Tourist Guide to Best Foods in Turkey
Turkish delights have been cluttering the menus of restaurants worldwide, rich, and delicious but not very hot. Ottoman cuisine is a classic Turkish culinary menu noted for its meat-filled skewers. Whether it's the main course, sweets, appetizers, or juices, Turkish cuisine will delight your taste senses so that you'll be satisfied and desire more.
You're visiting Turkey and Istanbul and want to know where to eat the most incredible food? Then this collection of delectable Turkish cuisine is a must-try! We'll go through everything from traditional Turkish cuisine to street food, kebabs, etc. No matter what your taste preferences are, there is something for you here. Even if you can't pronounce the dishes' names, you'll like their flavour.
If you're wondering if it's safe to eat street food in Turkey, don't be concerned. Eating street food in Istanbul and Turkey is entirely safe and highly encouraged (as long as you know what to look for). The municipality of Istanbul gives certificates and licences to street food vendors. The authorities continually monitor them, so you may safely enjoy Turkish street cuisine delights in Istanbul! The certification numbers placed on the carts or booths of certified street food vendors can be used to identify them.
Of course, there are always a few things to consider before eating your favourite Istanbul Street cuisine. For example, those with sensitive stomachs should avoid tap-water-washed green vegetables and tap-water ice cubes.
Street Food Prices in Istanbul
In Istanbul and Turkey, street food prices vary widely depending on what you are looking for, where you get it (a street cart or a restaurant), and whether you are in a touristy area. However, the majority of the street snacks on this list will cost between 1-3 US dollars on average.
On the other hand, mid-range restaurants charge a greater price for some of the most popular Turkish street meals.
Menemen
Do you think you've tried all there is to do with eggs for breakfast? Reconsider your position. Menemen is a mix of scrambled eggs and a vegetable stew, comparable to shakshuka. It is made by boiling tomatoes, onions, and peppers to a flavourful broth, then whisking in and roasting eggs in the boiling tomato juice. In addition, cheese or sucuk, a spicy sausage, is sometimes included to enhance the flavour. But, of course, any breakfast-goer would be remiss if they didn't dip and scoop this gooey delight into their toast.
Cag Kebab
You could mistake cag kebab for doner meat, but there's nothing like it, and it's 10 times better. Unfortunately, Cag kebab isn't readily available, so if you come across a place that serves it, give it a try since it's very excellent. Cag kebab is simply lamb placed onto a revolving skewer; however, instead of vertically stacked doners, cag kebab is horizontally stacked, and it cooks as it spins over a hot flame. The meat is then finely chopped and skewered on metal skewers. If you want to spice things up a little, throw in a couple of onions. Simply remove the meat off the skewer using lavas (wrap) and eat with your hands.
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Lahmacun (Turkish Style Pizza)
Lahmacun is a flat, crispy bread that may be wrapped, folded in half, or ripped apart to consume with a topping of minced meat, salad, and lemon juice. The Turkish version of pizza is bursting with flavour. The Mediterranean spices and minced lamb are throwing a party in your mouth. It is a popular Turkish street meal that can be found all across the nation. So, on your next vacation to Turkey, you should try this.
Lentil Soup (Mercimek Corbasi)
In Turkish cuisine, mercimek çorbasi, or lentil soup, is a typical meal. Its delectability is only equaled by its simplicity. It's a basic purée of lentils and spices, usually served alongside the soup and topped with cilantro and a freshly cut lemon slice juice. Any type of tursu, or pickled vegetables, including cabbage, carrots, and olives, can be used as an additional garnish. Mercimek çorbasi is an affordable, satisfying, and soul-warming element of practically any menu, from sophisticated eateries to the neighbourhood cafeteria, when served with two sizzling hot pieces of pita bread.
Döner Kebab
Thinly cut meat (lamb, cattle, or chicken) is put into a pita sandwich or lavash wrap and grilled on an upright rotisserie or vertical spit. The bread is stuffed with tomatoes, onions, fried potatoes, and lettuce in addition to the meat. You may use mayonnaise or ketchup for the sauce. It's comparable to Greek gyros or Arab/Iranian shawarma. Istanbul's streets are dotted with excellent kebab sellers. However, the döner is the city's most famous street food. It can be found on almost every block, making it ideal for a fast bite to eat whenever you become hungry!
