Two of the many types of Turkish foods are covered here. Because of its proximity to the many seas it’s not unexpected that seafood is plentiful in the coastal regions of Turkey. Bread is another ubiquitous food. It came fresh with every meal. Even in small restaurants the bread seemed to come right from the oven. Street vendors everywhere offer a variety of breads, many seemed to be variations of bagels or pretzels.The national drink is tea, and apple tea is served as well.Every restaurant offers a variety of appetizers called mezes. We found it easy to make a meal of these. The most notable commonality, everywhere we ate, was the freshness of the mezes. They can be vegetarian or contain meat or seafood. It would be easy for a vegetarian to find something from the meze selection almost everywhere.
Seafood
On the edge of Istanbul there is an area called Kumpaki with many seafood restaurants. There are two sides to this area one on the water side of the train tracks and the other on the land side. Both have a large number of restaurants. On the water side you may choose your dish from the stands near the entrance to the restaurants like those shown here.
Almost all restaurants in the Kumpaki area will have menus printed in six languages. But, if you are in other parts of Turkey you may want to know what to order. Here is a list of commonly found sea foods in Turkey.
Seafood was not too pricy but watch out for those the have MP or market price on the menu.
English | Turkish | Genus Species |
---|---|---|
Abalone | Deniz Kulağı | Haliotis diversicolor |
Anchovy | Hamsi | Engraulidae (Family) |
Black Sea Bream | Çupra | Acanthopagrus schlegelii |
Bluefish | Lüfer | Pomatomus saltatrix |
Bonito | Palamut | Katsuwonus pelamis |
Crayfish | Kerevit | generic |
Cuttlefish | Mürekkepbalığı | Sepia esculnta |
Eel | Yılanbalığı | Anguilla japonica |
Fish | Balık | generic |
Grey Mullet | Kefal | Liza affinis |
Hog-Fish | Lipsoz | Lachnolaimus maximus |
Lobster | Istakoz | Homarus gammarus |
Mackerel | Uskumru | Rastrelliger faughni |
Mussel | Midye | Mytilus edulis |
Octopus | Ahtapot | Octopus vulgaris |
Rainbow Trout | Alabalık | Oncorhynchus mykiss |
Red Gurnard | Kirlangich | Aspitrigla cuculus |
Red Mullet | Barbunya | Mullus barbatus |
Salmon | Somon | Salmo salar |
Sea Bass | Levrek | Paralabrax maculatofasciatus |
Sea Bream | Çupra | Beryx decadactylus |
Slender Rockfish | Iskorpit | Scorpaena elongata |
Sole | Dil Balgi | Solea vulgaris |
Squid | Kalamar | generic |
Sturgeon | Mersin Balığı | Acipenser spp. |
Swordfish | Kılıç | Xiphias gladius |
Tuna | Ton Balığı | Thunnus – spp. |
Turbot | Kalka | Reinhardtius hippoglossoides |
Whiting | Mezgit | Merlangius merlangus |
Mezes
We usually began our meals with a sampling of a few mezes. Many go well with bread and drink so it was easy to eat too much before the main course arrived. We liked the mezes much better than the main courses in many cases. Many contained fresh parsley or mint that added a fresh taste.
Meze | Description |
---|---|
Acılı Ezme | A hot, spicy, freshly mashed tomatoes with onion and green herbs. |
Acuka | A spread having both Circassian and Syrian origins, containing Aleppo pepper paste, ground walnuts, tomato paste, bread crumbs, garlic, and spices. |
Muhammara | A spread having both Circassian and Syrian origins, prepared containing Aleppo pepper paste, ground walnuts, tomato paste, bread crumbs, garlic, and spices. |
Arnavut Ciğeri | Fried liver cubes served with onion, parsley and hot pepper. (literally “Albanian liver”) |
Patlıcan Salatası | Turkish eggplant salad. |
Bakla Ezmesi | Turkish hummus prepared from broad beans. |
Borani | Spinach and yogurt spread. |
Börek | Very thin dough layers stuffed with cheese, meat, or vegetables. |
Cacık | Cucumber with yogurt, dried mint, and olive oil. |
Cevizli Biber | A dip made with walnut, red pepper, pepper paste, onion, and cumin. |
Çiğ Köfte | Raw meat patties, prepared with ground beef or lamb and fine-ground bulgur. |
Etsiz Çiğ Köfte | Ground vegetables, beans, and tomato paste. Etsiz çiğ köfte means “meatless raw meatballs”, |
Çoban Salatası | A Turkish mixed salad of tomato, cucumber, onion, green peppers, and parsley. |
Dolma | Any type of leaf or vegetable stuffed with rice and herbs. |
Fasulye Pilaki | White beans cooked with garlic, tomato paste, carrots, and olive oil. |
Hardalotu | A Turkish mustard plant salad. |
Humus | A dip or spread made from sesame (tahini), ground chickpeas, garlic, olive oil, and lemon juice. |
Içli Köfte | A fried meatball made from ground meat and bulgur |
Kabak Çiçeği Dolması | Turkish stuffed zucchini blossoms, a kind of dolmeh. |
Kısır | A spread of fine-ground bulgur, tomato paste, parsley, onion, garlic, sour pomegranate juice and spices. |
Sarma Içi | A spread of fine-ground bulgur, tomato paste, parsley, onion, garlic, sour pomegranate juice and spices. |
Kızartma | A pâté of mixed fried vegetables (eggplants, peppers, zucchini for example) served with yogurt or tomato-garlic sauce. |
Midye Dolma | Mussels stuffed with rice. |
Piyaz | White bean or potato salad with onion and vinegar. |
Şakşuka | Fried and chopped eggplant and peppers served with garlic yogurt or tomato sauce. |
Enginar | Artichoke hearts. |