Turkish cuisine national dishes recipes. What to try in Turkey: traditional cuisine and food

Turkish cuisine is attractive because it intertwines Mediterranean, Arabic, Indian, Caucasian and Middle Eastern culinary traditions. In the Ottoman Empire, food was a cult, and now it is given a lot of attention. In this amazing country, breakfasts, lunches and dinners are an important part of life, so the Turks eat slowly, savoring every bite. A family lunch or dinner in honor of some event can last for hours. The table is full of delicious dishes, and the topics for unhurried conversations are inexhaustible.

But you and I do not have to cook dozens of dishes to surprise loved ones with Turkish delicacies. It is enough to make a kebab in the oven, bake eggplant with spices or cook baklava, and you can already expect applause for your culinary talent! What traditional Turkish dishes can we cook at home without spending all day in the kitchen?

Meze - a delicious start to lunch

Turkish cuisine was formed under the influence of Islamic traditions, so the cooking process is clearly regulated by certain rules. All food is divided into permitted (halal) and forbidden (haram), which includes, for example, pork.

A typical Turkish meal begins with cold and hot meze appetizers, the task of which is to increase the appetite. Mezes include salads, pickles, pickled vegetables, eggplant appetizers, vegetable caviar, olives, cheese, hummus, yoghurt cream with cheese and herbs, falafel, fish, shrimps and bereki - small puff pastry, in which several fillings fit between thin layers of dough. Meze is served in restaurants, cafes, eateries and entertainment establishments as a mandatory addition to alcohol.

Mutabal eggplant appetizer

This appetizing appetizer is spread on unleavened cakes and sprinkle with herbs. For its preparation you will need 2 eggplants. Wash vegetables well and pat dry with paper towels. Brush the eggplants with olive oil and pierce in several places with a fork.

Preheat the oven to 180 ° C and bake the eggplant for half an hour until soft. Cool, remove the skin, mix in a blender with 2 cloves of garlic, 1 tbsp. l. sesame paste (tahini) and 1.5 tsp. lemon juice. In the process of grinding, add to the blender gradually 2 tbsp. l. Greek yogurt. Salt the resulting puree and season it to taste with extra virgin olive oil.

Serve the appetizer in a bowl, sprinkled with herbs and drizzled with oil - it looks very beautiful and, as a rule, is eaten first!

Soup for breakfast, lunch and dinner

First courses in Turkish cuisine are so delicious that if you try at least one of them, you will immediately understand why Turkish gourmets are ready to enjoy soups from morning to evening.

In winter, they usually cook hot lentil soup merdzhimek chorbasy, tomato soup, garlic soup made from beef or sheep giblets ishkembe chorbasy. In the summer in Turkey, you can’t do without a refreshing cajik stew made from ayran, cucumbers and greens, which, in fact, is served with pilaf in winter. Shekhrieli yesil merdzhimek chorbasy - green lentil soup with noodles - and yayla - rice-mint soup with a sour-spicy taste are very popular. Turks love unusual combinations and often season soups lemon juice, egg and mint.

Tarkhana is very popular - a preparation for soup, which is made from sun-dried and powdered tomatoes, red or green pepper powder, onions and flour. In winter, it is enough to add this mixture to the water, season tomato paste and the soup is ready!

Turkish Lentil Soup

Each Turkish hostess prepares lentil puree soup in her own way, and all options are good. We will share with you one of the recipes.

Place 1.5 cups of well-rinsed red lentils, 2 diced potatoes and carrots, and a finely grated onion in a saucepan. Pour the ingredients with cold water and cook for about 30 minutes over medium heat - by this time the products should be soft.

Now add 1 tbsp. l. tomato paste, 1 tsp. butter, a pinch of cumin and salt, 2 pinches of thyme and dried mint. Beat the mixture well with a blender, put on fire again, bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes over low heat.

Water this delicious soup lemon juice and season with fresh herbs. can be cooked on meat broth and add pre-fried meatballs to it at the end of cooking.

Country of meat abundance

One of the richest cuisines in the world, thanks to the huge variety of dishes and unique taste characteristics.
For centuries, it has been developing along with the culture and traditions of Turkey, originating from the nomadic Turkic tribes. And this is where it gets even more interesting,Turkic cuisine has been greatly influenced by many other cuisines - Caucasian, Arabic, Mediterranean (especially Greek), Balkan. The prohibitions of Islam have not passed by either, since the country has some guidelines regarding food in the form of permitted (halal) and prohibited (haram). This cuisine uses a lot of hot and fragrant spices, the main focus is on meat and vegetables.
Now you can imagine how diverse the cuisine can be if the traditions of such a large number of nationalities are mixed in it.

