🇹🇷 The food of Turkey
86 dishes from Turkey, best known first, across 24 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.
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.
KadayifVegan
🇹🇷 Turkey and 1 moreFine strands of pastry dough used in Middle Eastern sweets
Noodle or pasta dish
Menemen
🇹🇷 TurkeyEggs gently cooked with tomatoes, peppers, and spices, often served for breakfast in Turkey
Main dish, Breakfast, Lunch
HaleemMeat
🇮🇳 India and 7 moreA slow-cooked stew of wheat, lentils, meat and spices
Stew or curry, 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
Gözleme
🇹🇷 TurkeyTurkish flatbread turnover filled with meat, cheese, or vegetables
Main dish, Breakfast, Lunch
Roast gooseMeat
🇨🇳 China and 4 moreWhole goose roasted until the skin is crisp and the meat tender
Main dish, Dinner
GalaktobourekoVegetarianγαλακτομπούρεκο
🇬🇷 Greece and 4 moreCustard-filled filo pastry soaked in syrup
Pie or savoury pastry
İskender kebapMeat
🇹🇷 TurkeyThinly sliced grilled meat over bread, topped with tomato sauce, butter, and yogurt
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
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
Tavë KosiMeat
🇦🇱 Albania and 4 moreAlbanian casserole of lamb, rice and tangy yogurt baked until golden
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
Qatlamaقتلمہ
🇵🇰 Pakistan and 1 moreFried layered flatbread found across Central Asia, Pakistan, and Turkey
Bread
Adana kebabıMeat
🇹🇷 Turkey and 2 moreHand-minced lamb kebab grilled on skewers, named for the city of Adana
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
Shish taoukMeat
🇹🇷 Turkey and 3 moreChicken pieces marinated, skewered and grilled over a fire
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
Çiğ köfte
🇹🇷 Turkey and 2 moreSpiced bulgur and pepper paste mixture, once made with raw meat, from southeastern Turkey
Main dish, Snacks
KasseriVegetarianκασέρι
🇬🇷 Greece and 2 moreA semi-hard Greek cheese made from sheep’s milk, stretched and aged for months
Cheese or dairy food
MandiMeatمندي
🇾🇪 Yemen and 5 moreMeat and spiced rice cooked together in an underground pit
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
KačamakVegetarian
🇹🇷 Turkey and 5 moreCornmeal porridge from the Balkans, often enriched with cheese or potatoes
Main dish
TavukgöğsüMeat
🇹🇷 TurkeyTurkish milk pudding thickened with finely shredded chicken breast
Sweet or dessert
KarnıyarıkMeat
🇹🇷 TurkeyEggplant filled with a savoury mixture of ground meat, vegetables and herbs
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
TsourekiVegetarian
🇬🇷 Greece and 2 moreBraided sweet bread flavored with spices, made for Easter and Christmas
Pie or savoury pastry, Breakfast, Tea time
şalgamVegan
🇹🇷 Turkey and 1 moreA sour, salty fermented drink of purple carrot and turnip from southern Turkey
Drink, Snacks, Dinner
Çoban salatasıVegan
🇹🇷 TurkeyTurkish salad of chopped tomato, cucumber, pepper, onion and parsley
Salad or side
Kazandibi
🇹🇷 TurkeyCaramelized Turkish milk pudding with a browned base
Sweet or dessert
ÇılbırVegetarian
🇹🇷 Turkey and 4 morePoached eggs served over garlicky yogurt with spiced melted butter
Main dish
Yakhni
🇮🇷 Iran and 5 moreA family of meat and vegetable stews from Iran, the Middle East and the Balkans
Stew or curry, Lunch, Dinner
BazlamaVegetarian
🇹🇷 TurkeyTurkish leavened flatbread with a soft, fluffy inside and crisp outside
Bread, Breakfast
Stuffed squash
🇹🇷 Turkey and 5 moreSquash or zucchini filled with rice and sometimes meat, simmered or baked
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
GüllaçVegetarian
🇹🇷 TurkeyA Turkish dessert of milk-soaked pastry with walnuts and pomegranate, served at Ramadan
Sweet or dessert, Dinner
SumaghiyyehMeatالسماقية
🇵🇸 Palestine and 3 moreA tangy Palestinian stew with sumac, chard, beef and chickpeas
Stew or curry, Lunch, Dinner
Qutab
🇦🇿 Azerbaijan and 2 moreThin dough folded around savory or vegetable fillings and cooked on a griddle
Main dish, Snacks, Lunch
Türlü
🇹🇷 Turkey and 4 moreA baked stew of mixed vegetables, sometimes with meat, from Turkey and the Balkans
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
ZerdeVeganزرده
🇮🇷 Iran and 2 moreA golden rice pudding with saffron, rose water and dried fruit, served cold
Sweet or dessert
Beyaz peynir
🇹🇷 TurkeyA brined white cheese from Turkey, made from sheep, cow or goat milk
Cheese or dairy food, Breakfast, Lunch
balık ekmekFish or seafood
🇹🇷 TurkeyA Turkish street sandwich of fried or grilled fish in bread with vegetables
Street food, Lunch, Dinner
Yayla çorbasıVegetarian
🇹🇷 Turkey and 3 moreTurkish yogurt soup with rice and herbs, served hot
Soup
TantuniMeat
🇹🇷 TurkeySpiced beef or lamb stir-fried and wrapped in flatbread from southern Turkey
Main dish, Lunch, Dinner
KoftaMeat
🇪🇬 Egypt and 5 moreMinced meat shaped into balls or patties, cooked with spices in many regions
Main dish
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Tantuni: Joquee, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Tavukgöğsü: Maderibeyza, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- İskender kebap: Adriao, CC BY 3.0, source
- Kofta: Tarihi Sultanahmet Köftecisi, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Kısır: Noumenon, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Sumaghiyyeh: Peteravivangel, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Menemen: やましこ, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Tavë Kosi: fugzu, CC BY 2.0, source
- Roast goose: Jürgen Howaldt, CC BY-SA 2.0 de, source
- Kasseri: E4024, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Haleem: Miansari66, Public domain, source
- Gözleme: Maderibeyza, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Galaktoboureko: Badseed, CC BY 3.0, source
- Muhammara: Krista, CC BY 2.0, source
- Adana kebabı: Garrett Ziegler, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Çiğ köfte: Mahirli, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Shish taouk: E4024, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Kačamak: Ssofija, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Mandi: Miansari66, CC0, source
- Tsoureki: Jason Hollinger, CC BY 2.0, source
- Karnıyarık: E4024, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- şalgam: Anatolianpride, Public domain, source
- Çoban salatası: Atacameño, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Kazandibi: Garrett Ziegler, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Çılbır: Premshree Pillai, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Stuffed squash: Bazel, Public domain, source
- Bazlama: Noumenon, Public domain, source
- Yakhni: АннаМариа (original image); derived version by Off-shell, CC BY 4.0, source
- Güllaç: E4024, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Kadayif: Uziel302, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Tres leches cake: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Türlü: E4024, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Zerde: E4024, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Beyaz peynir: E4024, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- balık ekmek: User: (WT-shared) Shoestring at wts wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Qatlama: E4024, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Yayla çorbası: E4024, CC BY-SA 4.0, source