Turkish cuisine is not just about kebabs.
This European destination’s rich and varied food, which covers over 300,000 sq. miles, is primarily due to its terrain.
The fertile plains and plateaus created by the now-extinct volcanoes and mountains and the fast-flowing river and snow-covered mountains make for a diverse and rich table.
Many dishes use olive oil, such as those from the Mediterranean Coast. You can also find hearty pastries in central Anatolia and subtle spices from the east and south.
Traditional Turkish food relies less on seasonings and more on delicious fresh ingredients rolled, kneaded, shaped, and then cooked with passion, care, and dedication.
The Turks are so fond of their food that they have even written songs about it. “Domates biber pelican” is a song by Anatolian Rock Star Baris Manco, which translates as “Tomatoes pepper eggplant.”
Piyaz
The pizza Salad from Antalya is one of its most popular dishes. Its secret ingredient? Beans.
It’s not your ordinary butter bean. This is a smaller version called candid. They are named after the province in which they’re produced.
Candir is a delicate and flavorful mixture that includes tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, vinegar, garlic, salt, and a bit of water.
The soft-boiled egg is chopped roughly and then mixed in just before serving.
Ezogelin CORBA
According to legend, this dish was created by a woman unhappy with her marriage, Ezo. She was trying to impress her mother-in-law via her stomach.
She created a spicy soup with red lentils and pul biber, a mixture of pul biber, dried mint, and sweet or hot tomato paste.
It’s not proven to work, but ezogabine literally translates as a bride. Ezo is the favorite food for brides.
Saksuka
Turkish food includes various vegetables known as zeytinyagli Yemeni – foods cooked in oil. The most popular vegetable dishes are green beans, artichokes, and eggplants.
Sasuke is one of the most delicious eggplant dishes. The cubes are made with zucchini, garlic, tomatoes, and chili, depending on the region of Turkey.
Kisir
Kisir salad has fine bulgur, tomatoes, garlic, and parsley.
The Antakya version includes nar biber (hot chili flakes) and pul exist, a sour pomegranate-molasses. The South likes it hot.
Mercimek kofte
The locals of Diyarbakir call it blue.
These handy, bite-sized portions are made from red lentils and fine bulgur with salt, finely minced onion, scallions and tomato, aci biber Salca (hot pepper paste), and crushed cilantro.
Place one of these tasty nuggets on a leaf of lettuce, squeeze some lemon juice over it, and then roll up the lettuce.
Yaprak dolma
The Isparta yarak-dolma recipe prepares rice with tomatoes, parsley, onion, garlic, and tomato paste. Olive oil, black pepper, sea salt, and water are added.
This mixture is spooned onto a vine leaf, folded, and then rolled into neat little cylinders by hand.
The best leaves come from trees in the neighborhood, usually picked at midnight.
Yaprak dolma is a part of Turkish Aegean Cuisine and includes a pinch or cinnamon as a tribute to the Rum People, Greeks born in Turkey.
Inegol kofte
In Turkish cuisine, meatballs are much more than simple balls of meat. Each style has its history.
Mustafa Efendi, a Bulgarian immigrant to northwest Turkey in the 19th Century, is credited with creating Inegol kofte. He was originally from Bulgaria and migrated to Inegol, northwest Turkey, in the 19th Century.
His mix is made with only lamb, beef, and breadcrumbs, spiced with onions.
Iskender kebab
Bursa, located in northwest Turkey, is known for three things: silk, ski fields at Uludag, and a type of kebab called Iskender.
This dish was first prepared by a man of the same name in 1867 for workers at the Kayhan Bazaar.
The thin slices of doner are layered over plump pieces of pide bread. They’re smothered with freshly made tomato sauce and topped with butter.
Cag kebab
Erzurum’s people take meat seriously. They’re willing to wait more than 12 hours for a small piece of delicious hot lamb cag.
The meat is first marinated for a half-day with onions, black pepper, and salt. It’s then fed onto a long, flat skewer over a woodfire.
The cag kebab can be served on flatbread with tomato slices, white onions, and civil, long green peppers.
Hamsili pilav
Hamsi (European anchovy) is a mainstay in Turkish Black Sea cuisine. Hamsili Pilav is prepared in Rize using thin fish and rice.
The dish is prepared with fried onions, butter, and peanuts. It is then mixed with fresh dill and parsley. Anchovies, which are cut into fillets, are then arranged on top of the rice. The whole dish is then baked in the oven.