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It was under the Ottoman Empire that Turkish cuisine, in its modern form, was shaped by the numerous cultures with whom it came into touch. In today’s Turkish cuisine, you may taste influences from the Middle East, Central Asia, Eastern Europe, and the Balkans.

In contrast to the meat-centric fare served in overseas restaurants, traditional Turkish cuisine strongly emphasizes vegetarian ingredients like eggplant, garlic, lentils, zucchini, pistachios, and cheaters. Such a wide variety of tastes come together in this dish. You should sample many different items to get a feel for the cuisine.

1. Assorted Turkish Delights

Turkish delight

Even if you’ve had Turkish delight outside of Turkey, chances are you weren’t eating the real kind. Sweets from Turkey are often flavored with fragrant ingredients like Bergamot orange, rosewater, mastic, or lemon.

You may find Turkish delicacies in a wide variety of stores and colors. Because of their small size, you may sample many different kinds.

2. Baklava

Baklava
Baklava is the ideal dessert since it satisfies every want for something sweet, flaky, crunchy, and delicate. Baklava is considered an art form in Turkey, and each baker has their unique style. Walnut, pistachio, hazelnut baklava, and baklava flavored with honey, rosewater, or orange blossom, are all available.

3. Simit

Turkish simit

Perhaps you might call it the offspring of a bagel and a pretzel. Sesame seeds are a common topping for these spherical, doughy carbohydrate treats.

Though delicious at any time, they are at their best when eaten warm in the oven. You can’t go wrong with picking some up while you stroll the streets of Istanbul.

4. Kunefe

Turkish kunefe
If you think cheese belongs in the dessert category, kunefe will be loved at first sight. Shredded filo is folded over melted cheese and then dipped in sweet syrup to create this delicious dessert. Yum!!

5. Lahmacun

Turkish Lahmacun
Lahmacun is like a pizza without cheese but with everything else, you may want on a Friday night. This food is a typical on-the-go lunch, made with Turkish flatbread and topped with generously seasoned meat and spices.

6. Balik ekmek

Balik Ekmek
Popular among Istanbul’s culinary offerings, these sandwiches are made with fried or grilled fish, a variety of veggies, and fresh Turkish bread.

7. Su Boregi

Su Boregi
Su böregi is a filo pie loaded with feta cheese and parsley that is often served as an appetizer in Turkish and Turkish-American restaurants. The summer months in Turkey are the best time to discover these kinds of street sellers offering their fast and simple-to-prepare meals. The weather in many parts of Turkey is pleasant throughout the year, making any time of day perfect for enjoying a meal al fresco.

8. Kofta

Turkish kofta

This meatball/meatloaf meal is well-liked throughout the Indian subcontinent, Central Asia, the Caucasus, the Middle East, and the Balkans. It would be almost impossible for us to attempt to explain what this is. According to what we’ve heard, there are 291 distinct varieties of kofta.

Vegan and vegetarian kofta are also available. The traditional eggs in batrk köftesi are replaced with tahini to make this dish suitable for vegans. Lentil-based I köfte is a fantastic vegetarian alternative.

9. Kumpir

Turkish kumpir

Introduce yourself to the Turkish baked potato.

In order to create this standard side dish, a potato is seasoned with salt, butter, and cheese. And that’s not all chefs do! A kumpir may include any number of condiments, including pickled cabbage, coleslaw, Russian salad, olives, and pickles.

10. Turkish Breakfast

Turkish breakfast

While most of us save a special breakfast for the weekend, the Turks are busy in the kitchen every day of the week.

There is a lot of food served during a typical Turkish breakfast. Cheeses (feta is famous), bread with sesame seeds, a variety of spreads, eggs, and strong Turkish coffee are all on the menu.

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