The special Turkish food
Turkish food is very special indeed since it is a blend between the Middle East’s and Mediterranean flavors, but the result is very unique and special that cannot be found anywhere else in the world.

When it comes to Turkish food it is accustomed that one starts a meal with meze, which are small courses.

The main courses are varied, but grilled dishes of meat are typical Turkish food and also freshly caught fish, “köfte” (a Turkish meatball made from minced lamb) or why not the Turkish traditional stew casserole consisting of chicken, shellfish, or beef in an incredibly tasty spiced stew with vegetables. There is no pork in any dish though because Turkey is a Muslim country.

Meze could among others consist of...
Tjadjik: Consist of a yogurt mixture, of yogurt, dill, salt, and garlic.

Börek: A small puff pastry roll filled with herbs and goat cheese.

Ezmer: A spicy tomato mixture of chopped tomatoes, chilli, and onion.

Saksuka: A mixture of champignons, peppers, tomato sauce, and garlic.

The Turkish kebab

Those starters are served with stone baked bread called; “lavas” that one dips in the different mixtures. In Turkey, bread is very popular and is often served newly baked for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Some other alternatives are the local specialities, for example:
Guveç: Pieces of lamb or chicken that have been mixed with onion, garlic, tomatoes, egg plants, and cheese in a terrine. In Alanya it is often called; “Ottoman stew” and this dish is incredibly tasty!

Imam bayildi: Egg plant gratinated in the oven and filled with tomatoes and onion. According to one legend a Muslim imam once fainted with happiness the very first time he ate this dish. For that reason this dish is called; “the imam fainted”.

Yaprak dolmas: Small rolls made out of wine leaves stuffed with rice and meat. This is the dish that the Swedish king Charles XII and his soldiers became fond of during their exile in Turkey. In Sweden they swop the wine leaves for cabbage and have cabbage rolls instead.

Gözleme: is newly baked thin bread that they fill with different ingredients.

Lahmacun: a Turkish variety of pizza.

The food in Turkey is relatively mild and there is a rich supply of vegetables, the most common way to cook is to roast or grill the food, which can be seen on the famous Turkish kebab.

They have of course also desserts in Turkey and some of the specialities are:

Baklava: A thin layer of crispy paste filled with walnuts, pistachio nuts, or almonds soaked in rich sweet syrup.

Kadayif: Confection made of thin, sweet macaronis that are eaten with a thick cream called “kaymak.”

Helva: Crushed sesame seeds mixed with syrup.

Turkey has even has its own kind of ice cream and it is a little similar to Swedish soft ice cream, but instead of a thickening agent they use orchid root. They call it elastic ice cream; “Sahlepli dondurma,” since the ice cream can be stretched to a 24 inches long string.

Normally they have water with their meals in Turkey and after they have eaten they prefer coffee or tea. The coffee is served in small cups and is very strong and thick, with lots of coffee grounds in it.

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