Turkish cuisine is a culinary tradition that reflects centuries of historical exchange at the crossroads of Europe and Asia. It is largely an inheritance of Ottoman cuisine, which synthesized the cooking styles of its vast empire, blending Central Asian, Middle Eastern, and Balkan influences into a refined and varied system of dishes. This imperial legacy, particularly the elaborate palace kitchens of the Ottoman court, introduced a preference for sophisticated rice dishes, moderate use of spices, and vegetable stews. The cuisine is highly regional, with distinct flavors and preparations emerging from different areas of the country.
Geographical Influences and Staple Ingredients
Turkey’s varied landscape, bordered by the Black Sea, Mediterranean, and Aegean, influences its ingredient base. In the western Aegean and Mediterranean regions, olive oil is the dominant cooking fat, used extensively in vegetable dishes known as zeytinyağlı. This area yields abundant fresh produce, including tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplants, and herbs like mint and dill.
The Central Anatolian plateau and Eastern regions rely more heavily on grains and meat, reflecting the nomadic heritage of the Turkic tribes. Wheat is foundational, appearing as bread, bulgur, and rice pilaf, often cooked in butter. Yogurt is a staple used both as an accompaniment and a base for sauces and soups. Common proteins include lamb, beef, and chicken, with fish like the Black Sea anchovy (hamsi) being prominent along the northern coast.
Signature Dishes and Meal Structures
The Turkish meal is structured around a progression of dishes that begins with shared appetizers, known as meze. A meze spread is designed for slow, communal enjoyment, often featuring a variety of cold and hot small plates. Cold selections frequently include ezme, a spicy tomato and pepper paste, and haydari, a thick yogurt dip with garlic and mint. Hot meze may follow, such as sigara böreği, which are crispy phyllo rolls filled with cheese or minced meat.
The main courses center on protein and hearty cooked dishes. The kebab family is the most globally recognized element, including şiş kebap (skewered and grilled chunks of meat) and köfte (spiced meatballs prepared in various regional styles). Stews and casseroles, like the slow-cooked güveç, also form a significant part of the main meal.
Baked goods are a central element of the cuisine, often serving as both a meal and an accompaniment. Börek are flaky pastries made from thin layers of dough with savory fillings. Pide is a boat-shaped flatbread topped with ingredients similar to pizza, and lahmacun is a thin, crisp flatbread covered with spiced minced meat and served with a squeeze of lemon.
The Cultural Role of Turkish Dining
The act of eating in Turkey is connected to the concept of misafirperverlik, or hospitality. Meals function as an opportunity to strengthen bonds and community around a shared table. This generosity is evident when a host offers a multitude of dishes, encouraging guests to eat abundantly.
Daily life is punctuated by distinct meal structures, most notably the substantial Turkish breakfast, or kahvaltı. The word kahvaltı literally means “before coffee,” emphasizing its role as the first meal of the day. This spread includes olives, cheeses, fresh vegetables, eggs, jams, and various breads like simit.
Beyond the formal table, street food is prevalent, such as the vertically roasted döner kebab and the sesame-crusted simit ring.
Essential Sweets and Beverages
The Turkish dining experience concludes with sweets and drinks. Çay, or Turkish black tea, is a central element of daily life and hospitality, served strong and without milk in small, tulip-shaped glasses. Tea became the nation’s most popular drink after it replaced coffee as an expensive import.
Turkish coffee (kahve) is prepared by simmering finely ground beans with water and sugar in a small pot called a cezve. This beverage is often paired with confections like lokum, or Turkish Delight, a gelatinous candy flavored with rosewater, pistachios, or fruit. The most iconic dessert is baklava, a pastry made of numerous layers of thin phyllo dough, filled with pistachios or walnuts, and drenched in a sweet syrup. Other common sweets include sütlaç, a baked rice pudding.