TURKISH CUISINE

Among the national dishes you can find anything - from simple salads and snacks to the most exquisite meat and vegetable dishes, drinks and desserts.
Turkish dishes are moderately spicy, so the cuisine will appeal to everyone - both spicy lovers and those who prefer less peppery food.

flour products

Let's start with baking. Serving bread is one of the main traditions.
Ekmek
There are several varieties of it: White bread(from wheat), gray (millet) and black (so-called somun - Bulgarian bread). As a rule, they are most often baked in the villages according to their own recipes. Bread products can be bought at the market or on the days of fairs.
Berek
Baked bagels. Made from flatbread cut into triangles. The filling is cheese, spices and aromatic herbs.
Poacha
Small buns with various fillings - cottage cheese, cheese, mashed potatoes, minced meat and whatever. Sesame or poppy seeds are used for decoration. Their peculiarity is that they are prepared without yeast, so a minimum of time is required for their preparation.
pita
Thick flatbread made from yeast dough, served on the table with baked in it, to choose from, vegetables, cheese, meat. Often pita can be found in small eateries.
Gözleme
One of the types of flatbread the thinnest dough(Yufka). The filling is a mixture of cheese with parsley or spinach, cottage cheese can also be used, minced meat - the choice is great. It is considered a rustic dish due to the ease of preparation.
Simit
Bagels sprinkled with sesame seeds. The most popular pastry sold on every corner.
Lahmacun
Turkish pizza. This is a thin cake, inside of which are wrapped chopped meat, finely chopped vegetables and spices. The taste is spicy and plain.
Pide
A cake resembling the shape of a boat, inside which lies a whole "battalion" of products: minced beef and lamb, tomatoes, red, green and hot peppers, onion, garlic, mushrooms, cheese, spices. It has a very beautiful and appetizing appearance.
Gel tatlysy
Translated from Turkish - sweet roses. And it really is - delicate roses made from shortcrust pastry, watered with fragrant sherbet, covered with walnuts and pistachio flour. The dish is served on a beautiful plate, always with tea. Real jam!
Chocolate Kurabye
Oriental cookies - salty or sweet, in the form of flowers.
Cheese Pie
A similar pie is found among many Caucasian peoples. In Ossetia - famous Ossetian pie, in Georgia - achma. He also did not pass by Turkey. Preparing a pie without yeast, stuffed with Adyghe cheese and butter. It has a round or rectangular shape. After cooking, cut into small squares.
Buns with olives
Appetizing rings - with olives, laid out in a thin layer, beautifully sprinkled with sesame seeds.
Shekerpare
Another view oriental cookies. Made from shortcrust pastry (with the addition of semolina), poured with sherbet and decorated with nuts and coconut flakes. Served on plates with unsweetened tea.
You can continue indefinitely.

Kebab

A completely separate category of Turkish dishes, known and consumed all over the world. Translated from Persian as "fried meat". Prepare several types of kebabs.
adana kebab
The most popular in the country. It is rolls of hot pepper minced lamb, fried on a spit. It has such a name in honor of its homeland - the city of Adana. Served inside a tortilla, with tomatoes, herbs, onions.
Iskender kebab
second in polarity. Lamb meat is roasted on a skewer, in tomato sauce, yogurt and melted butter. Kebab comes from the city of Bursa.
Doner
No less famous food here and in Europe. Interestingly, at first it was rice with salad. Now it is an indispensable snack - chicken, beef or lamb meat, various vegetables are placed in a flat cake cut into 2 parts, all this is poured with hot sauce, sprinkled with spices.
Shish kebab
National barbecue - lamb fried on a skewer, with sweet peppers and tomatoes.

Turkish meat dishes

Kofte
From Persian it means "to beat meat". Known in the countries of South Asia and the Middle East.
Meatballs have their own characteristics: composition of products, shape, spices. Every corner of Turkey has its own recipe. Usually it is chopped beef or lamb meat, with spices and onions, in the form of cutlets. Then they are either fried on the grill in a frying pan, or boiled in a saucepan, baked in the oven. There are many varieties of kofte - chig kofte, izmir, dalyan, kuru. It all depends on the meat, cooking method, composition and spices.
Pilaf
Even the name looks like plov. From Turkish - "cool rice porrige". Yes, this is a local version of pilaf, cooked from boiled rice, chicken meat, with the addition of carrots, peppers, garlic, pine nuts, black raisins, herbs, spices and salt.
Khashlama
The literal translation from Turkish is "boiled meat". So it is - these are boiled pieces of meat (lamb, beef), with onions, carrots, potatoes, red and green peppers and olive oil. Served on the table with lemon quarters, they are poured over the dish.
Turkish meatballs
Tepsi koftesi - consists of minced meat, pepper, tomato, potato, spices, tomato. pasta, herbs, onions and garlic. Baked in the oven.
Pirasa koftesi - cutlets consist of ground beef, flour, eggs, pepper, parsley and onion. Roasted in a pan.
Mersimek - lentil cutlets fried in tomato paste, with onions and spices. They are served on lettuce leaves.
Dolma
Grape leaves or vegetables (pepper, cabbage) stuffed with minced meat and boiled rice, with onions, herbs and spices. In our opinion, these are stuffed cabbage rolls.
Dolma happens: grape, onion, eggplant. It depends on what the filling will be put into or wrapped in.
Tavykly bezel
Chicken fillet stewed with vegetables (potatoes, carrots, onions, green pea). An excellent side dish option is boiled rice.
Chickpeas with meat
A dish of chickpeas stewed with beef, tomato paste, seasoned with hot peppers, garlic and onions.

Turkish soups

There are enough of them. The most famous:
Tarkhana Chorbasy - the most commonly prepared, made from ground, dried tomatoes, onions, peppers (red and green) - with flour and yeast. Ingredients may vary depending on the region of the country.
Merjimek - lentil soup.
Ishkembe - prepared from meat offal with garlic added.
Sekhriye Chorbasy - pasta soup with tomato paste, olive oil and onions.

