20 Popular Turkish Food & Cuisine You Must Try

Some people eat to satisfy their hunger, while some eat to get along with the aroma of the food. No matter who you are, you will experience the richness and freshness of Turkish food when in Turkey. The greatness of Turkish cuisine comes from the legacy, longevity, and diversity left by the imperial kitchen. While roaming the market streets of Turkey, you will drool over the smell of Turkish delicacies in every nook and corner. It will make you stop by the shop and try something from the menu to get an otherworldly taste.

Be it appetizers, main courses, desserts, juices, or drinks, Turkish food will mesmerize your taste buds. You will crave more with every bite. Turkey will offer an incredible gastronomical experience for everyone visiting this marvelously-rich country. If you are in Turkey, there are many flavourful cuisines awaiting you. There is a vast array of Turkish specialties, which is more than Kebabs, Doners, and Koftas. If your food-loving soul wants to know what all you can eat in Turkey, read through every line of this blog. We have curated a list of the 20 Best Turkish Foods.

20 Most Popular Turkish Foods & Cuisine

If you are a gastronome and vacationing in Turkey, you should gorge on delectable Turkish cuisine. Here’s the list of all the finest things to eat in Turkey:

1. Köfte (Meatballs)

Köfte is a Turkey version of meatballs. These are meatballs or patties made of gently cooked ground lamb or beef and served as wraps with salad & pita bread. You can even have them with rice and winter salad on the side. There is also a vegetarian version of Köfte made with chickpeas and vegetables if you are a vegetarian. Köfte is one of the best Turkish foods that cater to a wide range of palates and people.

2. Lahmacun (Flat Pizza)

Lahmacun is a Turkish flatbread pizza, vastly famous across the country as street food or kebab appetizer. This flatbread pizza is offered with a minced meat topping, salad, and lemon juice on the bread. Lahmacun is full of flavors that you won’t be able to stop yourself from eating it. It has different Mediterranean spices that make it a Turkish delicacy. It is the delicious Turkish food that you can find anywhere in the country.

3. Sis Kebabs

Sis Kebabs is the most famous Turkish Cuisine. The Kebabs, which are popular throughout the world, originated in Turkey. This Turkish dish consists the pieces of meat cooked on hot charcoal. In addition, it also contains perfectly cooked, marinated skewered lamb or beef cubes served with rice, salad, and thin bread or wrapped up in a delicate sheet of flatbread. Sis Kebab is Turkey’s delight that Turkish people have brought to cities and countries worldwide.

4. Manti (Dumplings)

Manti is a fried or boiled dumpling with beef or lamb filling accompanied by various spices. This cuisine is a Turkish version of Italian ravioli that will please your taste buds. The manti is one of the best Turkish foods you will ever try. The spiced meat will dissolve in your mouth, and the garlic tomato sauce with plates of ravioli will kick open your taste buds. This traditional Turkish dish is made in every household in Turkey.

5. Döner

Döner is a Turkish food option if you love meat sandwiches and subs. The chef in Turkey made this classic Kebab sandwich with simmered chicken, lamb, or beef meat. Döner serves with spices, vegetables, and garlic yogurt. Its richness and fresh flavors are packed inside the pita bread. To get the instant taste, try it with traditional Turkey dips. This dish is healthy and full of nutrition that you won’t feel guilty of gorging on Döners. If you are in Turkey, don’t miss out on trying this Turkish dish.

6. Mercimek Corbasi (Lentil Soup)

Mercimek Corbasi is a simple Turkish cuisine based on red or orange lentils. It is one of the top dishes in Turkey that gets prepared with pureed lentils and spices. Garnished with melted butter, lemon juice, cilantro, and vegetable pickle, Corbasi is a good-to-go soup. This soul-warming soup is often accompanied by hot pitas on the side that gives you a warm and melting sensation that opens your taste buds.

7. Borek (Meat Puffs)

Borek is a Turkish pastry that is very soft, flaky, and delicious. The Borek is filled with cheese, spinach, minced beef, and other meats. This Turkish cuisine can be served as puffs, layered like lasagna, or rolled. The sprinkled sesame seeds on the top add a nutty flavor to the Borek. This dish depicts the classical Turkish era. It is a favorite Turkish pastry across the countries of the Balkans.

8. Durum (Non-Veg Wrap)

Durum is a Turkish wrap made with lavash or yufta bread & filled with chicken, lamb, or beef. It is one of the most famous Turkish dishes in Turkey. It can be found anywhere on Turkey Street. The flatbread in this wrap is finer than the bread used for other Turkish dishes. The Durum has almost the same ingredients that are used in making Doners, like meat and veggies.

9. Menemen

Menemen is a Turkish delight made with scrambled eggs, tomatoes, onions, and peppers. It is a new yet delicious way of serving eggs for breakfast. Menemen is prepared with peppers, tomatoes, onions, and whisked eggs. Additional ingredients, such as spicy Turkish sausage, cheese, or sucuk, are also there to enrich the flavor of Menemen. This Turkish Food is served with hot bread, which you can dip in the Menemen and spread on the bread to have the best taste.

10. Iskender Kebab

Iskender Kebab is another Turkish delicacy that tops the list of best Turkish food. This rich and satisfying Turkish delight is famous in the northwestern region of Turkey. It is served with slices of grilled lamb, garnished with tomato sauce over the pita bread. For extra taste, you can pour melted butter and tomato sauce. This comforting food is best enjoyed warm and commonly prepared during the winter.

