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Turkey is a rich country not only with its ancient history and diversity but also with tasty dishes of all kinds. I personally consider Turkey to be one of the best countries for food.
Each region of this beautiful country offers a collection of uniquely made dishes and treats. If it happens to visit Turkey I want you to know where to start when it comes to surprising your taste buds with amazing Turkish food.
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To easily navigate our Turkey food guide, we divided it into four main sections:
- Sweets & Dessert
- Meat & Seafood
- Street Food
- Vegetarian Food
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Turkish food: Baklava
Baklava is a layered filo pastry dessert with nuts and drenched in honey. Walnuts, pistachios, almonds, or hazelnut are most often used, and the type of nut alters the flavor considerably.
This Ottoman sweet food is believed to have been invented in the Topkapi Palace kitchen and Istanbul is still the best place in Turkey to try it. Local Istanbulites’ sweet tooth is obvious with nearly every street having a baklava shop. Any good baklava shop will have a wide range of different options and best of all they allow you to try a small piece before buying since every variety has a different taste.
WHERE | Although it is atmospheric to buy baklava in the souk, shops such as Karakoy Gulluoglu and Hafiz Mustafa provide much better quality and value. Baklava is normally bought by weight with some nuts such as pistachio being more expensive.
PRICE | Prices vary from 20-30 lira for a couple of pieces in a cafe to 100-200 lira for a kilo in a shop. In general, look for a shop full of locals and you cannot go wrong.
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Turkish food: Kunafa
Kunefe is a popular dessert all over Turkey, and people who find baklava too sweet will love this heavenly dessert. Kunefe is made from shredded Kadayif or semolina noodles which are soaked in a sweet syrup of sugar, water, and lemon juice. A layer of the syrup-soaked noodles is placed in a round metal pan, which has been buttered. A thick slice of unsalted cheese is placed on the noodles, before adding another layer of soaked noodles. Then it gets baked until the cheese has melted, and is served immediately.
The combination of gooey cheese, crunchy, thin noodles, and sweet syrup are indeed as good as it sounds. Traditionally Kunefe is served with pistachios sprinkled on top, but these days seeing ice cream on top of a Kunefe is also common.
WHERE | One of the best things to do in Istanbul is to indulge in the country’s excellent cuisine. For the best Kunefe and other Turkish desserts, you must not miss Hafiz Mustafah 1864. There are several branches in Istanbul, with the most convenient one for tourists being the one in Sultanahmet.
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Turkish food : Turkish Delights
If you have a sweet tooth and you find yourself traveling in Turkey, you cannot miss the opportunity to try Turkish delight! Also known as Lokum, Turkish delight is a confection made of starch and sugar, which is then cut into small cubes and dusted in icing sugar.
When you visit sweets and candy shops in Istanbul, the window displays are filled with colorful mountains of Turkish Delight that are truly hard to resist! There are lots of different flavors to choose from including rosewater, cinnamon, mint, strawberry, lemon, orange, kiwi, pomegranate, and apple. Meanwhile, the more elaborate Turkish delight features chopped hazelnuts, walnuts, pistachios, dates, pomegranate seeds, and even shredded coconut.
WHERE | Because Istanbul is often the first destination for many visitors to Turkey, this is a great place to get a taste of Turkish delight and Hafiz Mustafa is the place to go. The shop has numerous locations across the city, however, you can visit the original shop on Hamidiye Street in the old district of Eminönü.
PRICE | Prices for Turkish delight can range from 5TL to 50TL ($0.70-$7.00 USD) per kilo depending on what you’re getting and where. So, sitting down with a cup of Turkish tea and a small plate of Turkish delight is a delicious and affordable treat.
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Turkish food: Boza
Boza is an unusual refreshment – a slightly funky forerunner to the soft drink. This beverage of fermented millet is opaque, viscous, a little bit effervescent, and a little bit sweet. It was popular throughout the Ottoman Empire and is still popular in many Balkan countries of the former Ottoman empire. It’s like nothing else you may have tried – boza is truly a taste of the past.
WHERE | One of my favorite places to try an authentic Turkish Boza is in the Vefa district of Istanbul, more specifically in Vefa Boza by the Haci brothers. This beautiful shop with its big marble bar, carved wood, Iznik tiles, and stained glass is a classic Istanbul stop and interesting addition to a tour of Turkish sweets and desserts.
Turkish food: Sutlash
Firin Sutlac (baked rice pudding) is another milk-based traditional Turkish dessert and an important part of Turkish cuisine. It is very creamy, sweet, and healthy. I would have five servings and still, ask for more. Firin Sutlac is very similar to the normal rice pudding but cooked more in the oven for a creamy texture and a brown surface.