Salads

The main ingredients are marinades (lemon juice, olive oil). In addition to various vegetables, popular additives are cheese, olives, beef sausage, etc.
Patlyjan salads
It consists of fried eggplant, from which the skin is then removed. After that, they are crushed, turning into mashed potatoes, salt, garlic, parsley, olives are added. oil.
Choban
This salad is made from sweet peppers, tomatoes, cheese, cucumbers, onions.
Roca
Arugula, familiar to us, only here fried chicken pieces are added to it.
Kysyr
Vegetable salad (onions, tomatoes, cucumbers, all kinds of peppers), seasoned with cinnamon, ground pepper, where bulgur is added - a special cereal made from steamed dried wheat. A salad is served on the table in the form of a small ball, decorated with lemon, mint and lettuce.

vegetable dishes

Yemeji Tavern
A dish of zucchini, which includes - zucchini, tomatoes, rice, herbs, olive oil, spices. Served with a sauce made from yogurt.
Imam bayaldi
Vegetable stew of tomato, eggplant, honey, parsley, mint, garlic, nutmeg, hot pepper, onion. The cooking method is quite original: a mixture of the above products is placed in eggplants shaped like boats, all this is baked in the oven.
Zeytinyagli pyrasa
Rice stewed with onions in olive oil. In addition to onions, carrots, sugar, tomato paste and lemon juice are added to the dish.

Turkish snacks

An element of custom is the arrangement of appetizers. Drinks are usually placed next to them.
Meze - from Turkish "taste", "snack".

Cold snacks
All kinds of creams belong to cold appetizers, most often on a yoghurt basis.
Haidari
Yoghurt mixture, where feta cheese, sugar, a little mint, lemon juice and olive oil are added.
Antep ezmesi
Spicy, made with crushed green and red peppers, tomato paste, onions, lemon juice, parsley and salt. A favorite dish of the eastern part of the country.
Jajik
Yogurt-based appetizer - with cucumber, mint, garlic. Especially good in hot weather.
The dish is very similar to the Greek - "tzatziki".
Baba hanush
A dish of charcoal-baked eggplants with garlic, sesame seeds, spices, sprinkled with lemon juice. You can add radishes, tomatoes and onions to it.
Awukma
Summer eggplant salad with peppers, cucumbers, feta cheese, seasoned with herbs and sesame seeds.
havuch
Yogurt cream - with grated carrots, lemon juice, pepper, olive oil, salt.
Sarma
Rice (with tomato paste, various herbs, onions, olive oil, spices, garlic) wrapped in grape leaves.
In addition to the above, Turkish meze is white cheese, walnuts, melon, cold salad from eggplant, artichokes.
Pepperoni - red and green hot peppers, olives (especially black ones), and pickled vegetables are very famous.

Hot appetizers
Of the hot ones, the most famous are:
Karidesh guvech
Shrimps baked in a pot - with tomatoes, spices, garlic, butter.
Borek cigar
The original form of tubes of the thinnest dough, stuffed with cheese, fried on both sides in a pan. A very tasty dish.
Fyrynda mantar
Champignon mushrooms - in sauce, with 2 types of cheese. Baked in the oven.

Turkish sweets

Turkey has always been famous for its wide variety of sweet dishes. They are considered one of the most delicious in the East.
Syutlatch with strawberry sorbet
Rice pudding based on starch, milk, eggs, butter. The mixture is poured into molds and baked in the oven. Especially good in the heat!
baklava or baklava
Sweet, the most popular not only in the country, but throughout the world. Made from rice dough. It is poured with syrup made from sugar with lemon, or hot honey with water. Filling - ground pistachios, walnuts, cloves, cinnamon, powdered sugar.
Tulumba
Tubes in the form of a cylinder with openwork ribs, impregnated sugar syrup. The dish is served cold on the table.
Yrmyk helvasy
Halva made from semolina, sprinkled with milk and sugar syrup, sprinkled with cinnamon.
Turkish Delight
Translated from Arabic - "sweetness for the throat." Sugar or honey cubes - with dried coconuts, fruits, various nuts. They come in a variety of fruit flavors.
Helva
Dessert made from sesame paste and sugar, using cocoa powder.
Revani
Rastegai baked from semolina, sprinkled with sugar syrup. Cut into rhombuses.
Pekmez
Grape syrup is most famous in the Cappadocia region.
Quince tatlysy
Quince divided into two parts, boiled in syrupy broth. Served chilled, with sour cream (kaymak).
Gulyach
A delicacy made from rice dough, with milk, seasoned with ground walnuts. It is decorated with pomegranate seeds (made in the holy month of Ramadan).
Nath
Honey-nut kurabie soaked in condensed milk - crumbly, very tasty, melts right in your mouth.
Meivili Muhallebi
Milk dessert with fresh berries and fruit, sprinkled on top with cinnamon and grated walnuts - perfect option in hot weather.
Lokma
Sweet balls fried in a deep fryer, sprinkled with sugar syrup.
Jeserie
Dessert in the form of boiled carrot syrup turned into jelly, pomegranate juice, with pistachios. In addition to carrots, different fruits can be used.
Tatlysy Tavern
Pumpkin sweet boiled with sugar.
Ashura
The national dish of the whole country, without which no celebration can do. It has the second name "Dessert of Noah".
Since ancient times, familiar to the Turks, it is a symbol of the abundance of the Turkish family. Prepared for Thanksgiving. Delicious and very useful. Once during the period of the Omani Empire, ashure was considered medicine that cures many diseases.
Ingredients: a mixture of wheat, rice, beans (cooked). Dried fruits are added to it: dried apricots, figs, raisins, in addition - an orange, various berries, and also - starch, sugar and spices. Dessert looks like thickened jelly. Served with cereals and pieces of fruit.

