Turkish cuisine

No fuss: the Epicurean mood will fully understand and appreciate the diversity of one of the most ancient cuisines of the world.

Few people know that Turkish cuisine is second only to French and Chinese in the abundance of dishes and the richness of traditions. Tasting local dishes, gourmet travelers notice the absolute similarity of this cuisine with Greek, Bulgarian, Armenian and Azerbaijani. However, Turkish variations have very original features.
Hearty delicacies
Despite the huge selection of fish and seafood, the Turks still prefer hearty dishes of lamb and veal. All kinds of kebabs, kefta (meat balls served not only fried or stewed, but also raw), kavurma, yachts can be tasted in any cafe or restaurant. But a characteristic feature of local cooking is that many meat dishes are prepared for a very long time, so you have to be patient! Wanted a soup? Count on the lightweight first is not worth it: Turkish soups are very tasty, but thick and hearty.

Fans of marine cooking make sense to go to coastal cities: hundreds of delicious dishes are prepared here from sea bream, sea bass, flying fish and hamsa. And for the most sophisticated gourmets, we recommend tasting a stunning dolma from mackerel with rice, raisins and pistachios.
Bread all over the head
The attitude to this product in Turkey is very reverent: if a piece of bread falls to the floor,according to tradition, it should be lifted, kissed and applied to the eyes. Bread is baked 2 times a day: for breakfast and dinner, so the question of freshness disappears by itself. Especially popular are traditional cakes and Ekmek wheat bread, which is consumed in huge quantities in Turkey. An indispensable component of the Turkish breakfast is a freshly baked bagel with sesame simit, which you can buy right on the street: mobile tents with such pastries are found literally at every step. Do not be surprised if in one of them you find painfully familiar pasties: burek - pies from the finest dough with a variety of fillings, not just meat, are incredibly popular in Turkey.Vegetable paradise
Not to eat what Turkish land gives in incredible abundance would be a crime. From onions and tomatoes, garlic and pepper, artichokes and zucchini, eggplant and beans in Turkey, they prepare snacks, salads, side dishes and generously season them with olive oil and lemon juice, as well as aromatic spices. Dolma stands out among Turkish vegetable dishes: any stuffed dish is called by this word. Interestingly, the filling for it is most often prepared without meat and consists of rice, nuts, dried fruits and spices.
Sweet life
It is very difficult in Turkey for those who follow the figure: local confectionery can be safely called the pinnacle of culinary excellence. Turkish delight, baklava (baklava), marmalade, halva, rice pudding syutlach, milk jelly mukhallebi,the most delicate quince pudding - resisting this splendor is simply impossible! If you were invited to a Turkish family, be sure to grab something sweet as a present to the owners and be prepared to receive a response from the hostess - cookies or home-made dessert. It is quite possible that you will want to support this tradition at home, so when you are in Turkey, get a few extra boxes of halva or Turkish delight, because, as the Eastern saying goes, no matter how you say “halva”, your mouth will not be sweeter ...

The article was published based on the materials of the magazine "Good advice" 8/2013
Text: Alexander Sotnikov. Photo: Fotolia.com
Material prepared by Julia Dekanova

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