Borek
Borek is one of the pastry-type meals. It is available in various flavours such as mincemeat, cheese, potato cheese, spinach, etc. Turkish people enjoy Borek with tea. If you are craving for a sweet or savoury dish, choose the plain version of Borek, it comes with sweet pudding sugar sprinkled on top of it. In Turkey Borek is served as a breakfast.
Manti (Turkish Ravioli)
Pasta lovers will enjoy Manti in Turkey. Ravioli has its own variant in Turkey! Ground lamb or beef is stuffed into little handmade dumplings, and then served with a creamy yogurt sauce. Manti takes a long time to make, but you'll find that the effort is well worth it after you try a mouthful.
Simit
Simit is one of Turkey's most popular dishes. It's available on Istanbul's streets in these red street food carts. Simit is the name given to a sesame-seed-crusted bagel-shaped bread. It's crunchy and chewy, and it's a fantastic low-cost Turkish snack.
Imam Bayildi
Eggplants are used as a key ingredient in some of the Turkish cuisine. Imam Bayildi, which means ‘the imam fainted,’ is a delicious meal prepared using eggplant. The eggplant is roasted and cooked in olive oil with tomatoes and onions. The dish combines two major ingredients of Turkish cuisine, the eggplant and olive oil. The meal is served with beef as a compliment.
Baklava
Baklava is a famous Turkish sweet. It has layers of filo dough loaded with finely chopped almonds and soaked in sugar syrup. The history of the sweet dates back to the Ottoman period and it is now the famous Turkish dessert. You can get to taste the most delicious baklavas in Turkey. The famous sweet has numerous variations, varied flavors, and fillings.
Kestane Kebab (Roasted Chestnuts)
Kestane Kebab is one of the famous and popular street snacks in Turkey. Unlike another street snack, Kestane Kebab is healthy and easily available. Particularly in Istanbul you can witness the streets bustling with hot chestnuts in all seasons. The snack is most preferred in winter, some may find the flavour unappealing. Kestane Kebab is a traditional snack of Turkey and prepared in homes using wood-fire ovens. Turkey has many chestnut trees, which makes it an easily available snack and abundant food source.
Nohutlu Pilav
Another mainstay of Turkish street cuisine is Nohutlu Pilav, or "rice with chickpeas," which is exquisite in its simplicity and well-rounded in flavour and nutrients. Layers of rice and chickpeas are heaped high with roasted chicken layered on top, so their juices penetrate through for a delightful taste. Nohutlu pilav is prepared in enormous glass boxes on wheels insulated to keep heat. Diners can choose rice and chickpeas as a satisfying alternative to a sit-down supper. For a few additional lire, customers may improve the quality of their dinner by adding chicken pieces. Who knew that street food could be so healthy?
Şiş Kebab
In Turkey, kebab is one of the most popular varieties of cuisine. It's often made with marinated lamb, chicken, or beef cubes roasted on a metal rod over charcoal. They are served with grilled tomatoes, green peppers, and rice pilaf or bulgur pilaf on a dish.
Katmer
Turkish pastries are more about complexity than chocolate and jam, which sums up katmer. This unexpectedly light and tasty dessert is a must-try. Crushed pistachio nuts are sandwiched between buttery, flaky pastry layers, with a bit of milk and butter within. It can be eaten plain or with ice cream. Because pistachios are plentiful in the Gaziantep area of Turkey, katmer is frequently offered as part of breakfast. In addition, pistachios are believed to boost energy levels in the mid-morning.
Turkish Apple Tea
Apple Tea is arguably the most delectable tea you'll ever taste. Fortunately for you, this warm, delicious nectar of the Gods is plentiful. It may be found in almost every café, restaurant, and home you visit. Turkish hospitality is heavily reliant on tea (or çay). Even store proprietors are known to sit down with their clients for a cup of tea. That is an excellent sales tactic. The key is to aim for the narrow line that circles the vessel's body three-quarters up.
Güllaç
Güllaç is a Ramadan dessert that is traditionally offered in Turkey. It's popular since it's light and simple to make and a refreshing treat after a long day of fasting. It is now available outside of Ramadan at many restaurants and bakeries. Güllaç is created by pouring warm milk and rose water over Güllaç sheets and sandwiching walnuts between them. 6-10 sheets are usually used. Güllaç sheets are produced in a pan using water, flour, and starch. After they've been cooked, they're dried.