Beverages

Turkish coffee
Famous all over the world. Prepared in a Turk (a special container for brewing), according to all traditions, coffee is poured into cups. A glass of cold water is served separately.
Turkish tea
Local celebrity - fragrant, delicious. Goes to in large numbers from tea plantations in Turkey.
Milk drinks
Airan is very refreshing. It is made from sour cow (goat or sheep) milk. Reminds us of kefir.
Salep is a hot milk drink. Most often it is used in cool weather.
Salgam - sour, spicy, made from turnips. Distributed in the region of Adana. In the southern part of the country, raki and spicy food are served.
Boza is a sweetish drink that is the result of fermentation, obtained from cereals, yeast and sugar.
Juices and lemonades
Shira - grape juice
Lemonade - made from lemons and oranges crushed in a blender
Mineral water
There are many types of it. The local population prefers to drink non-carbonated water.
Of the alcoholic known:
crayfish - National Turkish drink, which is anise "vodka". Sufficiently strong - from 40 to 70 revolutions. Used everywhere.
Bira - Turkish beer: Efes, Pera, Tekel, Marmara, etc.
Sharap - wine produced in many parts of the country. The best quality wines in the region of Izmir, Diyarbakir, Eastern Thrace, Cappadocia. Dry wine is very popular among the Turkish population.

You can always try all the above traditional dishes by going to one of the Turkish restaurants that we have selected especially for you.

The best Turkish restaurants

In the Stambul:
"Metropolis" - in the historical part of Sultanahmet. A cozy restaurant with a fireplace, so even in cold weather you will not be cold at all. This is one of those places where the most diverse menu of all cities in the country is presented. Crown food - lamb skewers, with tomato sauce, peppers and mushrooms. It is cooked in a pot, which is then broken at the guest's table, after which the shish kebab is brought, as it should be, served on a plate. The atmosphere is very pleasant - you don't even want to leave!
In Ankara:
"Haci Arif bey" - downtown. It's always very busy here. The peculiarity of the restaurant is a small garden with a pond where fish swim, an aviary with turtles is installed. For the youngest guests there is a playground. From dishes - mezes, vegetables, kebabs, soups, etc. excellent in taste. From drinks - ayran, different types teas. You can order food delivery.
In Antalya:
"Yemenli" - a nice establishment, consisting of several rooms. There is a small courtyard where flowers and trees grow, so it is very fresh and fragrant here! In general, the atmosphere here is more than relaxing. The menu is represented by dishes of European, Mediterranean, and of course, Turkish cuisine. Vegetarians have their own menu. The service is very delicate. There is a bar with a variety of drinks.
"Favory" - the name speaks for itself. If you chose this place, then you are in the favorites. Located in the center of the old town of Kaleici. Oh, how beautiful it is here! Everything says that you came to Turkey - the atmosphere, the interior. Spacious sofas with soft pillows, everything is buried in carpets. There is also a peculiarity - the walls are decorated with football posters, as the owner of the establishment is a football fan. The restaurant is really very warm, cozy, somehow at home. Before cooking, you will be shown what products will be used to prepare the dish.
In Fethiye:
Kalamaki - in the old part of the city. Very beautiful, modern room, with a unique style. There is a bar downstairs, on the second (roof) - a cozy snow-white terrace awaits you. The restaurant always has a romantic atmosphere, and the most exquisite dishes are served. Varied menu with tour. cuisine, as well as European. There are different types of wines. Waiters serve at the highest level.
"Mussakka" - very cozy restaurant. Tables are located inside the building and outside. Especially beautiful view- from the balcony (places are booked in advance), from where the endless sea is perfectly visible. The cuisine is full of variety. Kebabs with delicious sauces, vegetables, salads, desserts. We especially recommend trying moussaka (eggplant dish). Tasty food, friendly atmosphere, national music - all this can give you the most positive emotions and leave vivid impressions.
In Alania:
"Ottoman house" - surprisingly beautiful atmosphere of the east, a wide variety of dishes, friendly staff. There is a set and customized menu. Often during lunch, a beautiful belly dance is danced here. For those who want to admire the local beauties, there is an opportunity to climb onto the roof, from where you can see the city, mosque, harbor.
In Marmaris:

"Summer Breeze" - one of the best establishments in Marmaris. Very welcoming, friendly restaurant. Here everyone will find something tasty for themselves. Meat, seafood, salads, sauces, hot dishes, desserts - everything is cooked in best traditions countries. The restaurant accepts orders for celebrating birthdays, new year and other celebrations. Service is excellent, very attentive. There is Wi-Fi (free of charge) and a pool table. The restaurant bus can also take you to the hotel free of charge.
"Samdan" - on one of the main streets of Marmaris. Very varied menu card: Mexican, Chinese, Italian, Indian food. Turkish consists of many dishes consisting of meat, vegetables, seasoned with sauces, spices. There are also traditional pastries, sweets and drinks. Prices are quite moderate. Large portions are served, nicely presented. A variety of food, unsurpassed taste, satiety are guaranteed to you, which means good spirits and good mood!

We wish you Bon appetit! Afiyet olsun!

Turkish cuisine is diverse and very bright, it is not for nothing that it is one of the three most popular and delicious cuisines peace. Stunning combinations of different flavors, abundance fresh vegetables and fruits, methods of heat treatment in which products do not lose their useful qualities, make Turkish cuisine dishes not only incredibly tasty, but also beneficial to our body.
We present you the top 10 Turkish dishes that you should definitely try when you come to Turkey. Without tasting these products of national cuisine, acquaintance with Turkey will be incomplete, because the traditions in cooking are just as important for understanding the essence of the country as its historical sights.

