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🇹🇷 The food of Turkey

100 dishes from Turkey, best known first, across 31 cities and regions.

Turkish cooking blends Central Asian roots with Mediterranean and Middle Eastern touches, shaped by centuries of Ottoman influence. Meals are built around vegetables, grains, and bread, with moderate use of spices and a wide range of dairy, especially yogurt and cheese. Regional differences are marked, from olive oil-rich Aegean dishes to spicy southeastern kebabs.

  • Yogurt is central, even giving its name to the English word.
  • Olive oil dominates cooking in western Turkey.
  • Baklava and künefe are signature Turkish desserts.
  • Menemen is a classic Turkish breakfast dish.
  • Anchovies are a staple in the Black Sea region.

The cooking of Turkey

Turkish cuisine draws from a long history, combining Central Asian, Mediterranean, and Middle Eastern traditions, especially through the legacy of the Ottoman Empire. The food is known for its balance—spices are used with restraint, and vegetables, grains, and legumes are central. Olive oil is a key ingredient in the west, while the southeast is famous for its kebabs and sweet pastries. Yogurt and cheese are common, and many dishes are named after their place of origin. Meals are often home-cooked, starting with soup and followed by vegetable or meat dishes, usually with rice or bread.

Staple foods in Turkey

Bread, rice, and bulgur are everyday basics, often served with vegetables or legumes. Lamb, chicken, and beef are the main meats, though fish is common along the Black Sea. Eggplant, tomatoes, peppers, onions, and pulses like lentils and beans appear in many dishes. Olive oil and yogurt are widely used, and nuts such as pistachios and walnuts are important, especially in desserts.

Breakfast in Turkey 16 dishes

A Turkish breakfast is varied and generous, featuring cheeses, olives, eggs, tomatoes, cucumbers, jams, honey, and kaymak (clotted cream). Breads like simit and börek are common, along with spicy sausage (sucuk) and cured beef (pastırma). Menemen, an egg dish with tomatoes and peppers, is a specialty. Tea is always served.

Sweets and drinks in Turkey

Baklava, kadayıf, and künefe are well-known desserts, often made with nuts and syrup. Yogurt is used in drinks like ayran, a salty, tangy beverage. Fruit, both fresh and dried, is common in side dishes or desserts, but fresh fruit is rarely found in sweets. Helva, made from semolina or tahini, is enjoyed year-round, with lighter versions in summer.

From region to region in Turkey

Regional cooking varies widely. The Aegean and Mediterranean coasts use olive oil and fresh vegetables, while the Black Sea region relies on fish, especially anchovies, and maize. The southeast is known for spicy kebabs, meze, and syrupy desserts. Central Anatolia features dishes like mantı (meat-filled dumplings) and gözleme (stuffed flatbread). Cheese varieties and preparation styles also differ by region.

Where this page comes from

The facts in this overview come from the Wikipedia article "Turkish cuisine", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence. Thali rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.

