Turkey is located at the border of Europe and Asia. Historically, Turkey was the center of the Roman Empire, Byzantine Empire and Ottoman Empire, with a long history of 6,500 years and the heritage of thirteen different civilizations before and after.
Turkish cuisine has been a fusion of the food cultures of Central Asia, the Balkans, Greece, Persia, and neighboring Arab countries for thousands of years, and is a masterpiece of diversity. Turkish cuisine is a combination of Middle Eastern gorges and the sophistication of European Western cuisine.
No matter how much money you carry in your pocket, how much stomach capacity you have left, and what kind of taste you like, you can taste in the streets of Turkey: sesame rings, grilled corn, rotisserie meat, Turkish black tea, Turkish ice cream, shredded chicken pudding, rice pudding, grilled fish sandwiches, grilled lamb sausage buns ...... There is always something for you.
Turkish Dining Etiquette
Turkish food is a fusion of Middle Eastern and Western food cultures, and is served in the same order as Western food, with soup, salad, main course and dessert, with an interval between each course to allow the diner to chat and digest the food before the next course.
Turks eat with knives, forks and spoons, exactly the way they eat in the West, with soup and yogurt first. There are various drinks and liquors (mainly beer and wine) during the meal, and coffee or black tea at the end of the meal.
In the restaurant and similar to European countries, no sound is made when drinking soup, no sound of clashing knives and forks, it is not appropriate to speak when there is food in your mouth, raise your index finger to indicate when service is needed, and no loud noise is made.
The leftover soup and vegetable juices at the bottom of the plate are eaten clean with bread as a thank-you to heaven and the greatest compliment to the chef. Some of the local restaurants still deliberately retain the old nomadic style of sitting on the floor and eating at knee-high tables, when it is possible to be more spontaneous.
Meze refers to the cold dishes served before the meal rather than a fixed dish. In most cases, the waiter will come to your table and place all the appetizers available on a large platter for you to choose from. Everyone can choose and then these mezze will be placed in the middle of the table for everyone to share.
Turkish Food Culture
The origins of Turkish cuisine can probably be divided into two categories: the first is Anatolian cuisine, which was originally born in the Asia Minor peninsula and has a distinctly Mediterranean style, with many similarities to neighboring Greece; the second is Ottoman cuisine, which was brought in during the Muslim rule in Central Asia and is closer to the Arab style. The two significantly different food cultures have been fused over a long period of time, eventually forming the unique Turkish food culture.
As a descendant of nomads, Turkish food is mainly beef and lamb, and grilling is the most common technique. Turkish people like to add cheese, olive oil, yogurt, honey, etc. in the cooking process. In order to relieve greasiness and help digestion, meals are often served with yogurt, black tea, beet juice and other drinks. Turkish yogurt is thick and creamy and is often used to make drinks, desserts and even dishes. The staple food is mainly bread and cakes, and rice is also eaten, with a sweet tooth.
Turkish breakfasts have always been known for their richness, and the most common bread is white bread. White cheese, old cheese, black and/or green olives, butter, heavy cream, honey, jam, omelets or hard-boiled eggs are all important parts of the Turkish breakfast. I have had Turkish breakfasts at adile sultan ev yemekleri restaurant and there is indeed a wide variety to fill up on.
A variety of scrambled, fried and hard-boiled eggs with crispy cheese rolls, crispy beef lasagna, crispy golden potato fritters, unique fried sausages, an endless variety of cheeses and olives, a plate of thinly sliced tomatoes and cucumbers, a variety of jams such as strawberry, apricot and cherry jam, and the essential black tea can start the day with vigor.
No matter how picky you are about food, you can find your true love in the wide variety of Turkish cuisine.If you want to know more about Turkish food, you can visit the yummyadvisor , a Turkish food website that not only has food descriptions but also restaurant recommendations.