Kebab

Let's start our acquaintance with Turkish cuisine with kebabs. This is a traditional oriental kebab made from minced meat. The main meat in the preparation of kebab is lamb. A prerequisite will be the addition of fat tail fat, which gives the kebab a characteristic taste, and also makes the minced meat fatter. One of the most famous kebabs in Turkey is Adana kebab. In this dish, minced meat is strung on special wide skewers and fried on open fire. Served Adana kebab with marinated onion and herb salad, thin pita bread and a slice of lemon.

Doner kebab is no less popular. This is a peculiar way of cooking meat, in which big chunks beef is strung on a vertical skewer, slowly rotating around its axis. The fried meat is cut into very thin strips and served in freshly baked bread. A variant of Doner kebab is Iskender doner - a favorite dish of both the Turks themselves and numerous tourists. For Iskender doner, strips of meat are placed on pre-prepared bread, soaked in oil and fat flowing from the prepared doner. The dish is poured on top tomato sauce and served with Turkish yogurt.

Kefta.

Another very common meat dish in Turkey is kefte. These are national cutlets made from a mixture of lamb and ground beef. In addition to meat, ground onion and a large amount of spices are added to minced meat for kefte. Minced meat is formed into small flat cutlets, which are fried on the grill. Kefte is served with a salad of pickled sweet onions and herbs.

Borek

A pastry dish often served for breakfast. The thinnest layers of dough are stacked in layers, and minced meat from salted cottage cheese, spinach or fried meat is added between them. All this is poured with a sauce of milk and eggs. Borek is baked in the oven until crispy and served hot. Possible and sweet option boreka, when ordinary sugar is put inside instead of the filling. Sweet borek is especially loved by children, eating crispy cakes with pleasure. A variant of this dish called Cigara Borek is very popular. In this case, the dough is rolled up in the form of cigars, putting the filling inside: feta cheese, potatoes or minced meat. Borek cigar is fried in a pan in olive oil.

Simit and lahmacun

Flour dishes, without which the Turks cannot imagine their life. Simit is the most common street food and a must for Turkish breakfast. Early in the morning in any city you can hear the calls of the seller of Turkish simit bagels, offering his goods. Fresh hot simit sprinkled with sesame is sold right on the street from special wagons. Here they offer processed cheese and tea.
Lahmacun is a kind of Turkish pizza. The main difference between this dish and traditional pizza is the thinly rolled dough. As a filling for lahmacun, minced meat with tomatoes, greens and bell pepper. Lahmacun is served with lots of parsley and lemon. The product is so thin that it can be rolled up, putting greens and sweet onion salad in the middle.

Turkish pilaf

Unlike the traditional pilaf in our understanding, in Turkey, pilaf (or pilyav, as it is called here) is cooked not from rice, but from wheat groats. Often, chickpeas are added to the dish, and then you get Knowlu Pilyav; eggplant - Patlyjan Pilyav; tomatoes - Domates Pilyav and even fish - Hamsi Pilyav. Basically, pilaf in Turkish cuisine serves as a side dish to the main course. Pilaf is usually served with yogurt.

Kuru beans

Bean stew is a dish that is eaten with equal pleasure in the homes of the rich and in the poorest families. The beans are soaked overnight and then stewed with tomato paste, onions and spices for about two hours. Chicken beans are served most often with boiled rice and yogurt.

Manti

Turkish manti, unlike the Central Asian ones we are used to, are small lumps of dough with minced meat. The size of Turkish manti should not exceed the size of a fingernail. Now manti is made with the help of machinery, and earlier the entire female part of the family gathered to sculpt this dish. Up to a thousand small dumplings were prepared at one time! Manti is served with yoghurt sauce with garlic, and topped with melted butter and spices.

Sarma

One of the most popular and delicious Turkish snacks. AT grape leaves minced rice and meat is wrapped. The shape of the sarma is remarkable - in the form of female fingers. As they say in Turkey, the thickness of the sarma should not exceed the size of the "little finger of a young girl." Sarma is a rather spicy and spicy dish, as befits an appetizer, the main purpose of which is to stimulate a good appetite.

Baklava

Bahlava - business card East. It is impossible to leave Turkey without taking a box of this amazingly delicious sweet with you. The thinnest weightless dough is laid in numerous layers, poured various types nuts and poured with sweet syrup. The calorie content of this dish is simply off the charts, but there is no way to resist tasting at least a piece of dessert that melts in your mouth.

Künefe

Another dessert that belongs to the category of the most delicious dishes of Turkish cuisine. Soft goat cheese is placed between layers of special dough in the form of vermicelli. All this is fried in a large amount of oil and served hot.

Turkish recipes can be found

The national cuisine of Turkey is very multifaceted and original. Its formation was influenced by the fact that Turks, Armenians, Persians, Greeks, Assyrians and many other peoples lived on the territory of this country, each of which left its own unique mark on the culinary history of the state. The list includes such popular delicacies as plov, kebab and baklava. You will find their recipes in today's article.

Main nuances

Indigenous Turks turn every meal into a kind of ritual. All dishes are served in a specific order. Any meal begins with snacks, which include stuffed vegetables, olives and various pickles. After them, soups, fish or meat dishes and dessert.

