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Turkish food combines culinary traditions from the people's nomadic past in Central Asia with influences of the Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine. Guests are usually able to go into a kitchen and choose from the pots if they cannot understand the names of the dishes. A wide range of international cuisine is also available in the major cities, and standard German and British dishes along the coasts.
The diversity, flavor, and healthfulness of Turkish food make it one of the most pleasurable cuisines in the world. Turkey has a multitude of fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, and dairy products available. It is one of the few self-sustained countries in the world, producing all its own food. Because of the uncomplicated nature of the cuisine, even the most unpretentious of restaurants can provide wholesome and satisfying meals.
Turkish style of eating;
Breakfast is often just cheese and olives, bread with honey, butter, and jam, and sliced cucumbers and tomatoes. Coffee with breakfast is not expected, as the drink of choice is tea, made from leaves grown in the Black Sea region. Turkish people drink tea all day long, and it’s served in little glass cups, usually with sugar, but no milk.
Bread is always fresh, bought daily from the bakery, and includes ekmek (white loaves) and pide (flat bread), which is often served with kebabs, and also eaten during religious festivals. Be sure to try simit, flat, bagel-like bread rings covered with sesame seeds, which are sold by many street vendors.
Lunch tends to be the lightest meal of the day. Today, there are so many “fast food” places, that visitors can be assured of a delicious lunch even when on the run. Try a kebab, which is thin pieces of meat sliced off slabs of lamb and beef that are cooked on a rotisserie. The slices are folded into flat bread and served and eaten like sandwiches. Or choose “Turkish pizza” with various toppings cooked on pide. Another light-lunch possibility is manti, meat-filled ravioli drenched in oil and yogurt .
Restaurants open for lunch at 10:00 or 11:00 AM and remain open through dinnertime. The menu and the prices do not change between lunch and dinner. Seat yourself, except in the most upscale restaurants, and even then you are usually given a choice of tables. Tipping is expected and should be 10%-15% of the bill.
Dinner starts with meze, which are small dishes for the whole table to share. Four people can easily eat eight to ten appetizers. The vegetable appetizers are cooked and drizzled with olive oil, then served at room temperature. The warm appetizers are spiced seafood or meat, meant to tease the appetite before the main meal. There’s no such thing as the typical “three course meal,” because appetizers and salads remain on the table after the main dishes are served.
Main dishes are also small portions, as diners usually fill up on the appetizers. Lamb, chicken, beef and seafood are the meats of choice (pork is rarely available because most Turks are Muslims). When ordering fish, you will be presented with a selection on a tray, and you can discuss the price of each choice as you order. For dessert, baklava, pastry filled with almonds and pistachio nuts and soaked in syrup, is on of the many sweet desserts popular with Turkish dinners. Often in the summertime, dessert is simply a big arrangement of the seasonal fruits, including plums, cherries, apricots, melon, watermelon, grapes, figs, and peaches.
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National specialties:
• Köfte (spicy sausage-shaped meatballs made of minced lamb).
• Shish kebab (pieces of meat threaded on a skewer and grilled).
• Pide (the Turkish equivalent of pizza topped with cheese and eggs).
• Dolma (vine leaves or vegetables stuffed with pine nuts and currants).
• Lokum (Turkish Delight - originally made from dates, honey, roses and jasmine bound by Arabic gum and designed to sweeten the breath after coffee).
Turkish coffee is always served after dinner. After the coffee beans are roasted, they are ground to a powder. In a small pot, the powder, water, and sugar are mixed together and brought to a boil. Then, the coffee is served unfiltered, in espresso-size cups. Don’t drink it right away; instead wait for the grounds to settle, and never finish the cup. Turks leave almost a third. Even so, drinkers will taste some coffee grounds, so no Turkish coffee is complete without a glass of water on the side.
The Turkish national drink is raki, “lion’s milk,” a strong anisette liqueur that is always presented with water and ice so that the drinker can dilute it to his or her taste. It’s to be imbibed like wine, throughout the course of the meal. The Turks believe that the first wine was made in Turkey, and the country is rich with grape varieties. Wine is inexpensive, and red and white varieties are served in many Turkish restaurants.