Kunefe
A word of caution: don't take kunefe as a dessert if you're even somewhat complete after your dinner! It is, nevertheless, ideal as a mid-afternoon snack. What is the explanation behind this? Because it's a big dish that's still delectable. Kunefe is a hot delicacy packed with cheese — and we mean FILLED. When you cut it open, the cheese threads are visible. The outside layer is shredded wheat, with pistachios and a touch of cream within to make it very delicious. It may seem like a disaster, but it's oddly wonderful, though a little messy to eat.
Kebab testi
Pottery made in Avanos with red clay from the famous Kizilirmak River is a Nevsehir speciality. In a clay jug, combine the steak, tomatoes, bell pepper, garlic, and a knob of butter. The jug's opening is sealed with a peeled potato slice wrapped in a foil before being put in a wood-burning oven. The cook must break open the meal by holding the alfoil-covered top in one hand and a small hammer in the other once the contents are ready.
Sucuk yumurta
Sucuk yumurta is a breakfast dish commonly served as part of a Turkish breakfast. Suuk can also be eaten on its own or in bread (sucuk ekmek). Sucuk is a dry, fermented sausage that is immensely popular and well-known in Turkey. You'll have a hard time finding a house that isn't full of sucuk! Sucuk is chopped into small, thin pieces and fried in this cuisine. Then, over the top, fried eggs are cracked and heated. The eggs might be kept whole or mashed together in a scrambled version. It's excellent served with fresh bread and eaten with your hands in either case!
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Gözleme
Gözleme is a fantastic snack to consume on the run and is maybe one of the simplest quick dishes to obtain in Turkey. This savoury Turkish flatbread, similar to a crepe, is created from the hand-rolled dough and filled with various toppings such as cheese, meat, veggies, or potatoes. After that, it's sealed and baked on a griddle. You won't be sorry if you try one of the cheese and spinach varieties. Definitely, one of the dishes to try in Turkey.
Pide
Pide is a favourite dish among Turks, with the Black Sea area producing some of the tastiest. In this cuisine, dough balls are stretched out onto an extended base and filled with various fillings. The most renowned is sucuk yumurta, a spicy Turkish sausage and egg combination with kasar (yellow sheep cheese). Ispanakli kasar, spinach with cheese, on the other hand, is wonderful. What makes pide so delicious is the crust. When baked in a wood-fired oven, the high temperature creates a crisp, crunchy base suitable for a wide range of foods.
A delightful part of travelling to Turkey is to taste the various Turkish cuisine and sweets. The traditional dishes and street foods in Turkey offer an unforgettable flavour. Travellers packing their bags to explore Turkish cuisines can opt for Turkey e-Visa, an easy way to get a travel permit to travel to Turkey. Never forget to taste the iconic dishes such as Menemen, Lahmacun, Döner Kebab, Baklava, and many more.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are street foods in Turkey safe to eat?
The street foods in Turkey are safe to eat, because the vendors are licensed. The street food vendors are regularly monitored by Turkish authorities to ensure the safety and hygiene standards.
How much does the street food in Istanbul cost?
The price of the street food depends upon the type of food and the tourist location area. The pastry and most of the street snacks in Istanbul cost between 2-3 USD.
What are the dietary considerations to follow when trying Turkish cuisine?
Turkey offers a variety of Turkish cuisines and for those who have dietary consideration avoid the street foods. If you have specific restrictions towards specific foods or food allergies, be mindful about consuming foods in Turkey and check the ingredients.
How can I find certified street food vendors in Istanbul?
In Istanbul all the certified street food vendors will have their certification number displayed on their carts or booths. The certification number indicates that the shop of the vendors meets the hygiene and food safety and quality of the municipal standards. Look for the certification number to ensure the vendor is certified.
What are the must-try Turkish foods for first-time visitors?
First-time visitors should definitely try the Menemen (scrambled eggs with vegetables), Lahmacun (Turkish-style pizza), Döner Kebab, Turkish Tea, Baklava (a rich pastry dessert), and Turkish Apple Tea.
Summary
- On your travel to Turkey, never leave the country without tasting its famous foods, traditional dishes and sweets
- Travellers are advised to know the Turkey e-Visa application process before starting to apply for it
- Here are the steps involved in getting Turkey visa upon arrival
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Check your eligibility for Turkey e-Visa and apply for Turkey e-Visa 3 days in advance of your flight. Chinese citizens, Omani citizens and Emirati citizens can apply for Turkey e-Visa.