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Turkish food: Iskender
Although the döner kebab was invented in the Ottoman Empire, one man took it to the next level and created one of Turkey’s best-loved dishes: the İskender Kebap!
The İskender kebap was born in Bursa, a city in northwestern Turkey that’s famous for being the first capital of the Ottoman Empire, by a man named Master İskender in the late 19th century. The dish consists of thin slices of döner kebab placed on top of soft pieces of bread and smothered with yogurt and tomato sauce. Authentic restaurants will even pour a generous portion of melted butter when they deliver the dish to the guest’s table.
WHERE | Travelers can find the İskender kebap all over Turkey, although the most authentic is in its birthplace, Bursa! In fact, there’s even an alley that is made up of restaurants only serving İskender kebap. One of the best restaurants in that alley is Yesil Izgara Pideli Kofte, which offers delicious kebabs along with excellent service (and a delicious local grape drink called Şıra that pairs well with said kebab).
PRICE | A hearty portion of İskender kebap costs between 35 to 50 TLR ($5 to 7 USD) and is well worth the trip to Bursa (or the local kebab spot)!
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Turkish food: Urfa kebab
Legend has it that Turkish soldiers were cooking their hunt on their swords in the 1300s and invented what we now call kebabs. If you visit Turkey, you are likely to see dozens of different types of kebabs with marinated meat or even vegetables on a metal or wooden skewer.
But for the best food-on-a-stick experience, you should try the delicious Urfa Kebab. Unlike the typical cubed meat kebabs, the Urfa kebab is made with ground beef, ground lamb, or a combination of the two along with traditional Turkish spices like cumin, cinnamon, paprika, and mint. They are bursting with flavor without being spicy.
WHERE | Urfa Kebabs hail from the city of the same name. Well, it used to be the same name, now the city is called Sanliurfa, and of course, this is the best place to try their signature dish.
PRICE | You can get an Urfa Kebab meal for 50-100 Turkish lira. One of the best restaurants to try Urfa Kebabs is Altin Lokantasi at Shutim Yenihal Market C Block NO:1.
When you return from Turkey, if you find yourself craving these tasty skewers, you can always make Urfa Kebabs at home and the taste will transport you back!
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Turkish food: Manti
Manti is a traditional dumpling that is popular in both Turkey and her surrounding countries. You’ll also see manti in many post-Soviet countries.
Turkish manti are traditionally made with a spiced minced lamb or beef combined with onions in a dumpling wrapper. The manti are then boiled or baked. What makes manti unique to Turkey is the way in which they are served with a sauce that is typically cold yogurt and garlic. The beautiful look of manti is finished off with a sprinkle of either dried chili, paprika, dried mint, and ground sumac
WHERE | The Yeni Lokanta Bar in Istanbul is a great place to eat manti, but you’ll also find them in many cafes and restaurants in Istanbul. It’s also possible to get vegetarian manti, but you’ll need to look specifically for this.
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Turkish food: Pide
In its simplest form, pide is a flatbread with a variety of toppings that have been baked in a stone oven. Often described as an open-top calzone to those who have never heard of this dish, it is one of the most popular snacks and fast food in Turkey.
The base is a flat bread similar to that of a pizza crust and toppings vary widely, with the most readily available being cheese and onion. Other toppings for the more adventurous include ground beef, mushrooms, spinach, and tomatoes.
Traditionally prepared during Ramadan, the most authentic form of pide is conventionally cooked in hot clay ovens. The crunch of the crispy crust and the smell of the parsley are nicely complemented by the milk-like taste of the cheese.
WHERE | Fortunately, Pide is very easy to find, this popular food and its different varieties can be found all over Turkey, common in cities like Istanbul and Izmir. In Istanbul, Pide is available at common restaurants and street cart sellers.
PRICE | Pide is a relatively cheap meal at around 25 TL is a must-try when in Turkey and is sure to leave you smiling in delight long after the meal is over.
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Turkish food: Turkish Breakfast
The Turkish breakfast is a fantastic spread of different delicious products, balancing both savory and sweet and always including vegetables and fruits as well. In a typical Turkish breakfast, you can expect to find meats such as salami or cold sausage, but also different cheeses.
Turkey produces some amazing cheese and at breakfast is when you can try some of them. The most common ones are the beyaz peynir and the kasar peynir. Olives of all types are almost always part of a Turkish breakfast as well. Eggs are not missing either, be it hard-boiled or cooked to order. When it comes to fruits, there will be both fresh slices or dried varieties such as apricots or prunes.
