Turkish cuisine (Turkish: Türk mutfağı) is largely the heritage of Ottoman cuisine, which can be described as a fusion and refinement of Central Asian, Middle Eastern, Eastern European and Balkan cuisines.[1][2][3] Turkish cuisine has in turn influenced those and other neighbouring cuisines, including those of Southeast Europe (Balkans), Central Europe, and Western Europe.[3] The Ottomans fused various culinary traditions of their realm with influences from Levantine cuisines, along with traditional Turkic elements from Central Asia (such as yogurt and mantı), creating a vast array of specialities—many with strong regional associations.[citation needed]
Turkish cuisine varies across the country. The cooking of Istanbul, Bursa, Izmir, and rest of the Asia Minor region inherits many elements of Ottoman court cuisine, with a lighter use of spices, a preference for rice over bulgur, koftes and a wider availability of vegetable stews (türlü), eggplant, stuffed dolmas and fish. The cuisine of the Black Sea Region uses fish extensively, especially the Black Sea anchovy (hamsi) and includes maize dishes. The cuisine of the southeast (e.g. Urfa, Gaziantep, and Adana) is famous for its variety of kebabs, mezes and dough-based desserts such as baklava, şöbiyet, kadayıf, and künefe.
Especially in the western parts of Turkey, where olive trees grow abundantly, olive oil is the major type of oil used for cooking.[4]The cuisines of the Aegean, Marmara and Mediterranean regions are rich in vegetables, herbs, and fish. Central Anatolia has many famous specialties, such as keşkek, mantı (especially from Kayseri) and gözleme. Food names directly cognate with mantı are found also in Chinese (mantou or steamed bun) and Korean cuisine (mandu).
A specialty's name sometimes includes that of a city or region, either in or outside of Turkey, and may refer to the specific technique or ingredients used in that area. For example, the difference between Urfa kebap and Adana kebap is the thickness of the skewer and the amount of hot pepper that the kebab contains. Urfa kebap is less spicy and thicker than Adana kebap. Although meat-based foods such as kebabs are the mainstay in Turkish cuisine as presented in foreign countries, native Turkish meals largely center around rice, vegetables, and bread.
Culinary customs
Breakfast
Turks usually prefer a rich breakfast. A typical Turkish breakfast consists of cheese (beyaz peynir, kaşar etc.), butter, olives, eggs, tomatoes, cucumbers, jam, honey, and kaymak, sucuk (spicy Turkish sausage, can be eaten with eggs), pastırma, börek, simit, poğaça and soups are eaten as a morning meal in Turkey. A specialty for breakfast is called menemen, which is prepared with tomatoes, green peppers, onion, olive oil and eggs. Invariably, Turkish tea is served at breakfast. The Turkish word for breakfast, kahvaltı, means "before coffee" (kahve, 'coffee'; altı, 'under').
Homemade food
Homemade food is still preferred by Turkish people. Although the newly introduced way of life pushes the new generation to eat out; Turkish people generally prefer to eat at home. A typical meal starts with soup (especially in wintertime), followed by a dish made of vegetables or legumes boiled in a pot (typically with meat or minced meat), often with or before rice or bulgur pilav accompanied by a salad or cacık (diluted cold yogurt dish with garlic, salt, and cucumber slices). In summertime many people prefer to eat a cold dish of vegetables cooked with olive oil (zeytinyağlı yemekler) instead of the soup, either before or after the main course, which can also be a chicken, meat or fish plate.
Restaurants
Although fast food is gaining popularity and many major foreign fast food chains have opened all over Turkey, Turkish people still rely primarily on the rich and extensive dishes of Turkish cuisine. In addition, some traditional Turkish foods, especially köfte, döner, kokoreç, kumpir midye tava börek and gözleme, are often served as fast food in Turkey. Eating out has always been common in large commercial cities.[5] Esnaf lokantası (meaning restaurants for shopkeepers and tradesmen) are widespread, serving traditional Turkish home cooking at affordable prices.
Summer cuisine
In the hot Turkish summer, a meal often consists of fried vegetables such as eggplant (aubergine) and peppers or potatoes served with yogurt or tomato sauce. Menemen and çılbır are typical summer dishes, based on eggs. Sheep cheese, cucumbers, tomatoes, watermelons and melons also make a light summer meal. Those who like helva for dessert prefer summer helva, which is lighter and less sweet than the regular one.
Key ingredients
Frequently used ingredients in Turkish specialties include: lamb, beef, rice, fish, eggplants, green peppers, onions, garlic, lentils, beans, zucchinis and tomatoes. Nuts, especially pistachios, chestnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, and walnuts, together with spices, have a special place in Turkish cuisine, and are used extensively in desserts or eaten separately. Semolina flour is used to make a cake called revani and irmik helvasi.
| Name | Turkish | Used in | References |
|---|---|---|---|
| Allspice | Yenibahar or Dolma bahar | Dolma, vegetables, rice, fish | [6][7] |
| Anise | Anason | Peksimet, rakı, used to season nut and dried fruit mixtures in both sweet and savory dishes | [6][7] |
| Black pepper | Kara biber | egg dishes, meat dishes, Laz böreği | [6] |
| Cardamom | Kakule | Rarely used, mostly in coffee. A common ingredient in Persian and Indian desserts, Turkish variations usually replace it with vanilla and rosewater | [7] |
| Cinnamon | Tarçın | desserts, pastries, salep, boza, iç pilav, fish, lamb, vegetables, tomato sauces, milk puddings, desserts | [6][7] |
| Clove | Karanfil | fruit compotes, spiced black tea, meat casseroles, sweets, breads, pastries | [6][7] |
| Coriander | Kişniş | some fish and meat dishes, particularly in southern and eastern Anatolia | [7] |
| Cumin | Kimyon | kofta spice, pastirma | [6] |
| Fenugreek | Çemen otu | Vegetables, fish, breads, pastirma | [7] |
| Haspir | Yalancı safran (fake safran) | Used primarily in the regional cuisine of Gaziantep to give yogurt soups a saffron-like tint | [6] |
| Isot | Urfa biberi | Çiğ köfte, | [6] |
| Mahlep | Mahlep | baked goods | [6] |
| Mastic | Sakız | Grown in Chios, ancient Greeks added it to wine
Used in milk desserts, ice creams, Turkish delight
| [6] |
| Nigellaseeds | Çörek otu | savory pastries, homemade cheese
can be mixed with coriander, cumin and haspir to make a spice for fish
| [6][7] |
| Red pepper | kırmızı biber', pul biber | garnish for soups, manti, Adana kebab | [6][7] |
| Rose water | Gül suyu, | Su muhallebisi, güllaç, aşure | [6] |
| Poppy seeds | Haşhaş | bread, rolls, meat, fish, light sauces and yogurt dressings | |
| Saffron | Safran | Zerde | [6] |
| Salep | Salep | A winter beverage made with milk and sugar | [6] |
| Sesame seeds | Susam | Simit, tahini, halvah | [6] |
| Sumac | Sumak | Juice from sumac berries can be used in a marinade for fish or chicken
Ground sumac can be used to season salads, rice and soups. A spice mix of sumac, dried thyme and roasted sesame seeds is used with grilled meats.
| [7] |
Olives are also common on various breakfasts and meze tables frequently. Beyaz peynir and yogurt are part of many dishes including börek, manti, kebab and cacik.
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