Turkish food boasts about the perfect fusion of Europe and Asia. Doner and Kebab might be the most well-known street foods, but there are plenty of other options to make you fall in love with Turkish cuisine. From pastries to beverages, there is something for every appetite. The food is cheap and filling, the following dishes are some of the popular street foods of Turkey you must try on your next visit:
1. Döner
Döner has become a popular fast food all over the world. It is a famous Turkish quick meal. It is also known as dürüm (wrap) by tourists. What a burger is for us is the same as what a döner is for a Turk. Chicken and beef are the two options available.
2. Albanian-style liver
The mutton liver is diced and fried in “Albanian-style.” It is served with potatoes and onions. Though it is full of flavors, it should be consumed carefully as it is oily and contains a lot of calories.
3. Meatball Sandwich
A lot of countries have a meatball sandwich, but it is the most popular street food in Turkey. Delicious meatballs are places on buns with green peppers, onions, sliced tomatoes, and seasonings which varies from region to region.
4. Simit
Simit can be considered as a national food of Turkey. It is a crunchy, round bagel covered with sesame seeds. It is loved by people of all age groups because of its addictive taste.
5. Kokoreç
Kokoreç is a spicy street food made from grilled sheep’s intestines, tomato, and green pepper. Though many people hesitate to try this dish because of its main ingredient.After one bite, they overcome the preconceived notions with dominant taste.
6. Lahmacun
Lahmacun is a popular Turkish street food also known as “Turkish Pizza” among foreigners. It comprises of a thin dough base with a variety of ingredients as toppings. It is great for a cheap, filling, and a quick bite.
7. Pide
Pide looks like lahmacun, but it is not identical. It has a base shaped like a boat and doesn’t include the ingredients which lahmacun has. It has different combinations of ingredients which can be chosen by one according to their taste.
8. Rice with chickpeas
If you are one hungry explorer looking for a light and a cheap meal, then rice with chickpeas is the dish for you. Gulp down this dish with a glass of “ayran,” which is a cold Turkish drink made with water and yogurt.
9. Çiğ köfte
Çiğköfte is made with onions, tomatoes, hot red pepper flakes, and bulgur. Earlier, it included raw meat in order to prevent any health problems. Nowadays, it has evolved into a vegan dish, and raw meat is excluded. It is served in a lettuce leaf seasoned with pomegranate molasses and lemon.
10. Stuffed Meatballs
Stuffed Meatballs is a dish made of a ball of bulgur having a filling of minced meat. It takes a long time to prepare, but the taste is worth it. Although it is liked by all over Turkey, it originally emerged from the cities of Hatay, Gaziantep, and Mardin.
11. Kumpir
Kumpir is the most famous street food made from a baked potato base with cheese. The customer can choose from a variety of ingredients according to his or her taste such as mushrooms, pickles, corn, green and black olives, and sausages. Though it is highly nutritious, it contains a lot of calories.
12. Pickle Water
Pickle Water is a Turkish version of Jaljeera. It is a popular and traditional street drink. It has a strong vinegary and lemony taste. It might burn at first, but after a few gulps, it brings a noticeable relief and refreshes the body.
13. Lokma/Halka/Tulumba desserts
Lokma/Halka/Tulumba is popular street food from the Ottoman period since ages. They are all pastries soaked in sugar syrup which have different shapes and similar tastes. When you talk about popular street desserts, these are the first ones to come in mind.
14. Macun or Ottoman sweet paste
Macun or Ottoman sweet paste is multicoloured and has a rainbow-like appearance. It is a traditional dessert ,loved by children and served by rolling it with a wooden stick.
15. Boza
Boza is a popular nutritious beverage which is thick and fermented. It might not appeal to everyone as it has a different flavor as compared to Hawthorn. It is generally served with roasted chickpeas.
16. Sahlep
Sahlep is the best hot, sweet, and milky beverage consumed on a cold night or a winter morning which recovers your body temperature. This beverage contains dried orchid flour which created the warmness and softness of sahlep. It is consumed with cinnamon as it balances the blood sugar. It is popular among Turkish society as it is available at a low price and comes with great taste.
17. Stuffed mussels
Your taste buds are going to crave for more when you have a bite of stuffed mussels. They are one of the popular street foods in Turkey. They are made of plump orange mussels, herbed rice, currants, and pine nuts. They are eaten with lemon juice squeezed over them so that the mussels and rice are not dry and to make sure that the spices mix well.
18. Tantuni
Tantuni is a spicy dürüm having a filling of stir-fried beef or lamb. It is a speciality of Mersin, a city in Turkey. It is full of flavors, juicy, and meaty. It comprises of thinly sliced beef cooked in a pan with special spices of Turkey.
19. Börek
Börek is a baked, filled pastry made of thin and flaky dough known as phyllo. It is filled with a stuffing of potatoes, cheese, spinach or ground beef. It is of Anatolian origin, and also found in the cuisines of Mediterranean, Balkans, and Levant.
20. Tavuk Pilav
Tavuk Pilav is a simple dish of rice and boiled chicken. It doesn’t boast of many ingredients but consists of a lot of flavors. It is a cheap and a filling meal that Turks embrace as their midday meal.