The sweet element of the breakfast consists of butter, jam, and/or chocolate spread. With a Turkish breakfast, you can expect to receive coffee and tea as well. Turkis breakfast is an amazing food experience in Turkey. Even if you visit Istanbul on a layover and don’t have much time, you must indulge yourself with a Turkish breakfast.
WHERE | You can have it pretty much at every restaurant that is open for breakfast.
PRICE | The price of a basic Turkish breakfast costs around 40TL ($4,5) per person but if you go for a supreme breakfast -which is the one you should try- starts at 70TL ($8,5) per person.
Turkish food: Tantuni
Tantuni is a spicy dürüm that originated from the city of Mersin. The spicy meat is fried with hot spices then wrapped in lavaş bread together with chopped onions, chopped tomato, green peppers, and parsley.
The bread is soaked in the meat’s sauce before wrapping the Durum. Durum can be made with chicken also and is always served with pickles and Ayran.
Turkish food: Lahmacun
People may confuse Lahmacun with the Turkish pizza called pide. Lahmacun is made of a large thin bread topped with minced meat, fat, onions, tomatoes, and a lot of spices and herbs.
Usually served with salads and pickles to add on it and wrap it like a sandwich. Lahmacun is an inexpensive delicious meal.
Turkish food: Balik Ekemek
Balik Ekmek literally translates to Fish bread but it doesn’t really mean fish bread but a fish sandwich. It consists of a filet of fried or grilled fish, served along with various vegetables, inside a bun of Turkish bread.
Balik Ekmek is famous street food in Turkey, especially in Istanbul. It is typically served from a special Balik Ekmek boat restaurant in the Eminönü square. So, it is better enjoyed right after or before your Bosphorus boat trip.
Turkish food: Islak Burger
I was hesitant to try Islak Hamburger but when I did I loved it. The oddly delicious Islak hamburger a.k.a “Wet burger” is literally a wet burger. Islak hamburger is made by soaking the small white buns in a tomato garlicky sauce before putting in the meat patty (usually beef) then the burger is left to sweat inside a steam box until served to a customer. The burger comes soggy and saucy but that’s where the taste comes from. Make sure to order at least two.
Turkish food: Simit
Simit is the Instagram famous bagel-shaped Turkish bread. Brown, crunchy and seasoned with sesame seeds, Simit makes a delicious snack when traveling around Istanbul. It is sold in the red carts in the streets. You can either have it plain or flavored with cheese or jam. Simit is always present in a typical Turkish breakfast as well.
WHERE | Simit is pretty easy to find. It is sold in street carts, cafes, and many restaurants in Turkey
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Turkish food: Kumpir
Turkish Kumpir is mainly a huge baked potato loaded with all the goodies you can think of. It is prepared by cutting open a freshly baked potato and mixing its fluffy flesh with garlic butter and cheese until it becomes creamy.
This improved filling is stuffed back into the potato and one’s favorite toppings are added on top. Some of the common toppings are sausages, sweetcorn, sliced olives, mayo, chives, grated carrot, beans, sheep cheese, mushrooms, pickles, sliced beets, and many more.
WHERE | Istanbul has countless shops that serve Kumpir, but the best place to try one is in Ortaköy district, on the coast of the European part of the city. One can also find Kumpir in other cities, like Izmir and Ankara, or even prepare it at home while enjoying a Turkey-inspired evening.
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Turkish food: Pilav
One of the most popular street food dishes in Turkey that locals love and not many tourists know about is pilav. The Turkish Pilav is basically plain white rice cooked in water or chicken broth with the addition of butter or olive oil and served either with meat (chicken, lamb, or beef), vegetables, corn, or chickpeas that come on top of rice.
Meat can be boiled, grilled, sauteed with spices, or when each piece is fried separately with onions. In some places (and regions) cooks also mix rice with small noodles. In other parts of the country, they prepare from wheat groats instead of rice.
WHERE | Pilav is considered the best late-night food and often comes as street food. It is easy to find it anywhere in Turkey, you just need to look for glass-covered carts or pop into one of many street cafes with the name ‘pilav’ on them. One of my favorite places to find pilav is Istanbul, a city with thousands of eateries and restaurants. Literally, in all neighborhoods of Istanbul, you can find it.
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Turkish food: Menemen
Sometimes referred to as Turkish scrambled eggs or a Turkish omelet, Menemen is a medley of eggs, spices, tomatoes, and peppers, sauteed together in a pan. The tomatoes, peppers, and occasionally onions are cooked until they are soft and tender, with the eggs mixed through.
