Turkey offers a few hundreds of delicious meals that are unavoidable for the enthusiast traveller. Here are my favorite 5 top Foods in Turkey that I have tasted so far.
If in any of these foods, you have the opportunity to buy it with ayran (which is a popular salty yogurt drink) do it, just do it. You will understand why mixing a salty food with a salty drink is actually a good idea.
Table of Contents
So which are the top foods in Turkey anyway?
Tombik Döner, #5
The döner is a must when visiting Turkey. The first time I tasted this delightful meal was in Germany in 2008 when I was an exchange student. There were cheap, tasty, had an appealing smell of meat and you could find it everywhere in german cities. Before I tasted it the first time, a friend recommend it as a “explosive load in your mouth”.
The word Döner comes from the word in turkish “dönmek” which means “to turn (around)”. Doesn't matter in which restaurant you are, you will find that spinning grill everywhere.
It consists in bread as the container for the food. If it has onion, tomato and a little bit of chili, it tastes even better. The most common flavors are:
- Chicken (in turkish ‘tavuk').
- Beef (in turkish ‘et').
- and less common, lamb (in turkish ‘kuzu').
I recommend the “Tombik Et Döner” because beef has more taste and is (generally) healthier than chicken. The best one that I ever tasted was in the Atakule in Ankara. These could cost from 10 TRY (1,81 USD) to 30 TRY (5,45 USD).
Turkish Delight, #4
Well, if you walk through the Istiklal pedestrian street in Istanbul, you could make a whole catalog of different kinds, variations, textures of this candy.
So, what is this exactly? It's a sweet mass usually made from sirup mixed with a flavor. This can be from chocolate with marshmallow to blueberries marmalade. I bet you can't eat just one; not only because it delicious but also because you buy them by weight.
I don't recommend the Lokum (or Turkish Delight) that are sold in many supermarkets in boxes. Most of them taste like ‘rubber' gummies and they don't taste good. Try instead the one are sold directly to you, the ones that you can see with your eyes. This are the ‘real' ones and they usually cost from 80 TRY (14,54 USD) per Kg.
Olives, #3
I love olives.
But the olives in Turkey tastes better. Period.
In the street markets, you will see many colorful food which olives stands out even more.
- Green olives.
- Black olives.
- Pink olives.
- Smoked olives.
- Filled and unfilled olives.
- Cole-flavoured olives.
- etc etc etc.
Olives could cost from 10 TRY (1,81 USD) to 30 TRY (5,45 USD) per Kg, some olives sometimes beyond this price.
Dürüm, #2
Sometimes, we all eat junk food because it's price or time we don't have. Dürüms are the all-in-one “tortilla wrap” that carries a smile.
They have lettuce, meat or your preference, french fries, tomato, onion and garlic. The restaurants normally offer you chillis to put inside them.
The best franchises where I have tasted it are Donas and SR Döner. A Dürüm without combo could cost between 10 and 15 TRY (1,81 – 2,72 USD).
İskender, #1
My favorite so far. That's why I reserved it for the end. The Iskender is truly the most fulfilling experience in your mouth that you can get in the east of the mediterranean. This one, is which I recommend the most. If you visit Turkey, you can't leave the country without tasting it! A decent meal would cost above 40 TRY (7,27 USD).
On the lowest layer, grilled bread is placed. On one side, there is a viscous salty yogurt. On top of the bread lies the meat of your choice, sprayed with melted butter and tomato purée. As I describe this meal, I have no choice but to remember its taste on my mouth.
Do you agree with my list of top 5 foods in Turkey?
Leave a comment below with your opinion. Don't forget to check other blog posts about Cooking and Food:
[…] If you want to know the best meals in Turkey, check out this post. […]