Cities and regions of Turkey

Istanbul 5Gaziantep 4Mersin 4Bursa 3İzmir 3Kahramanmaraş 3Adana 2Ankara 2Hatay 2Kayseri 2Tarsus 2Afyonkarahisar 1Anatolia 1Artvin 1Bodrum 1Çimi 1Çukurova 1Divle 1Eastern Thrace 1Eminönü 1Erzincan 1Erzurum 1İnegöl 1İzmir Province 1Kargı 1Kars 1Menemen 1Rize 1Şanlıurfa 1Urfa 1Vefa 1
MealBreakfastLunchTea timeDinnerSupperSnacks
KindMain dishStreet foodSoupStew or curryRice dishNoodle or pasta dishDumplingBreadGrill or roastSandwich or wrapPie or savoury pastrySalad or sideCheese or dairy foodSausage or cured foodSauce, pickle or fermentSweet or dessertDrink
DietVegetarianVeganFish and seafoodMeat
Halvaحَلَاوَة 🇮🇷 Iran and 5 moreDense sweet made from seeds, grains, or vegetables, found across Asia, Africa, and Europe Sweet or dessert, Snacks, Tea time BaklavaVegetarianباقلوا 🇹🇷 Turkey and 5 moreThin pastry filled with nuts and soaked in sweet syrup Sweet or dessert, Tea time, Snacks HummusVegan 🇸🇾 Syria and 5 moreMashed chickpeas blended with tahini, lemon, and garlic, served as a dip or spread Sauce, pickle or ferment, Breakfast, Lunch Turkish coffeeVeganTürk kahvesi 🇹🇷 Turkey and 5 moreUnfiltered coffee brewed in a small pot and served with its fine grounds Drink, Snacks AyranVegetarian 🇹🇷 Turkey and 5 moreChilled yogurt drink mixed with water and salt, popular in Turkey and beyond Drink, Breakfast, Lunch Kefir 🇷🇺 Russia and 5 moreA tangy, fermented milk drink made with kefir grains Drink, Breakfast, Lunch Turkish delightVegan 🇹🇷 Turkey and 5 moreSoft, chewy cubes of starch and sugar, often flavored or filled with nuts or fruit Sweet or dessert, Snacks, Tea time Qamar al-DinVeganقمر الدين 🇸🇾 Syria and 3 moreThick apricot fruit leather and drink, especially served during Ramadan Drink, Snacks TzatzikiVegetarianτζατζίκι 🇬🇷 Greece and 5 moreStrained yogurt mixed with cucumber, garlic and herbs, served cold as a dip or sauce Sauce, pickle or ferment, Lunch, Dinner Börek 🇹🇷 Turkey and 5 moreFlaky pastry filled with cheese, meat or vegetables, baked or fried Pie or savoury pastry, Breakfast, Lunch Doner kebab 🇹🇷 Turkey and 5 moreMeat roasted on a vertical spit, sliced and served in bread or on a plate Main dish, Lunch, Dinner BozaVegan 🇹🇷 Turkey and 4 moreA thick, mildly alcoholic fermented grain drink from Turkey and the Balkans Drink, Snacks SharbatVeganشربت 🇮🇷 Iran and 5 moreSweet fruit or flower drink, served chilled or as a syrup Drink, Snacks KnafehVegetarianكنافة 🇵🇸 Palestine and 5 moreShredded pastry layered with cheese and soaked in sweet syrup Sweet or dessert, Breakfast, Snacks Kibbehكبة 🇸🇾 Syria and 5 moreSpiced ground meat and bulgur shaped, stuffed, and fried, baked or served raw Main dish, Lunch, Dinner Baba ghanoushVeganبابا غنوج 🇪🇬 Egypt and 5 moreRoasted eggplant mashed with tahini, olive oil, and lemon juice, served as a dip Salad or side, Snacks Kaymak 🇹🇷 Turkey and 5 moreThick, creamy dairy spread made from slowly simmered milk Sauce, pickle or ferment, Breakfast, Snacks LahmacunMeat 🇸🇾 Syria and 3 moreThin flatbread baked with a topping of minced meat, vegetables and herbs Main dish, Lunch, Dinner DondurmaVegetarian 🇹🇷 Turkey and 2 moreTurkish ice cream thickened with salep and mastic for a chewy, stretchy texture Sweet or dessert, Snacks SalepVegetarian 🇹🇷 Turkey and 3 moreA thick, hot drink made from wild orchid tubers, enjoyed in winter Drink, Snacks Strained yogurt 🇬🇷 Greece and 5 moreYogurt thickened by straining out most of its whey Sauce, pickle or ferment, Breakfast, Snacks SimitVegan 🇹🇷 Turkey and 5 moreRing-shaped bread with a sesame seed crust, sold by street vendors Bread, Breakfast, Snacks PastirmaMeat 🇹🇷 Turkey and 5 moreAir-dried cured meat coated in a spiced fenugreek paste Sausage or cured food, Breakfast, Lunch Boortsog 🇰🇿 Kazakhstan and 5 moreGolden fried dough pieces from Central Asia and Mongolia, often served with tea or honey Sweet or dessert, Snacks, Tea time Samsa 🇺🇿 Uzbekistan and 5 moreBaked Central Asian pastry filled with meat or vegetables Pie or savoury pastry, Snacks Qatayefقطايف 🇪🇬 Egypt and 5 moreSweet stuffed pancakes, folded and filled with nuts or cream, served for Ramadan Sweet or dessert, Snacks, Tea time TaramasalataFish or seafoodταραμοσαλάτα 🇬🇷 Greece and 5 moreFish roe blended with oil, lemon and bread or potato, served as a meze spread Sauce, pickle or ferment, Snacks LokmaVegan 🇮🇶 Iraq and 4 moreSmall fried dough pieces sweetened with syrup or honey Sweet or dessert, Snacks, Tea time Ma'amoulVegetarianمعمول 🇸🇾 Syria and 4 moreSemolina cookies filled with dates or nuts, shaped in moulds for festive occasions Sweet or dessert, Snacks, Tea time HaleemMeat 🇮🇳 India and 7 moreA slow-cooked stew of wheat, lentils, meat and spices Stew or curry, Breakfast, Lunch Gözleme 🇹🇷 TurkeyTurkish flatbread turnover filled with meat, cheese, or vegetables Main dish, Breakfast, Lunch Tres leches cakeVegetarianTres Leches 🇲🇽 Mexico and 5 moreAiry sponge cake soaked in three types of milk and topped with cream Sweet or dessert, Tea time, Snacks MuhammaraVeganمحمرة 🇸🇾 Syria and 2 moreSyrian red pepper and walnut dip with pomegranate molasses Sauce, pickle or ferment, Lunch, Dinner KısırVegan 🇹🇷 TurkeyTurkish salad of fine bulgur, parsley and tomato paste, served at room temperature Salad or side, Lunch, Dinner Çiğ köfte 🇹🇷 Turkey and 2 moreSpiced bulgur and pepper paste mixture, once made with raw meat, from southeastern Turkey Main dish, Snacks şalgamVegan 🇹🇷 Turkey and 1 moreA sour, salty fermented drink of purple carrot and turnip from southern Turkey Drink, Snacks, Dinner TsourekiVegetarian 🇬🇷 Greece and 2 moreBraided sweet bread flavored with spices, made for Easter and Christmas Pie or savoury pastry, Breakfast, Tea time Qutab 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan and 2 moreThin dough folded around savory or vegetable fillings and cooked on a griddle Main dish, Snacks, Lunch balık ekmekFish or seafood 🇹🇷 TurkeyA Turkish street sandwich of fried or grilled fish in bread with vegetables Street food, Lunch, Dinner TantuniMeat 🇹🇷 TurkeySpiced beef or lamb stir-fried and wrapped in flatbread from southern Turkey Main dish, Lunch, Dinner Kumpir 🇹🇷 Turkey and 1 moreBaked potato split and filled with cheese, butter and assorted toppings Main dish, Lunch, Dinner Stuffed musselsFish or seafood 🇹🇷 Turkey and 1 moreMussels filled with herbed rice, sold as street food in Turkey and Armenia Street food, Snacks

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

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