FOOD AND DRINKS
Istanbul, which is divided into two halves by a river, retains both a European and an Asian character. It’s a fantastic advantage for travelers since they get to see two cities in one place. But it isn’t the only benefit of visiting this one-of-a-kind location.
Istanbul’s cuisine is a mash-up of Southeast European favorites with Middle Eastern flavors. What’s the end result? A delectable selection of dishes and beverages unlike anything else you’ll find anywhere else in the globe. Here are ten of the best dishes and beverages to try in Istanbul.
İskender Kebap
Iskender Efendi, a 19th-century aristocrat who lived in Bursa during the Ottoman Empire’s reign, is the name of this renowned northwest Turkish dish.
The dish’s proper name is ‘Kebapçi İskender.’ However, because the name İskender kebap is trademarked by İskender Efendi’s family, it is served under the more well-known name of iskender kebap.
This döner beef dish is commonly served with yogurt and served on pita bread with butter and tomato sauce.
Mantı
Mantı, a savory dumpling comprised of dough with a filling similar to ravioli, is another traditional Turkic dish. The mixture usually comprises of onion, ground lamb or beef, and salt and pepper. It’s also feasible to substitute chicken or fish for lamb or beef. Vegetarians can even ask for spinach as a side dish.
It’s usually served with a side of yogurt and slathered in a butter-based tomato sauce. Not just in Turkey, but also in Russia and other former Soviet countries, this dish is very popular.
Meze
Starters and appetizers – a range of small meals served together to essentially make a big meal – are an important aspect of Turkish cuisine.
Meze is the name given to these delightful tiny plates (or mezze). Individuals select from a large tray of varied meze, however, the dishes are frequently divided around a table.
The first round of meze is usually served cold, followed by a round of heated dishes. Choose one of the many meyhanes( traditional eateries that specialize in meze cuisine) for the greatest meze.
Menemen
This omelet contains egg and tomato and is named after a region in Turkey’s Izmir Province.
It is said that tomato growers were encouraged to create delectable dinners with extra fruit when tomatoes were first planted in Izmir in the 1920s.
Other components, like herbs, are used to round out the dish, with some variations including mushrooms, sausages, and cheese.
Kuyu Kebabı
This delicacy meal comes from the Kastamonu Province in the country’s northwestern region, the Black Sea Region.
The dish’s name, which roughly translates to “pit kebab,” originates from the way it’s prepared.
The organless male lamb is cooked slowly by hanging it for hours over a pit-like charcoal or coal furnace.
This style of oven is known as a ‘Tandr’ in Turkey and other parts of the Central Asian region. Lowering kebab into a stone tandoor oven
Künefe
This cheese pastry dish – known as kanafeh in Arabic cuisine – is a traditional recipe found in many Arab cuisines. Despite the presence of savory cheese, künefe is a dessert.
The cheese is placed between two sheets of tel kadayıf, a stringy pastry.
The pastry is served in syrup with a side of clotted cream and walnuts or pistachios sprinkled on top in Turkish cuisine.
Baklava
The most famous dessert in Turkey is baklava. During the Ottoman Empire’s reign, the modern version of baklava was invented in the kitchens of the Topkapi Palace.
Thin layers of phyllo (yufka) dough are scattered with nuts (walnuts, pistachios, or hazelnuts) before being slathered in butter, baked, and finished with a sweet syrup or honey dressing.
It’s one of the most delectable foods you’ll ever have when properly baked.
Salep
While ayran is best enjoyed in the summer, salep is best enjoyed in the winter.
Salep, which was once prepared from orchid tubers, is now made with artificial flavoring. Because the orchid used in the beverage is becoming rare in some locations, people have resorted to this.
That should tell you everything you need to know about salep’s popularity! This steaming dessert is made with hot milk and sugar, thickened with flour, and sprinkled with cinnamon.
Ayran
Ayran, maybe Turkey’s most beloved non-alcoholic beverage, is a summer must-have.
This delicious beverage is made up of water, cold yogurt, and salt and has no sugar. It’s even sold in McDonald’s and Burger King restaurants around the country, and it’s best served with beef dishes.
The drink’s origins are said to be thousands of years old, dating back to the period of the Göktürks.
FIND TOURS AND FLIGHT TICKETS