Vegetables are often used for cooking. Eggplants are especially popular. They are served marinated, stuffed, baked, stewed, steamed or fried. Also, the local population likes to generously add it not only to side dishes, but also to various sauces.

Meat is highly valued in Turkey. It is consumed in any form, but most often it is grilled or fried in a pan. Milk occupies a special place in the national cuisine of this state. Based on it, amazing cheeses are made, delicious desserts and incredibly healthy yoghurts.

Turkish eggs

it interesting dish vaguely resembles a traditional omelet. It has an extraordinary taste and is ideal for a family breakfast. Before preparing one of the many Turkish national dishes, check in advance if your kitchen has everything you need. In this case, you will need:

• 8 chicken eggs.
• 100 grams of butter.
• 100 milliliters of broth.
• 150 grams of chicken liver.
• A couple of tomatoes.
• Salt and spices.

Washed and dried chicken liver fried in butter. As soon as it acquires a golden hue, it is poured with broth, pre-mixed with chopped tomatoes. Beaten salted eggs are also added there. The future omelet is baked in the oven at standard temperature. Before serving, the finished dish can be poured with tomato sauce.

Lentil soup

This is one of the most popular Turkish national dishes. It is prepared from simple budget ingredients sold in any supermarket. To pamper your family with such a soup, stock up on everything you need in advance. This time you will need:

• 3 liters of drinking water.
• A couple of tablespoons of tomato paste.
• 1.5 cups red lentils
• A tablespoon of flour and ground paprika.
• Salt, aromatic spices and vegetable oil.

Washed lentils are poured with cold water and sent to the stove. As soon as the liquid boils, the resulting foam is removed from its surface and left to cook on minimal heat.

Pour a little vegetable oil into a separate saucepan, heat it up and fry wheat flour there. After a few minutes, tomato paste, a little water, basil and oregano are added there. All mix well and leave on the stove. After a couple of minutes, a little more water is added there and the resulting frying is sent to a pan with lentils. All this is salted, seasoned with mint and removed from the burner almost immediately. Ready soup rub through a sieve and pour into bowls. Squeeze a little lemon juice into each serving.

Baklava

This dessert is very popular not only among the local population, but also among numerous tourists. Like all other recipes for Turkish national dishes, this option requires a certain set of components. Therefore, before starting work with the test, check if you have at hand:

• 250 grams of butter.
• Egg.
• 300 grams of powdered sugar.
• Half a kilo of wheat flour.
• 200 milliliters of milk.
• Cinnamon, salt and walnuts.
• A glass of water and sugar.
• Tablespoon of honey.

Like many other national Turkish dishes, photos of which can be seen in today's publication, baklava is prepared using the simplest technology. In a bowl filled with sifted wheat flour, alternately add a pinch of salt, melted butter and warm milk. Everything is well kneaded until a fairly steep, but at the same time elastic mass is obtained. Ready dough placed in a plastic bag and left for half an hour.

In the meantime, you can work on the rest of the products. Nuts are crushed with a meat grinder and combined with cinnamon and powdered sugar. The infused dough is divided into twelve approximately identical balls. Each of them is rolled out in a thin layer, greased with butter, sprinkled with nut filling and roll up the roll, tucking the edges inward. The resulting blanks are laid out on a baking sheet. Their surface is smeared with yolk. Bake products at two hundred degrees for about a quarter of an hour. Then the temperature is reduced to 160 0 C. The baklava is smeared with butter and returned to the oven. After fifty minutes, it is transferred to a deep bowl, poured with syrup consisting of water, sugar and honey, and left for six hours.

Pilaf

This is one of the simplest and most satisfying Turkish national dishes. It is prepared from inexpensive and readily available ingredients. To create it you will need:

• 700 grams of chicken.
• 1.5 cups long rice
• A couple of tablespoons of pine nuts.
• Half a kilo of tomatoes.
• 3 tablespoons of butter.
• Onion bulb.
• A handful of parsley, basil and dried cranberries.
• Salt and spices.

Washed and dried chicken is laid out in a thick-bottomed frying pan, in which there is already butter. As soon as it is browned, onion half rings are added to it and continue to fry. A few minutes later, pine nuts and tomatoes rubbed through a sieve are sent there. Almost immediately, washed cranberries, chopped greens and rice are placed in the pan. All this is poured with water, covered with a lid and cooked until the liquid is completely absorbed. Before serving, pilaf is decorated with basil.

Lula kebab

This is one of the many culinary masterpieces for which Turkish cuisine is famous. The national dishes of this country are known far beyond its borders. Therefore, to try a kebab, it is not at all necessary to go to Turkey. You can also prepare it in your own kitchen. For this you will need:

• A kilo of lean lamb.
• 100 grams of bell pepper.
• 200 g fat tail fat.
• 25 grams of wheat flour.
• 75 g of garlic.
• 100 grams of parsley.
• 150 g tomatoes.
• 0.25 kg of onions.

The flour is soaked in a small amount of hot water and squeezed out. Lamb, pepper and tail fat are ground in a meat grinder and sent to the refrigerator. After an hour, the minced meat is salted, seasoned with spices and carefully strung on skewers. They fry the kebab on smoldering coals, not forgetting to periodically turn it over. It is served with a sauce made from chopped tomatoes, onions, garlic and parsley.

