To be honest, this post had been sitting in my drafts for over three years. Ever since I visited Turkey on a 10-day whirlwind tour in 2019, I still dream about the food I had over there, from kebabs to baklava to even the controversial tavuk göğsü. I ate my weight in all of the incredible Turkish food, and I’m dreaming about a trip back to the country some day. Until then, I only have memories to look back on!

That said, this is the first post in my series of “Top 10 (insert country) Dishes” in which I want to share with you the culinary best that a place has to offer. After all, to really get to know a country is through its food, right? This list is by no means exhaustive of all Turkish cuisine, but it’s a solid introduction! Should you visit Turkey some day, give these dishes a try!

TL;DR: I’d actually made a “Top 10…Dishes” post years ago on Georgian food, so my mistake! Feel free to check it out!

Top 10 Turkish Dishes You Need to Try

1. Kebabs

20190615_112330Best kebab I’ve ever had ❤

No introduction needed: kebabs are the symbol of Turkish cuisine, and there are dozens of different types of kebabs out there. The most-famous is the döner kebab, but I’ve also tried other types like adana, Iskender, and testi (not to be confused with the male anatomical part! It’s actually kebab made inside pottery).

…but what all kebabs have in common is just how succulent, fatty, and tender the meats are– they’re nothing like the kebabs I’ve had in the US or even parts of Europe, and I say Turkish kebabs reign supreme!

2. Simit

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Simit, or the so-called “Turkish bagel,” is a popular street food sold in stalls just about everywhere: I saw plenty of them parked by the mosques in Istanbul. They’re large and bready, and the perfect breakfast or snack to munch on while going about your day. I’m told that simit goes well with tea or even ayran, a drink which I’ll also discuss in this post…

3. Dolma

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Defined as “stuffed” in Turkish, dolma refers to vegetable rolls filled with rice, meat, and just about any other ingredient imagined. One particular dolma that I really enjoy is sarma, which are stuffed grape leaves: I love just how acidic and refreshing they taste, all the while being an excellent starter before the main dish, to get the stomach going. I could eat a dozen of them alone!

4. Baklava

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Ah, the famed baklava…like the kebab, this sticky-sweet pastry is known worldwide and beloved by so many– myself included! I ate so much baklava during my time in Turkey, and I’m not complaining! I only had the classic pistachio baklava, but I’d seen other variations in shops, from walnut to Şöbiyet to even a decadent chocolate. I wish I’d had more time to try all the different types of baklava!

5. Turkish delight

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Made famous by The Chronicles of Narnia, Turkish delight is certainly a delight for the taste and senses, from its chewy yet soft texture to its various flavors, including rose, orange blossom, or fig. They’re also a rainbow of color, and it’s no wonder that shop owners display them outside to draw visitors in. Turkish delight are also the perfect gift to bring back home, as they’re that tasty– and aesthetically-pleasing!

6. Manti

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Manti is a type of dumpling not too far off from other central/east Asian dumplings like the Korean mandu or Tibetan momo. Nevertheless, it’s delicious, and I actually had mine served plain with some sour cream while in Cappadocia, which was a first for me! I love all things dumplings, so manti’s included!

7. Ayran

20190612_191249Drank half of it, and then I couldn’t finish it

This salty yogurt drink is a popular one in Turkey, served during meals or on its own. It’s also an acquired taste, and I tried it in Selçuk– personally, I’m not a fan, haha. I prefer to have my yogurt drink sweet, so to experience a salty taste instead, well, I wasn’t used to it. But I can see how people drink it, perhaps for its healthy, probiotic qualities– but I’ll pass next time!

8. Pide

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Also known as “Turkish pizza,” pide is a long, oval-shaped flatbread which you can put just about any kind of toppings on it. When I had it in Selçuk, I opted for a vegetarian spinach and cheese one– simple, but effective! The flatbread was piping hot and absolutely fresh: crispy yet crusty, both textures which I love. Of course, there’s also meat options to add onto the pide, to make for a more-substantial meal.

9. Tavuk göğsü

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Now we come to the controversial Turkish dish: a sweet, milk pudding dessert made out of… chicken?? Yes, you read that right: it’s a dessert made out of shredded chicken breast, and it’s actually considered a delicacy. I had a taste of it while in Istanbul in a fancy café, and I actually quite like it! It had a vague texture of mochi and, if you hadn’t told me that it’d been made out of chicken, I would’ve never guessed it– much of the taste is vanilla, which makes for a fun, experimental tasting.

10. Dondurma

20190608_135304No photos with actual dondurma, so here’s one of the street vendor making one

Dondurma is Turkish ice cream, and it’s nothing like you’ve had with ice cream before! Made out of a thickening agent like salep, dondurma is creamy, yet chewy, and it doesn’t melt as quickly as traditional ice cream– which makes it enjoyable even longer! I had some delicious dondurma in Istanbul and Cappadocia, and part of the experience is to buy it from a street vendor who plays tricks on you while serving, so that after you exhausted yourself from getting the ice cream, you’re awarded with it in the end!

*bonus* Midye dolma

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Similar to #3, this is a stuffed dish. However, it’s stuffed inside of a mussel! I actually had difficulty finding a place that served midye dolma, but I managed to find a few small stalls in Istanbul that let me sample a few before I bought some to-go. They were briny and so flavorful, with the rice being fragrant and reminiscent of Spanish paella. I could eat at least ten of them in one sitting!

Which dish had your mouth watering? Let me know! Thanks for reading. 🙂

— Rebecca

Published by Rebecca

Blogger, world traveler, poet, foodie, part-time penguin. Welcome!

66 thoughts on “Top 10 Turkish Dishes You Need to Try”

    1. There are a lot of distinctive dishes in Turkey, some of them even I’m not accustomed to (a chicken dessert??). But all delicious eats, regardless. Thanks for reading, Elle: next in the series will be Argentinian food!

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  16. Wow, what a delicious sounding variety of food! I’d be willing to sample almost all of these. My coworker is married to a Turk and her Turkish baklava recipe is by far the best I’ve ever had. I can only imagine how delicious all the freshly baked varieties must be!

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  20. These are all such yummy dishes, Rebecca. I’ve been to Turkey once and therefore can easily say that Turkey enjoys one of the most varied, rich and delicious cuisines on the planet. My favourite was their crispy, flaky filo pastry known as baklava which is packed with nuts and dipped in lots and lots of honey. Thanks for sharing and have a good day 🙂 Aiva x

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  21. I was able to visit Istanbul back in 2017 and loved the food. Of course, the kebabs were fantastic. I also know for sure I really liked the pide as well. I wasn’t a fan of Turkish Delight, which was so disappointing after The Chronicles of Narnia made it look so appetizing. Just not my thing… Oh, and Ayran… one sip was enough for me. Six years later I can still taste it… ugh.

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    1. Turkish delight isn’t my go-to dessert (I prefer baklava), but I appreciate it from time to time. I would never get ayran again, and I’m glad you agree with me about it!

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    1. Yes! I could easily eat a dozen dolmas in one sitting; they are that good! I wouldn’t go for the ayran again, but the tavuk göğsü is worth another taste. Turkish food is the ultimate *chef’s kiss 😋

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  31. Pingback: Top 10 Argentinian Dishes You Need to Try – Rebecca Goes Rendezvous

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