Turkish cuisine is one of the most delicious and varied in the world thanks to the abundance of quality local products used for cooking, rich historical traditions and the true passion of the inhabitants of this hospitable country for culinary.
Each region or province brings its own bright colors to the palette of flavors, and the same dish can have completely different variations and signature style depending on the place of its preparation or even the restaurant. Therefore, gastronomic travel is a popular type of tourism in Turkey.
The basis of the cuisine is meat and vegetable dishes, various rice as a side dish, legumes (including in the form of soups and stews), dough products in all their variety (from pasta and manta to Simit bagel and the famous bore with fillings).
Turkish desserts are not even a separate song, but a whole symphony, because here there are both very popular and well-known desserts all over the world (baklava, Turkish delight, halva and sherbet), and delicacies that can be tasted mainly only in the country itself ( recipes are kept secret, and the export of ingredients is strictly limited).
Local drinks have a special “sound”: teas with various flavors and aromas, coffee, juices, yarran, mineral and rose water … And those who have tried the original drink with sale often do not want to part with this taste at home.
Mountains, sea, gardens and the Sultan’s palace …
Each region of Turkey (there are only 8 of them) is deservedly proud of the products it produces and dishes with a local flavor.
So in the Black Sea region, dishes with hams anchovies and corn are popular, the southeast and Central Anatolia are famous for meat dishes (manta, Keshet, shepherd and sukuk) and golem pies with various fillings. Vegetables, olives, pied (Turkish version of pizza) and seafood are popular in the Mediterranean and Marmara region.
In the mountainous regions, in addition to all kinds of lamb dishes, you can taste yogurt-based soups, delicious local cheeses. The western part of the country – the territory of Istanbul, Bursa and Izmir – is a place where the traditions of dishes served at the court of the sultans of the Ottoman Empire are kept.
Numerous types of kebabs (more than two dozen), kofta and dolma (stuffed vegetables or seafood), eggplant dishes, fish and a variety of sweets made from fruits, nuts and even cheese are popular in Istanbul.
The provinces’ specialization in cooking has developed historically and has survived to this day, therefore, often in the names of Turkish delicacies there are references to the area in which they were originally prepared (for example, Adana-kebab or manta-Kayseri).
All the best kebabs from A to W
But the taste of this dish, the process of its preparation and even serving can vary greatly depending on the variety.
Most fast food connoisseurs will recognize kebab in its basic form – diner, which means flipping. This popular dish is thinly sliced mouth-watering slices from a massive, vertically rotating skewer with meat (lamb, lamb or chicken).
Donner is served on a flatbread (or pied) with herbs, onions, vegetables and sauce. Good quality 24-hour diner can be tasted at: Kamer Khatun Caddies 26 / A, Breyfogle, Tsar kebab (a denier version with less fat) at Shehzad Erzurum Tsar Kebab café (Hocapaşa Soak 3 / A, Sarkese).
Some of the most famous kebabs are identified by their city or region of origin, such as the spicy Adana kebab or the milder Urfa kebab. They are chopped meat with spices and pieces of fat (mainly lamb), skewered on skewers. Minced meat for kebabs is marinated for 24 hours.
The dish is served removed from skewers in the company of rice (or potatoes), herbs, vegetables and sauce. The original Adana kebab can only be produced by establishments that are field tested and approved by the Adana Chamber of Commerce
You can order the “most correct” Adana kebab in Adana Sonrais Cheer vet Kebab Salona (Besiktash), Adana Yuzevler (Eviler), Kebapchi Never Usta (Beyoglu-Tunel) and Zubair Okabbashi (Breyfogle). Adonai Yusuf Usta. –
Iskandar kebab (the recipe was invented in the north-west of the country) has won particular popularity and love among local residents and visitors. It is served on a layer of pita bread, pieces of tender lamb, roasted on a skewer, poured over with warm spicy tomato sauce and accompanied by plenty of yogurt.
Ceramics Kebab is a dish that is served with real pathos, and its preparation cannot be called ordinary. Meat and vegetables slowly simmer in a sealed pot, and when he arrives at the table, the waiter pulls out a knife and slices off the top of the pot right in front of the astonished audience.
“Ali naik kebab” is not so effective in serving, but it is unusually tasty. Legend has it that the Turkish sultan himself once tasted this dish, consisting of baked eggplant served with yogurt and spices, and small chopped kebabs on wooden skewers. Having tasted this juicy dish, the ruler admired and wished to find out whose “golden hands” prepared the dish. That is why the kebab was called “golden hands”.
The most familiar, but no less appetizing of the kebab family, can be called Shish-kebab, which is pieces of meat cooked on skewers, interspersed with tomatoes, onions and bell peppers. It is served with chopped herbs, vegetables and sauce (but not on skewers).
To appreciate all the shades of flavors, a restaurant or café can offer assorted kebabs. This plentiful feast is perfect for meat lovers to fully enjoy the delights of Turkish cuisine. Shia Kebab Restaurant in Istanbul (located at: Güneşlibahçe Soak 43, Kadoka).