Menemen is served for breakfast, usually, in the pan cooked in, with crispy bread. Sometimes, it will come with white cheese or Sucuk (a type of dry, fermented beef sausage), depending on what you order and what’s available. Either way, it’s delicious!
WHERE | Menemen is named for the town it comes from, a district of Izmir on the east coast of the country. Now, however, Menemen has become common throughout the country and you can sample it in restaurants in most neighborhoods in Istanbul.
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Turkish food: Dolmas
Dolmas are vegetables or leaves wrapped and filled with another vegetable or cooked rice. Most commonly found Vegetarian Dolmas are pepper, zucchini, vine leaves, eggplant, tomatoes, and cabbage leaves.
Vegetarian dolmas are the most popular dish not only in Turkey but across Central Asia and Middle Eastern cuisine. While meat plays a huge role in Turkish cuisine, vegetable dishes like Dolma are a huge savior for vegetarians and vegans.
Dolmas can be part of Meze (a starter ) or a vegetarian main dish. They can be served either hot or cold, warm dolmas accompanied with a yogurt dip, and cold dolmas are served with a dash of lemon juice. Either way, Dolmas is a culinary delight and a legacy of Turkish food that one must try while in Turkey.
WHERE | The good news is every city and town in Turkey has this savory food on their menu.
Turkish food: Su Boregi
I can’t imagine a day in Turkey without Borek for breakfast. Borek is a stuffed pastry made with thin flaky dough such as Phyllo or Yufka. Borek can be stuffed with meat, cheese, or vegetables.
It is very popular in Turkey among locals as a breakfast dish. You can find different types of Borek but the most common types are the “Su böreği” water börek filled with feta cheese, “Et Boregi” filled with minced meat, and “Patates boregi” filled with mashed potato.
Turkish food: Gozleme
Potato stuffed Gozleme reminds me of Msemen, the traditional flatbread served for breakfast in Morocco. However, the Turkish flatbread Gozleme can be filled, sealed, and cooked over a Turkish-style griddle.
The fillings are numerous, they can include different types of meat, vegetables, cheeses, herbs, and spices. If you feel for a Gozleme, just look for these small cafes or better a restaurant. Bon Appetit
WHERE | I have tried many Gozleme in Turkey but honestly the best I’ve ever had is the one made in MADO restaurant.
Turkish food: Cig Kofte
Cig Kofte is a vegetarian Turkish dish, even though the name says otherwise. Traditionally, Cig Kofte is made of raw meat but this was long removed from the restaurant’s menu as it is considered not healthy.
The current version found in Turkey is only made of Bulgur, tomato paste, fresh onion, garlic, and other spices for flavoring such as “isot” and black pepper.
The dish is commonly served cold as an appetizer with fresh lettuce, parsley leaves, lemon, and pomegranate sauce. My favorite way of having the Cig Kofte is rolled in durum with all these ingredients.
Turkish food: Chorba
Turks love their soups and they have so many. From the much-loved Mercimek Corbasi (lentils soup) to the less known Tarhana Soup (Dried Curds Soup), the choice is wide. Turkish soups are always a good starter of the meal. They are light, warming, and delicious.
The Turkish Kebab is widely known as the national food in Turkey. Turkey is also known internationally for so many dishes like Baklava and Pide (Turkish pizza). Also, Turkish tea (Chay) is considered the national drink of Turkey
Turkey has many famous traditional foods to count. The most authentic and traditional food in Turkey is their national dish Kebab. Each region in Turkey has its own version of Kebablike Urfa Kebab, Bursa Kebab, and so on. However, Kebab isn’t only the traditional food that is worth mentioning. Manti (Turkish Dumpling), Ezogelin chorba, Yaprak dolma, Iskender kebab, Testi kebab, Pide are some of these traditional foods in Turkey.
Turkish people love their Kebab dishes. They eat a lot of it! However, salads, mezes, and fresh vegetables are an important part of their diet. I’ve spent a few years and Turkey and during that time I realized that food in Turkey is pretty rich in healthy ingredients except the extra sweetness in Baklava.
People in Turkey consume a lot of meat, seafood, grains, fresh vegetable, and fruits. Cheese is also an important part of the famous Turkish breakfast.
I always use social media to search for food inspirations or places to eat. And Turkish Kebab and Baklava are only some of the popular and trending foods on Instagram. To find popular Turkish foods on social media try out these hashtags: #Turkishfood.
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