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National drinks:
• Raki (anisette), known as 'lion's milk', which clouds when water is added. Drinking raki is a ritual and is traditionally accompanied by a variety of meze(small savoury appetizers).
• Ayran (a refreshing yogurt drink).
• Çay (tea - usually drunk black and strong and served in small tulip-shaped glasses).
• Strong black Turkish coffee (traditionally brewed over hot coals and served very sweet).
• Turkish beer, red and white wines.
Things to know: Turkey is a secular state and alcohol is widely enjoyed, although during Ramadan it is considered polite for visitors to avoid drinking alcohol in public. Some local restaurants do not serve alcohol.
Turkey’s most famous creation is undoubtedly ”the kebab”, its reputation jealously guarded by locals. Here you ‘ll find an amazing variety of meaty wonders as a far cry from the greasy, garlic sauce slathered fare found elsewhere ın the world. Celebrated varieties include the Iskender (a mix of doner meat yoghurt and tomato sauce), the aubergine-based patlican and the Adana , a delicious blend of ground meat and chilli.
Newcomers to Turkey could be forgiven for thinking the country cuisine is heavy and overly meaty, but its not so. There’s an emphasis on freshness and a platter of meze (appetizers) will typically include light and healthy dishes such as humus (chickpea and sesama dip), dolma (stuffed leaves or peppers) and aubergine salad.
Seafood also features heavily, and popular fish dishes include “balik dolma” (stuffed fish) and “pazida levrek” (sea bass cooked in chard leaves ).
Meanwhile , visitors should leave room for dessert. The Turks have something of sweet tooth and decadent treats such as Turkish delights, and baklava need no introductıon.
Here you can find our Top Restaurants list for the fine dining in Istanbul;
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1. Hamdi Kebap Restaurant (Istanbul) ; Hamdi’s southeastern kebaps is a good alternative to the overpriced mediocrity of Pandeli Lokantasi only steps from the entrance to the Egyptian Spice Market. The popular terrace views of Galata Tower and the Golden Horn add to the convenience of the location. (Kalçin Sok. 17,Eminonu Istanbul Phone: 0212 528 0390)
2. Ciya Sofrasi (Istanbul) ; This humble eatery, whose kitchen is headed by Musa Dagdeviren, formerly of the California branch of the Culinary Institute of America, has become an international phenomenon. It’s located up a busy market street near the Kadiköy ferry stop (on the Asian side; take the ferry to Kadiköy from Eminönü) and serves delectable and rare regional creations. (Günesli Bahçesi Sok. 43-44,Kadiköy/Istanbul Phone: 0216 330 3190)
3. Balikci Sebahattin (Istanbul) ; One of the few consistently good, high-quality restaurants in a neighborhood of amateurs, Balikçi Sabahattin is still cranking out top-quality treasures from the sea for eager fans. (Address: Seyit Hasan Koyu Sok. 1, Cankurtaran, Sultanahmet (behind Armada Hotel) Phone : 0212 458 1824)
4. Banyan Sea Side (Istanbul) ; This top floor hot spot takes full advantage of its position overlooking Ortaköy and the Bosphorus, with an amazing outdoor terrace that in the crisper months is heated by an open firepit and heat lamps. It also capitalizes on a hip menu that fuses Mediterranean staples with Asian accents. (Address :Salhane Sok 3, Muallim Naci Cad Ortaköy Phone :0 212 259 9060)
5. Degustasyon Lokantasi (Istanbul) ; In the midst of the confusion of Galatasaray Fish Market in Beyoglu, Degustasyon serves a huge selection of mezes. It’s just as full of life as the other nearby meyhanes, but slightly classier. And obviously, in deference to the location, the restaurant serves a good selection of fish. (Address: Sahne Sok. 41, Balikpazari, Beyoglu Phone ; 0 212 292 0667)
Whatever you order, wherever you go, you can be certain to eat well in Istanbul.
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