Menemen
This traditional Turkish breakfast item is scrambled eggs cooked in sautéed vegetables and served hot with bread. Dip it, spread it, or spoon it up.
Köfte
A Turkish staple, köfte is balls or patties of ground beef or lamb, and can be served stewed, in sandwiches, over salads, or plain with yogurt.
Mantı
Mantı might remind you of ravioli at first sight, but the traditional Turkish dish is completely unique in taste and texture. Small beef or lamb dumplings are boiled or fried and served with yogurt or butter, and often accompanied with a range of spices.
Kuzu Tandır
The meat for this popular lamb dish is traditionally hung and slow roasted whole, and it often served with rice or potatoes, and yogurt.
Lahmacun
This flat and crispy bread is traditionally topped with minced meat, salad, and lemon juice (thought the above is a beetroot vegan option!), and can be wrapped, folded in half, or pulled apart to eat.
Cheap and available on any street corner, it's the perfect light lunch or snack while touring.
Börek
Turkish savoury pastry comes in many varieties, most popularly filled with minced meat or spinach and cheese. Börek can be rolled, served as puffs, or layered like lasagna, and served for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snack. Anyway you have it, börek is always flaky and delicious.
Baklava
Nutty, syrupy, pastry dessert is never better than when served in Turkey. Often topped in ground pistachios, baklava is sweet and unique, and should be eaten fresh!
Pide
Often called "Turkish Pizza," Pide is a boat-shaped flatbread served with a variety of toppings, often minced meat or spinach and cheese.
Güllaç
A traditional dessert most often served during Ramadan, güllaç is a uniquely textured treat made from dough, milk, rosewater, nuts, and pomegranate seeds. You might find other fruit or chickpeas in some variations.
Meze
It's common to have meze, or a range of cold appetisers, with drinks or in place of a full meal. Dinner guests are provided with around 20 choices, bean dishes, salads, and spreads on small dishes to eat with bread.
11.Dolma
Dolma is often used to refer to stuffed vine leaves, but encompasses any stuffed vegetable. Vine leaves are popular in Turkey, but so are stuffed peppers, courgettes, and aubergine.
12.Lokum
Lokum, or Turkish Delight, is a nougaty dessert served with a variety of flavours and fillings and often topped with powdered sugar. It's always best fresh, as pre-packaged versions tend to go too light on the fillings and too heavy on the sugar, drying it out.
13.Şiş Kebap
Meat on a stick originated in Turkey, wouldn't you know? Sis Kebab is typically lamb, chicken or fish served on a wooden or metal rod, often with bread. Dip it in yogurt or eat it on its own; it's always tender, savoury, and delicious.
