A culinary journey tasting the world's third-largest cuisine—Turkish cuisine

By MOOK Scenic Spots Travel Life Network, Li Xinyi | Compiled & Reported. Source: MOOK Editorial Department

Situated at the intersection of Europe, Asia, and Africa, Turkish cuisine integrates elements from Central Asia, the Middle East, and the Mediterranean, and stands alongside Chinese and French cuisines as one of the world’s three major culinary schools. The ancestors of the Turks were nomads, hence grilled meats, flatbreads, and yogurt (or ayran) form the foundation of their cuisine. With abundant local produce and highland plants providing a wealth of spices, a diverse range of dishes has evolved. The refinement of Turkish cuisine can ultimately be attributed to the Ottoman Empire, whose 800-year rule saw imperial cuisine greatly influencing the public, securing Turkish food a prominent place in global gastronomy.

Appetizers — Meze

Many may wonder how Turkish cuisine can claim to be the world’s third-largest, but trying Meze will quickly reveal why. Meze refers to appetizers, but just how many kinds are there? Even Turks might be stumped—the variety is too vast to count. Its presence on the table far overshadows that of main dishes, featuring meats, seafood, or vegetables, served cold or warm, often drizzled with rich olive oil.

The most famous and common Meze is Dolma, which includes stuffed peppers, tomatoes, eggplants, or grape leaves, typically filled with rice, pine nuts, and currants.

Pasta — Börek

Turkish pastries come in all shapes, wrapping styles, and serving methods, with different types having different names. Unless you're a local, it's hard to tell them apart. Some people use Pide to refer to all such breads, but that’s not entirely accurate.

Pide can be described as Turkey’s version of pizza—thick, chewy, and the most commonly seen type. There’s also Lavaş, a bread that puffs up like a small hill when baked and flattens when torn open, usually served with butter and cheese while still hot. Gözleme is a stuffed flatbread, often filled with cheese, spinach, or minced meat, frequently seen being cooked by women wearing headscarves by the roadside. Lahmacun is similar to thin-crust pizza, originating from Arabia, and is usually topped with minced meat. Then there’s Mantı, similar to Chinese dumplings, but much smaller and usually served in a yogurt-based sauce.

Grilled Meats — Kebab

All manner of grilled meat dishes are called Kebab, but there are many types. Döner Kebab is meat roasted on a vertical rotisserie and sliced off—what you see as shawarma on Taiwan’s streets. Adana Kebab is made from minced meat skewered and grilled, while Şiş Kebab consists of skewered chunks of meat. Meatballs or patties are called Köfte. In Bursa, you can try İskender Kebab (also called Bursa Kebab), a type of Döner Kebab served on Pide, accompanied by yogurt, melted butter, and tomato sauce.