir macunu" is good for health and has healing effects. As with lokum, nane macunu (prepared with mint) used to be eaten as a digestive after heavy meals. Herbs and flowers having curative effects were grown in the gardens of Topkapı under the control of the chief doctor "hekimbaşı" and pharmacists of the Palace who used those herbs for preparing special types of

and sherbet.Marianna Yerasimos, Ottoman cuisine There are also several types of ice creams based on salep powder or

Cornstarch Corn starch, maize starch, or cornflour (British English) is the starch derived from corn (maize) grain. The starch is obtained from the endosperm of the kernel. Corn starch is a common food ingredient, often used to thicken sauces or sou ...

with

Rose water Rose water ( fa, گلاب) is a flavoured water made by steeping rose petals in water. It is the hydrosol portion of the distillate of rose petals, a by-product of the production of rose oil for use in perfume. Rose water is also used to fla ...

such as Dondurma (Turkish gum ice cream), dried fruit ice cream, ice cream rose petals. Dried fruit, used in dolma, pilav, meat dishes and other desserts is also eaten with almonds or walnuts as a dessert. Figs, grapes, apricots are the most widespread dried fruits. ''Kaymak'' (clotted cream-butter) is often served with desserts to cut through their sweetness. Turkish tea or

Turkish coffee Turkish coffee is a style of coffee prepared in a '' cezve'' using very finely ground coffee beans without filtering. Preparation Turkish coffee is very finely ground coffee brewed by boiling. Any coffee bean may be used; arabica varieties are ...

, with or without sugar, is usually served after dinner or more rarely together with desserts.

Street food

* Dondurma * iced almonds ''buzlu badem'' * fried mussels, stuffed mussels ''midye'' * fresh walnuts ''taze ceviz'' * gözleme is a kind of food that a thin flat bread called "yufka" stuffed with potato, white or kaşar cheese, spinach, ground meat and/or other ingredients with or without spices and traditionally cooked over "sac", a traditional cooking equipment * kokoreç * fish bread ''balık ekmek'' * sucuk ekmek * köfte ekmek * kumpir a baked potato served with ''kaşar'' cheese and many other toppings * lokma * roasted corn ''közde mısır'' * roasted chesnuts ''kestane'' * simit *

Macun Macun (in Turkish also Macun şekeri) is a soft, sweet and colorful Turkish toffee paste. It is a street food that may be prepared with many herbs and spices. Macun originated from spicy preparations of Mesir macunu, a traditional Turkish herba ...

Beverages

Alcoholic beverages

Although the majority of Turks profess the Islamic religion,

alcoholic beverage An alcoholic beverage (also called an alcoholic drink, adult beverage, or a drink) is a drink that contains ethanol, a type of Alcohol (chemistry), alcohol that acts Alcohol (drug), as a drug and is produced by Ethanol fermentation, fermentat ...

s are as widely available as anywhere.

Rakı Rakı or raki (, Turkish pronunciation: ) is an alcoholic drink made of twice-distilled grapes. It is the national drink of Turkey. It is also popular in other Balkan countries as an apéritif as well as in Kazakhstan. It is often served with ...

(pronounced �aˈkɯ is the most popular alcoholic drink in Turkey. There are a few local brands of

lager Lager () is beer which has been brewed and conditioned at low temperature. Lagers can be pale, amber, or dark. Pale lager is the most widely consumed and commercially available style of beer. The term "lager" comes from the German for "storag ...

such as Bomonti, Marmara 34 and

Efes Pilsen Anadolu Efes Biracılık ve Malt Sanayii A.Ş.''(lit. Anadolu Efes Brewery and Malt Industries)'' produces and markets beer and malt and non-alcoholic beverages in a wide geographical area comprising Turkey, Russia, the Commonwealth of Independ ...

and a small selection of international beers that are produced in Turkey such as Skol, Beck's,

Miller A miller is a person who operates a mill, a machine to grind a grain (for example corn or wheat) to make flour. Milling is among the oldest of human occupations. "Miller", "Milne" and other variants are common surnames, as are their equivalent ...

