Top 10 Turkish foods

Beyond its long history and rich culture Turkey is also heaven for foodies.

Let`s have a glance at Turkish kitchen.

Turkey is not only popular for its' long history and rich culture. The country also owns some of the best foods in the world. You may have seen the rotating columns of meat, called Doner kebab, is from also from Turkey. Here is the list of best Turkish cuisines.

1. Iskender kebab

Iskender kebab is a regional food, comes from Bursa, dates back to 19th century and is so named after it's original creator Iskender Efendi. “Kebapci Iskender” is trademarked by the Iskenderoglu family, who still run the restaurant in Bursa. This family has restaurants also in Istanbul serving delicious kebabs. Iskender kebab is basically lamb kebab lovingly smothered with tomato sauce, topped with warm sheep butter, and finished off with a side of yogurt.

2. Turkish breakfast

When it comes to breakfast I can promise you Turkish one is the best of all. You know why? It is not your typical one piece of bread with some coffee. If you’re used to a grab-and-go kind of breakfast, kahvalti will take you by surprise. There is almost nothing you can`t find in Turkish breakfast. It has little bit of everything freshly roasted bread, plates of olives, cheese, butter, an assortment of jams, eggs, sausages, cream and honey, tomatoes and cucumber. The culmination is a wonderful cup of local coffee.

3. Lahmacun and Pide

They look very similar and only difference I can say is Pide is bit thicker when compared to Lahmacun. Both Turkish pizzas make use of a thin flatbread as base, which is then topped off with minced beef or lamb, vegetables, herbs and spices. Like pizza, there are several variants of lahmacun and pide.

4. Doner

Doner might be the most popular Turkish food in the world. There are several ways of serving doner, on a plate with a side of onions, tomatoes, pickles, and yogurt; rolled in flatbread; and naked – with no sides, no garnishes. Most popular form of doner is rolled in lavash, a thin Turkish flatbread, which is also economic.

5. Baklava

History of Baklava goes back to 8th century, at that time it was fit only for royalty due to its richness and complexity. Luckily in 21st century it can be found almost every corner of Istanbul. Turkish people love to have dessert after the meal. For me baklava is super sweet, so smooth, buttery and creamy.

6. Manti

This is a tiny version of Chinese dumplings eaten with yogurt or butter. The spiced ground meat will just melt in your mouth and the garlic tomota sauce just tastes so good with the raviolis. It is a traditional Turksih dish that is made in every household with love.

7. Kofte

If Italians have got meatballs, Turks have got kofte. Kofte is like grilled little ground meat patties served with tomatoes, onions spice and yogurt or in between bread. It is an important part of every Turkish household. So, you will find it at every street deli and house.

8. Soup (Chorba)

Turkish soups are so creamy and so delicious. There are so many kinds of soups such as highland soup( Yayla chorba), bride soup ( Ezogelin chorba), lentil soup (Mercimek chorba), chicken soup( Tavuk chorba) etc. Turkish soups are served with bread, bread and more bread. People are accustomed to eat foods with bread, it is like their main dish.

9. Borek

Always flaky and delicious, this Turkish pastry is filled with minced meat or spinach and cheese. It can be rolled, served as puffs, or layered like lasagna. It is a famous dish found in the regions of Balkans, Levant, and Mediteranean. The dish dates back to the Classical Era and have most significant elements of a Turkish cuisine.

10. Ice cream

Turkish ice cream is not the best but the way they serve it is the best. When they give you the ice cream that`s when the most entertaining part starts, sellers trick young and old alike, by passing the scoop of ice-cream from cone to cone while the buyer’s hand tries eagerly (and fails) to catch it. I highly suggest you to buy one when you travel Turkey. It can be found in street of Istanbul. You’ll spot them easily, setting up shop in their traditional ice-cream carts and ringing their bells with the long ice cream scoop.