Turkish coffee

This fragrant invigorating drink leaves a pleasant aftertaste. Prepare it for several different recipes(photos of Turkish national dishes can be found in the process of reading this article). To make real strong coffee, you will need:

• A couple of teaspoons of sugar.
• Ground coffee.
• A teaspoon of cinnamon and vanilla.
• A pod of cardamom.
• Carnation.
• 200 milliliters of water.

Pour into a preheated cezve ground coffee. They pour it there cold water and place the bowl on the stove. The drink is kept on minimum heat for half an hour, not allowing it to boil. In the process of cooking, sugar, spices and spices are added to the cezva. Ready coffee is poured into cups and served at the table.

Revani

This delicious dessert also applies to Turkish national dishes. It is a tender cake soaked in lemon syrup. To prepare it you will need:

• 3 eggs.
• A glass of flour, semolina and sugar.
• 200 milliliters of vegetable oil and yogurt.
• A pack of baking powder.

In order to cook the syrup, prepare in advance:

• 3 glasses of water.
• Juice of half a lemon.
• 3 cups of sugar.

Eggs are combined with yogurt and sugar, and then beaten, gradually adding semolina, flour, baking powder and vegetable oil. The finished dough is poured into a mold with high sides and sent to the oven. Dessert is baked at one hundred and fifty degrees for at least forty minutes. The cooled cake is cut into portions and poured with hot syrup consisting of water, sugar and lemon juice.

Eggplant in Istanbul

This savory snack also refers to the national dishes of Turkish cuisine. It is prepared so simply that even a novice cook can make it without any problems. Its composition includes:

• 3 large eggplants.
• Medium head of onion.
• 3 fresh tomatoes.
• Medium carrot.
• 150 grams of celery root.
• Sweet bell pepper.
• A clove of garlic.
• A bunch of parsley.
• A pinch of ground dried thyme.
• Salt, spices and vegetable oil.

Eggplants are cut lengthwise and soaked in cold salty water. After half an hour, they are washed, dried and fried on the inside for vegetable oil. The browned pulp is separated from the skin and crushed.

Peeled carrots and celery are boiled until half cooked and cut into small cubes. Peppers are baked in the oven, separated from the peel and the seed and crushed. All this is combined in one vessel. Fried onions, chopped tomatoes, salt, aromatic herbs and chopped garlic are also added there. The resulting mass is laid out in eggplant boats and baked at standard temperature.

When you arrive in Turkey, forget about fast food chains. National Turkish cuisine is delicious and varied. In the menu of Turkish cuisine you will find a mixture of Central Asian, Middle Eastern and Balkan culinary traditions.

Therefore, it is so difficult to narrow down all the variety to a short list of what you should definitely try in Turkey from food. But I still tried to highlight the main and most delicious food, which the Turks cook and eat at home and in restaurants.

Turkish breakfasts

Turkish breakfast food is a bit different from European. Instead of coffee, it is customary to drink tea in the morning. Often, a vegetable plate with chopped tomatoes and/or cucumbers is served for breakfast. Bread is eaten white, but recently the trends healthy food reached Turkey, now you can choose cereal bread from rye or other cereals for breakfast.

White cheese similar to feta, old cheese ( kaş ar peyniri), olives or black olives ( zeytin), butter, honey, jam, scrambled eggs or boiled eggs (yumurta) are the main components of a Turkish breakfast.

You can also eat tomorrow sucuklu yumurta and bö rek. Sucuklu yumurta is a dried beef sausage with garlic and spices (red pepper, cumin and sumac). Sujuklu fried in a pan with eggs, it turns out greasy, but very tasty. Bö rek(burek or burek) – it is a thin sheet of dough stuffed with cheese, minced meat and/or vegetables, fried or baked.

minimen/menimen (Menemen) - very tasty Turkish omelet. Fried onions and peppers are stewed with tomatoes, and then poured over with eggs, sprinkled with herbs and ground pepper.

© foodista / flickr.com / CC BY 2.0

National Turkish vegetable food

A lot of vegetables are grown in Turkey, which is noticeably reflected in local dishes. If you are a vegetarian, then it is important for you to know that Turkish dishes that do not put meat are called zeytin yağ lı cooked in olive oil. As a rule, these dishes are served cold. Here are the best for you vegetable dishes Turkey:

• Sarma (Yaprak Sarma) - grape leaves stuffed with rice, onion and spices (mint, currant, pepper and cinnamon).
• Dolma (Dolma) - Stuffed with rice, onions and spices fresh or dried eggplant, peppers, tomatoes or zucchini.
• Taze Fasulye- beans or chickpeas (chickpeas) stewed with tomatoes or tomato paste and onions.
• Jajik (cacı k) - refreshing Turkish soup. It is prepared from finely chopped cucumbers, sour cream, garlic and mint. On a hot summer day, it is served with ice cubes.

The Turks are very fond of meat, and therefore all of the above dishes, except for the last soup, can also be found in the meat version.

Turkish meat dishes

• Karnyyaryk (Karnı yarı k) - fried eggplant with minced meat, onion, parsley, garlic and tomato filling. This dish is a must try. To make sure it's of good quality, check out the eggplant. The dark color of the skin should not be transferred to the peeled pulp, and the meat should not be dark and dry.
• Lahmacun (Lahmacun) - Turkish pizza with meat, onions and spices on thin puff pastry. Served with tomatoes and salad. Many people prefer to squeeze lemon juice over the lahmacun, roll it up and eat it like a Mexican taco. Authentic Turkish street food.
• Kuru Fasulier (Kurufasulye) - dry beans. Turks just love beans. This national dish of Turkish cuisine is usually served with slices of dried beef ( pastı rma), rice (sade pilav), pickles and sauerkraut turş u.