, Foster's,

Carlsberg Carlsberg may refer to: Places * Carlsberg (district), a district in Copenhagen, Denmark ** Carlsberg station, its train station * Carlsberg, Germany, a municipality in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany * Carlsberg Fjord, Greenland Other uses * Carls ...

and Tuborg. In Turkey,

craft beer Craft beer is a beer that has been made by craft breweries. They produce smaller amounts of beer, typically less than large breweries, and are often independently owned. Such breweries are generally perceived and marketed as having an emphasis o ...

s became popular in present-day; Gara Guzu, Feliz Kulpa,

Pablo Pablo is a Spanish form of the name Paul. People *Pablo Alborán, Spanish singer *Pablo Aimar, Argentine footballer * Pablo Armero, Colombian footballer * Pablo Bartholomew, Indian photojournalist * Pablo Brandán, Argentine footballer * Pablo Br ...

and

Graf (feminine: ) is a historical title of the German nobility, usually translated as " count". Considered to be intermediate among noble ranks, the title is often treated as equivalent to the British title of "earl" (whose female version is " ...

are some Turkish craft beer brands Turkish wine regions map

There are a variety of local

wine Wine is an alcoholic drink typically made from Fermentation in winemaking, fermented grapes. Yeast in winemaking, Yeast consumes the sugar in the grapes and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Different ...

s produced by Turkish brands such as Sevilen, Kavaklıdere, Doluca, Corvus, Kayra, Pamukkale and Diren which are getting more popular with the change of climatic conditions that affect the production of wine. A range of grape varieties are grown in Turkey. For the production of red wine, the following types of grapes are mainly used; in the Marmara Region,

Pinot noir Pinot Noir () is a red-wine grape variety of the species ''Vitis vinifera''. The name may also refer to wines created predominantly from pinot noir grapes. The name is derived from the French words for ''pine'' and ''black.'' The word ''pine ...

, Adakarası,

Papazkarası Papazkarası, also Papaskara ( tr, papazkarası, "priest's black"), is a Turkish grape variety and a Turkish wine grown in the Marmara and Central Anatolia regions of Turkey. This variety was used to make a red wine blend with Cinsaut. The wine h ...

, Semillion, Kuntra,

Gamay Gamay is a purple-colored grape variety used to make red wines, most notably grown in Beaujolais and in the Loire Valley around Tours. Its full name is Gamay Noir à Jus Blanc. It is a very old cultivar, mentioned as long ago as the 15th centu ...

Cinsault Cinsaut or Cinsault ( ) is a red wine grape whose heat tolerance and productivity make it important in Languedoc-Roussillon and the former French colonies of Algeria, Lebanon, and Morocco. It is often blended with grapes such as Grenache and C ...

; in the Aegean Region, Carignane, Çalkarası,

Merlot Merlot is a dark blue–colored wine grape variety, that is used as both a blending grape and for varietal wines. The name ''Merlot'' is thought to be a diminutive of ''merle'', the French name for the blackbird, probably a reference to the ...

Cabernet Sauvignon Cabernet Sauvignon () is one of the world's most widely recognized red wine grape varieties. It is grown in nearly every major wine producing country among a diverse spectrum of climates from Australia and British Columbia, Canada to Lebanon ...

Alicante Bouschet Alicante Bouschet or Alicante Henri Bouschet is a wine grape variety that has been widely cultivated since 1866. It is a cross of Petit Bouschet (itself a cross of the very old variety Teinturier du Cher and Aramon) and Grenache.Öküzgözü Öküzgözü (Kurdish language, Kurdish: Çavga or Tiriyê ÇavgaZana Farqînî (2004). Ferhenga kurdî-tirkî. Enstîtuya Kurdî ya Stenbolê, Istanbul) is a grape variety and a Turkish wine produced from this grape. The grape is one of the two ...

, Boğazkere; in Central Anatolia,

Kalecik Karası Kalecik Karası is a Turkish grape variety and a Turkish wine produced from this grape. This grape and wine are called by the name of area, the Kalecik district of Ankara Province, Turkey. Kalecik Karası grows successfully near Kalecik. In its ...

, Dimrit; in the Mediterranean Region, Sergi Karası, Dimrit. As for white wine, the grapes can be listed as follows; in the Marmara Region,

Chardonnay Chardonnay (, , ) is a green-skinned grape variety used in the production of white wine. The variety originated in the Burgundy wine region of eastern France, but is now grown wherever wine is produced, from England to New Zealand. For new ...

