When you think of Turkish cuisine, do you only think of doner kebab, lahmacun, and börek? Turkish cuisine has much more to offer! Turkish cuisine, strongly enriched by its location on two continents, also carries some features from Armenian, Mediterranean, and Indian cuisine. Every meal includes fresh vegetables and lots of spices.
Turkish Food Culture
Turkish food culture has a long history. Turks conquered many foreign countries during the Ottoman Empire, met new dishes, and integrated them into their kitchens. Even today these influences can be recognized in the form of items from Greek, Armenian and Hungarian cuisine.
Geolocation provides more culinary influence. Therefore, it is possible to use all kinds of fresh foods in Turkish cuisine. Everything from fresh fish to lamb to countless fruits and vegetables is used for delicious recipes and dishes. Meat dishes, soups, and rice are refined with many spices and take on their typical flavor.
Typical Ingredients: Turkish Cuisine Must-Haves
Some ingredients are used in almost every dish in Turkish cuisine. These products also produce the typical taste that everyone loves so much.
The characteristic of Turkish yogurt is its consistency. It has a different taste from other yogurts in the world. Care is taken to ensure its freshness. In addition to many fresh vegetables, herbs, in particular, come directly from the field. In Turkish cuisine, the meat of small cattle (especially lamb) is often preferred and eaten. Not everyone likes lamb, but when cooked well, it tastes better than you think. In addition to these basic ingredients, options such as the pancake and bagel bread should not be missing in Turkish cuisine. Delicious bread specialties are served with almost every meal.
As a soft drink, ayran is the preferred beverage with meals. Ayran; is made with yogurt, water, and salt. But a delicious hot black tea is also popular for dinner and lunch. Now let’s examine the delicious dishes of Turkish cuisine.
Turkish Cuisine Recipes That Can Be Made At Home
You can easily cook Turkish food at home with fresh ingredients and a good recipe. How about inviting your friends to a nice dinner where you can try all the new recipes? You can serve tea and rakı with various dishes.
A Delicious Recipe for Breakfast: Tahini Molasses
It is a sweet food made from tahini molasses, sesame paste, and grape syrup. It can be eaten especially for breakfast. Fresh ingredients are just as important here as for the main course. In Turkey, tahini molasses is considered an energy bomb, but also a calorie bomb. Therefore, it is recommended to consume in moderation.
Soup Choices Matter
Soups are also very important in Turkish cuisine as well as bakery products. Turkish soups are available in several variations and are traditionally served as a preparation for the main course. In some cases, the soup also acts as a “digestive soup” after a meal. Popular soups include; green/red lentil soup, noodle soup, tarhana soup.
Turkish Ravioli for Dinner
Mantı is a dish traditionally consumed for dinner. Small pieces of pasta are filled with different filling materials according to your taste. In traditional Turkish cuisine, meatballs are stuffed with ground meat. You can serve it with garlic yogurt sauce.
Bakery Products and Desserts in Turkish Cuisine
Bakery products are very popular in Turkey and are often consumed with meals. Traditionally, baked goods are baked crispy in a stone oven. Of course, you can diversify all the recipes a little and improve them with additional ingredients. After all, Turkish cuisine and recipes are also influenced by ingredients from Greek, Hungarian and Armenian cuisine.
Finally, Turkish cuisine includes many sweets and fresh fruits. To facilitate digestion, the meal is ended with Turkish coffee or tea. This coffee and tea ritual is very important in order to really enjoy the food.