© ruocaled / flickr.com / CC BY 2.0

The most famous national dishes of Turkish cuisine

• Kebab (Kebap) - this is meat, impaled on a skewer and fried on coals - everyone knows shish kebab. Usually lamb, beef or chicken are fried. Turkey has a huge number of varieties of kebab, I advise you to try the popular Iskander kebab.
• Dener (Dö ner) - shawarma or shawarma. This is meat fried on a spit with lettuce, local herbs and spices.
• Jacket (Kö fte) - cutlets or meatballs of various shapes and sizes. Minced meat is lamb or lamb with boiled bread, onions and spices. The most popular meatball dish is Izgara Köfte. In it, the meat is grilled along with green peppers, dry red pepper parsley and served with rice or bread.
• Manti (Mantı ) - very tasty Turkish dumplings. Ingredients simple dough, meat (beef or lamb), onion, salt and pepper.

© hewy / flickr.com / CC BY 2.0

Popular Turkish dishes for garnish

Pilav (Pilav) - in the national Turkish cuisine, there are many options for preparing pilaf. This is not exactly pilaf, although it is based on rice, and these two words are consonant. The most popular pilaf in Turkish cuisine is sade pilav. It's just rice boiled in water. vegetable oil and small şehriye noodles. Usually rice is mixed with eggplant, chickpeas, meat or liver pieces and, of course, spices: cinnamon, pepper, thyme, cumin and even almonds.

Pilav from bulgur (Bulgur Pilavı) - it looks like this Turkish dish is just a bowl of boiled rice, but in fact it is wheat. Most often it is cooked with fried onions, green peppers, tomato paste and mint.

Fried vegetables – fried eggplant, Green pepper and zucchini with tomato sauce or sour cream - one of the best dishes. There are a lot of options for Turkish food from fried vegetables, choose any combination to your taste.

Mujver (Mü cver) - zucchini, eggs and flour - that's the whole composition of delicious Turkish potato pancakes. Mujver is cooked with white cheese, green onions and mint, lightly fried in olive oil and served as a side dish.

Meze (meze) - a set of appetizers often served alongside raki or other alcoholic drinks. Restaurants that specialize in serving meze are called meyhane. Most often, the waiter will come to the table and present all the options of meze on a large dish, and you can choose according to your taste.

Sweet Turkish Desserts

© shutterferret / flickr.com / CC BY 2.0

Künefe (Kü nefe) is a traditional Arabic cheese pastry. Unsalted cheese is placed between two layers of dough made from a simple mixture of water and flour. Kunefe is served warm and soaked in syrup. Top dessert sprinkled with pistachios. The feel and taste are very unique. Crispy dough on one side, on the other soft cheese soaked in sweet syrup.

Baklava (Baklava) - another Turkish dessert with a simple set of ingredients (dough, nuts and syrup), but very tasty. The decisive factor is how thin the dough layers are. Walnuts, hazelnuts or pistachios will be in your baklava - depends on the region where you try it.

Street food in Turkey

Street food culture is very common in Turkey. In Istanbul, small stalls with street food are poked around every corner. Most often this National dishes Turkey, which you are already familiar with from this article. I decided once again to put the names separately, so that you know what you can have a cheap snack in the course of your acquaintance with Turkey.

hot food

Kebab and doner(barbecue and shawarma) are the main representatives of Turkish street food.

Borek- flatbread with various fillings: ı spanaklı bö rek(with spinach) peynirli bö rek(with cheese), kı ymalı bö rek(with minced meat) and patatesli bö rek(with potato).

Pide ( pide ) - stuffed dough boat. Kaş arlı pide(with cheese) and Sukuklu pide(with cheese and spicy sauce) are the most popular types of pide.

Pizza Lahmacun (Lahmacun)

Mizir (MIsIr )– boiled or grilled corn on the cob. It is salted or sprinkled with spices and sold during the summer months.

chestnuts ( Kestane )– and in winter, instead of corn, stalls with roasted chestnuts appear everywhere.

Balyk ekmek ( Bal ı k ekmek ) - literally translates as "fish in bread", which is what it is. In front of your eyes, the seller fries the fish and puts it in a big bun

© nifortescue / flickr.com / CC BY 2.0

cold street food

Simit ( Simit ) - Crispy, round salty bagel covered with sesame seeds. There are 2 main sim options: sokak simit- sold on the streets, very crispy and pastane simit- sold in stores, softer.

Achma ( A ç ma )– a round bun, one might say - a donut. Very tasty but oily.

Pogacha ( Po ğ a ç a ) - Delicious crumbly biscuits. There are options without filling - sadeor with stuffing: peynirli – cheese, kı ymalı - chopped meat, zeytinli- Sliced ​​olives.

Carefully

While you are wandering the streets of Istanbul or other cities, you will stumble upon these two Turkish dishes. They are very tasty, but they must be bought with care on the streets, bathed in the sun.

• Dolma from mussel (Midye dolma) - stuffed mussels. They are very tasty, I advise you to eat them in restaurants.

Kokorech ( Kokore ç )– grilled sheep giblets (intestines, heart, etc.) with lots of spices. A very popular snack after a stormy night or with alcohol. From the outside, it is sometimes difficult to distinguish where the shawarma is, and where the kokorech is. Fortunately, shawarma is cooked on a vertical spit, and kokorech on a horizontal one.