Riesling Riesling (, ; ) is a white grape variety that originated in the Rhine region. Riesling is an aromatic grape variety displaying flowery, almost perfumed, aromas as well as high acidity. It is used to make dry, semi-sweet, sweet, and sparkling wh ...

, Semillion, Beylerce, Yapıncak; in the Aegean Region,

muscat Muscat ( ar, مَسْقَط, ) is the capital and most populated city in Oman. It is the seat of the Governorate of Muscat. According to the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI), the total population of Muscat Governorate was ...

and semillion; in the Black Sea Region, Narince; in Central Anatolia,

Emir Emir (; ar, أمير ' ), sometimes transliterated amir, amier, or ameer, is a word of Arabic origin that can refer to a male monarch, aristocrat, holder of high-ranking military or political office, or other person possessing actual or cer ...

, Goat Cheese. In addition to mass production, it is quite popular to produce wines in private farms and sell them in the locality. Visitors can find different "home made" wines in Central Anatolia (Kapadokya/

Cappadocia Cappadocia or Capadocia (; tr, Kapadokya), is a historical region in Central Anatolia, Turkey. It largely is in the provinces Nevşehir, Kayseri, Aksaray, Kırşehir, Sivas and Niğde. According to Herodotus, in the time of the Ionian Revo ...

region -

Nevşehir Nevşehir (from the Persian compound ''Now-shahr'' meaning "new city"), formerly Neapolis (Ancient Greek: Νεάπολις) and Muşkara, is a largely modern city and the capital district of Nevşehir Province in the Central Anatolia Region of ...

), the Aegean coast (

and Bozcaada (an island in the Aegean Sea)).

Non-alcoholic beverages

At breakfast and all day long Turkish people drink

black tea Black tea, also translated to red tea in various East Asian languages, is a type of tea that is more oxidized than oolong, yellow, white and green teas. Black tea is generally stronger in flavour than other teas. All five types are made from ...

(''çay''). Tea is made with two teapots in Turkey. Strong bitter tea made in the upper pot is diluted by adding boiling water from the lower.

(''kahve'') is usually served after meals or with dessert. Ayran (yogurt drink) is the most common cold beverage, which may accompany almost all dishes in Turkey, except those with fish and other seafood. It's a mix of yogurt and water, similar to lassi. It may be served with salt, according to taste. Şalgam suyu (mild or spicy fermented black carrot juice) is another important non-alcoholic beverage that is usually combined with kebabs or served together with

rakı Rakı or raki (, Turkish pronunciation: ) is an alcoholic drink made of twice-distilled grapes. It is the national drink of Turkey. It is also popular in other Balkan countries as an apéritif as well as in Kazakhstan. It is often served with ...

Boza Boza, also bosa, is a fermented beverage originating from the Middle East and made in parts of Southeast Europe, Central and Western Asia, Caucasus and North Africa. It is a malt drink made by fermenting various grains: wheat or millet in Alban ...

is a traditional winter drink, which is also known as millet wine (served cold with cinnamon and sometimes with leblebi). Sahlep is another favorite in winter (served hot with cinnamon). Sahlep is extracted from the roots of wild orchids and may be used in Turkish ice cream as well. This was a popular drink in western Europe before coffee was brought from Africa and came to be widely known. ''Limonata'' (lemonade) is very popular. It is traditionally served with baklava and other sweets. Sometimes lemonade is served with strawberry flavoring. This is called ''çilekli limonata''. Sherbet (Turkish ''şerbet,'' pronounced ) is a syrup which can be made from any of a wide variety of ingredients, especially fruits, flowers, or herbs. Examples include pears, quinces, strawberries, apples, cornelian cherry, pomegranates, oranges, rose petals, rose hips, or licorice and spices. Sherbet is drunk diluted with cold water. In classical Turkish cuisine, hoşaf (from the Persian "Khosh-ab", meaning "fresh water") alternatively accompanies meat dishes and ''pilav'' (

pilaf Pilaf ( US spelling) or pilau ( UK spelling) is a rice dish, or in some regions, a wheat dish, whose recipe usually involves cooking in stock or broth, adding spices, and other ingredients such as vegetables or meat, and employing some techn ...

