The cuisines of Turkey are a famous one. Turkey has a delightful menu of every kind of food. Ranging from lamb, beef chicken to even vegetarian delicacies, turkey food can never disappoint you. While there is an amazing range of food that you will find here, it is practically impossible to devour them all on a trip. Here are eight Turkish dishes you should never miss in Istanbul:
- Turkish Breakfast
Turkish breakfast is a grand affair of food. You find bread, eggs, and many kinds of cheese, olives, honey, jam, tomatoes and cucumber. While the combination might not appeal to you, once you start eating this heavy meal, you will realize why the Turks love their breakfast. The famous omelette of Turkey is unique and different. It is called Menemen in Turkey and is made with an exotic flavour of tomatoes, onions, pepper and Turkish herbs. While the ingredients may sound like the same you put in your omelette, it is actually made in a different style and is heaven for your taste buds.
- Simit
While we are talking about breakfast, it is impossible to not mention Simit. Simit is the bagel of turkey and is a deliciousness that you can eat with the local tea of coffee. This freshly baked bread covered with sesame seed is a great option for brunch. You can find them in every single corner of the street and the smell is so tempting that it is hard to say no to them. It is one of the oldest foods of turkey and make sure you don’t miss this one.
- Turkish Coffee
Turkish Coffee is a strong and doubtfully the most flavouring coffee you can find. This kind of coffee is made from coffee beans that are finely grounded. The coffee is unfiltered and is brewed in cezve which is a special pot for this coffee. It may take some time to get used to this flavour of coffee but once you do, you will not be able to resist the true flavour, spiced cardamom and the bittersweet taste of it. Since it is unfiltered, the grounded coffee is at the end of the cup. Make sure you avoid the last part of it. This coffee is best devoured in a long conversation with a great view. On that note, check out some villas in Bodrum for sale.
- Manti
Popularly known as the ravioli of turkey, this is a mixture of dumpling and ravioli. The combination of Manti with cold garlic and yoghurt might seem a bit weird, but it is one of the famous dishes of Istanbul. The dumplings are filled with minced meat, lamb, chicken or other vegetables. You can find different kinds of fillings. These dumpling or ravioli have a very thin dough and you can add different flavouring to make it your type of food. You can also find some Mexican food in Istanbul.
- Balik-ekmek
Balik-ekmek is a grilled fish sandwich and is an extremely popular street food. It is perfect for those hunger pangs between lunch and dinner. It is fulfilling, juicy and comes with loads of pickles and vegetable that you just can’t ignore. On the topic of tasty fishes, one of the most delicious fish that you can find in turkey is lufer. You can dedicate an entire meal to the fish delicacies of Istanbul.
- Lahmacun
Lahmacun is one of the tastiest choices of quick food. It is basically the pizza of Turkey with a style of its own. The dough of Lahcamun is extremely thin which gives it a crunchy taste. It is baked in a traditional oven and then topped with minced lamb. The generous amount of topping along with pepper, fresh basil and lemon will leave you wanting for more. There is a famous chain of Lahmacun in Istanbul and nobody does it better than them.
- Kebabs
You simply can’t miss the kebabs of Turkey. They are delicious, unique, mouth-watering and with an impeccable taste. The Adana kebab is made of minced lamb and is roasted on a skewer. The preparation of it with tail fat makes it juicy and appealing that you just can’t have enough. Iskendar kebab is also lamb meat kebab presented with sheep butter and yoghurt. Kuyu Kebab is also one of the delicacies which are made from a male lamb younger than a year. It is roasted over a charcoal fire and is one of a kind of kebab.
- Kunefe and Baklava
Kunefe is one of the most popular Arabic sweet. It is filled with cheese between two dough and is crunchy. It is best served hot along with a generous amount of syrup on it. Baklava is also a must try in Istanbul. These yummy small pieces of dough, nuts and syrup are a heavenly combination. You just cannot stop at one.
You can always find different delicacies to make your stomach happy in Istanbul.