11. Kapuska

Kapuska is a vegetarian Turkish cuisine made with hearty cabbage-based stew. However, this dish can also be served as a non-vegetarian by adding meat or lamb. Besides cabbage, many Turks make it with additional ingredients like rice, beans, or bulgar. It is a mouthwatering Turkish winter delicacy that keeps everyone warm and healthy during the colder months. Kapuska is one of the oldest Turkish dishes that is made in several northern parts of Turkey.

12. Balik Ekmek (Fish Sandwich)

The best part about Turkey vacation is that you will get a variety of delicacies while roaming the streets. All of them will give you the best food experience of your life. Among all the top delights, Balik Ekmenk is one of the best Turkish foods in Turkey. This Turkish fish sandwich is every Turk's favorite that is best enjoyed by the sea. Balik Ekmek is a grilled fish sandwich that gives you the taste of fresh fish from the sea. With such high popularity among Turks, it can be known as the National food of Turkey.

13. Baklava

Baklava is one of the most famous Turkish desserts that tend to win people’s hearts with a sweet tooth. It is a rich and syrupy pastry dessert made of layers of filo separated with oil and melted butter and filled with chopped nuts. Today, Baklava has multiple fillings that may include hazelnuts, cottage cream, or pistachios. If you are in Turkey, you must try this sweet Turkish cuisine sliced into different shapes like diamonds, triangles, or squares. You can even take a few boxes of this Turkish pastry home for your family and friends.

14. Lokum

Lokum is one of the oldest Turkish sweets that dates back centuries. This Turkish delight is a firm jelly-like cube that comes in different flavors like rosewater, mastic, or lemon. Lokum is widely served during Turkish festivals in July. The true delight of vacationing in Turkey is to taste the sweet treat of Turkey- Lokum is one of them. Tourists also buy these sweet treats for family and friends as vacation gifts.

15. Helva

Helva is one of the most-loved Turkish cuisine, made from Tahini, sugar, and other ingredients. This Turkish sweet is found in Turkey and throughout the Middle East & Balkans. There are two types of Helva that you can find in Turkey- one is Turkish flour Helva and semolina Helva. If you are vacationing in Turkey, you must try this dish. Once you taste this, you may fall in love with its completely different taste. There is nothing common in Indian Halva and Helva besides the name. You will find it more tasteful than the Indian one.

16. Mozzaik or Mosaic Cake

The Turkish Mosaic Cake is a delicious chocolate cake. This Turkish dessert is a favorite among kids as well as adults. Almost every Turkish mother makes this easy-to-cook dessert for their children. The mosaic cake is an easy-to-make and inexpensive Turkish cuisine that doesn’t require regular baking and can give you an otherworldly taste. This rich, buttery, & chocolatey cake is the perfect treat for all your sweet cravings.

17. Kazan Dibi

Kazandibi is a Turkish chicken breast pudding. It is the most-tasted Turkish food, believed to be made by mistake centuries ago. This tasty sweet dish can be found at most restaurants and cafes in Turkey. If you are in Turkey and looking for some out-of-the-box Turkish cuisine, you should try Kazandibi. Turks love to have it with a cup of tea or coffee at any time of the day and especially in the evening.
 
18. Islak Burgers

Islak Burger is a Turkish wet hamburger. These burgers are filled with grilled meat patties and sandwiched between buns. You can have it with thick garlicky tomato sauce. These Islak burgers are steamed before they are served to you. This Turkish snack tops the list of the best Turkish foods. You can have this snack on almost every street corner in Turkey. You can even stroll and explore the Turkey streets while biting it. It is an ideal appetizer that satiates the stomach and the soul.
 
19. Mucver

Mucver is the Turkish version of vegetable fritters. It is made with zucchini, and you can have it with crumbled feta cheese. However, you can make Mucver with any vegetable you want. Some other fritters are leek fritters, tomato fritters, and corn fritters. Zucchini fritters are the most popular fritters among others. It makes the best appetizer for dinner or picnic food. Mucver can be eaten as a cold snack and is considered the best Turkish food.

20. Pide

Pide is a popular Turkish flatbread that is loaded with a range of toppings, including sausage, spinach, cheese, and spiced meat. It is one of the best Turkish foods that you will have in Turkey. Pide is most commonly known as the Turkish Pizza. This incredible dish can be found in every nook and corner of Turkey.

Try Mouthwatering Turkish Food on Turkey Tour!

After reading about these finger-licking cuisines, you must be drooling over these Turkish dishes. If so, you shouldn’t stop yourself from taking that much-awaited tour to Turkey. You don’t even have to go anywhere. You can find the best Turkey packages deal at Dook International. We ensure you a seamless Turkey vacation with all kinds of experiences and activities. Taking a Turkey tour is the best way to experience its rich cuisines. From Helva & Borek to Kofte & Menemen- you can have delicious dishes in abundance. Everywhere you go in Turkey, there is something delicious waiting for you.

Read More About Turkey:

Best Indian Restaurants & Foods in Turkey

Best Things To Do in Turkey

Interesting Facts about Turkey

Best Honeymoon Destinations in Turkey