Related cuisines

Albanian cuisine Albanian cuisine ( ) is a representative of the cuisine of the Mediterranean. It is also an example of the Mediterranean diet based on the importance of olive oil, fruits, vegetables and fish. The cooking traditions of the Albanian people are di ...

Armenian cuisine Armenian cuisine includes the foods and cooking techniques of the Armenian people and traditional Armenian foods and dishes. The cuisine reflects the history and geography where Armenians have lived as well as sharing outside influences from ...

Azerbaijani cuisine Azerbaijani cuisine ( az, Azərbaycan mətbəxi) refers to the cooking styles and dishes of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The cuisine developed significantly due to its diversity of agriculture, from abundant grasslands which historically allowed f ...

* Balkan cuisine * Caucasian cuisine * Central Asian cuisine *

Cypriot cuisine Cypriot cuisine is mainly influenced by Greek and Turkish cuisines, whilst also sharing similarities with the cuisines of Italy and France. Food preparation Frequently used ingredients are fresh vegetables such as zucchini, olives, okra, gre ...

Iranian cuisine Iranian cuisine () refers to the culinary practices of Iran. Due to the historically common usage of the term "Persia" to refer to Iran in the Western world,Yarshater, EhsaPersia or Iran, Persian or Farsi, ''Iranian Studies'', vol. XXII no. 1 ( ...

Mediterranean cuisine Mediterranean cuisine is the food and methods of preparation used by the people of the Mediterranean Basin. The idea of a Mediterranean cuisine originates with the cookery writer Elizabeth David's book, '' A Book of Mediterranean Food'' (1950 ...

* Mesopotamian cuisine *

Middle Eastern cuisine Middle Eastern cuisine or West Asian cuisine includes Arab, Armenian, Assyrian, Azerbaijani, Cypriot, Egyptian, Georgian, Iranian, Iraqi, Israeli, Kurdish, Lebanese, Palestinian and Turkish cuisines. Common ingredients include olives ...

* Mongolian cuisine *

* Turkmen cuisine

References

Bibliography

* Budak, Süheyl
''Antakya Mutfağı''
Hatay 2008, (1996 edition)
Antakya-cuisine with Süheyl Budak and 75 ladies
* Gürsoy, Deniz, ''Turkish Cuisine in Historical Perspective'', Istanbul, 2006, . * Halıcı, Nevin, ''Konya Yemek Kültürü ve Konya Yemekleri'', Istanbul 2005, . * Halıcı, Nevin, ''Sufi Cuisine'', Saqi 2005. * Lambraki, Mirsini & Akın, Engin, ''Aynı Sofrada İki Ülke, Türk ve Yunan Mutfağı'', Istanbul 2003, . * Roden, Claudia, ''A New Book of Middle Eastern Food'', 2000, . * Şavkay, Turgut, ''Halk Mutfağımız Geleneksel Tatlarımızdan Seçmeler'', Istanbul 2005, . * Şavkay, Turgut, ''Turkish Cuisine'', Istanbul 2003, * Ünsal, Artun & Süt, Uyuyunca, ''Türkiye Peynirleri'', Istanbul, . * Ünsal, Artun & Silivrim, Kaymak, ''Türkiye'nin Yoğurtları'', Istanbul 2007, . * Yerasimos, Marianna, ''Osmanlı Mutfağı'', Istanbul 2002; published in English as ''500 Years of Ottoman Cuisine''. * Zubaida, Sami & Tapper, Richard, ''A Taste of Thyme: Culinary Cultures of the Middle East'', London and New York, 1994 and 2000, .

External links

* Turkish Cultural Foundation
Turkish Cuisine Portal
*

Cornucopia In classical antiquity, the cornucopia (), from Latin ''cornu'' (horn) and ''copia'' (abundance), also called the horn of plenty, was a symbol of abundance and nourishment, commonly a large horn-shaped container overflowing with produce, flowers ...

recipe index
Cookery Listing

"Turkish Cousine" (Study In Turkey)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Turkish Cuisine Mediterranean cuisine Middle Eastern cuisine