Turkey’s food culture and “Street Delicacies” much favored by foreign visitors as well

The food culture in Turkey certainly ranks at the forefront in the world. Turkish cuisine indeed offers many different dishes. In the meantime, the varieties we call street food are very popular and especially foreign visitors admire these varieties every time they visit. What are they, and what are the most beloved ones?

SIMIT : The best-known and preferred street flavor is no doubt bagels with plenty of sesame seeds and crispy form. The best time to have it with pleasure is probably at breakfast with tea and cheese. It is also much eaten in the afternoons.

BOYOZ : Boyoz, which has become one of the symbols of Izmir, is a kind of crispy pastry,  that tastes delicious. In Izmir region, it is an indispensable street flavor that you can enjoy with eggs, cheese, olives, honey etc.

DÖNER : This is probably the most widely known and perhaps the most consumed street flavour one could come across. You can taste the best of döner, which is made by slowly cooking the meat with wood fire on a large skewer and served with bread or lavas on request. You can have beef döner or chicken döner based on preference.

FISH & BREAD : You could try fish bread at different places but the most popular one is available at Eminönü. As you try to catch the ferry among the crowd, mackerel and greens placed between fresh bread and cooked in giant grills make you feel hungry and turn you away from your path. With the affordable price and the taste left on your palate, you’ll immediately forget the fish breads you’ve eaten elsewhere.

PICKLE JUICE : Along with fish bread, pickle juice sold at Eminonu is offered on small stalls at Fatih and Beyoğlu. Pickle juice, one of the most delicious and ancient flavors, is sold in plastic cups with small pieces of pickle cut into them. Salty and sour taste, you will literally be addicted to this unique taste. If you drink one of the icy ones, you can cool off for a moment in the sweltering summer temperatures.

STUFFED MUSSLES : A flavour that is generally abundant and preferred in the coastal areas. Served on stalls with plenty of lemon and where a starter can only stop after eating half the tray on the counter.

MUSSELS FRIED IN PAN : Another flavor that people cannot give up is fried mussels. The mussel pan, which is especially indispensable for raki fish tables, is a kind of appetizer that is both light and delicious.

KOKOREÇ : Kokoreç is a much sought delicacy composed of wound lamb intestines grilled on a spit, chopped with herbs and spices, and usually served as a sandwich.

TANTUNI : Although it is a unique taste of Mersin, one can find Tantuni everywhere. Tantuni, a type of meat burrito unique to Mersin, is perfect fast food. Small chopped meats include parsley, tomatoes, spiked peppers, onions, etc. the combination with a complete wonder of flavor emerges. Tantuni which contains both meat and tail oil is more delicious when consumed with spicy turnips or pickle juice with exquisite spices.

BÖREK : One of the most delicious and abundant varieties of street delicacies is börek. You can find all kinds of this pastry almost anywhere. However, you should definitely try the famous Sariyer pastry at HÜNKAR Börekçisi at Sarıyer.

KESTANE : We love the start of the winter months more with the excellent flavors it brings. The season comes when the weather gradually cools and the smell of chestnut cooking slowly over a barbecue turns you on. The chestnut that mainly grows in Bursa is also found in the stalls of peddlers in other cities. On the other hand, if you have a separate fondness for Chestnut dessert, the right address would be Bursa.

KUMPIR : It’s possible to say the most delicious form of potatoes is Kumpir. This flavor can be found in almost any coffee shop, and sometimes it can be seen as a street flavor. But if you ask where it is best to use your preference, Ortaköy would be the place.

KUMRU : Kumru is a kind of delicious sandwich, good enough to make you full, on its own. Kumru, which is one of the famous street delicacies of Izmir, is a special sandwich bread with cheddar, salami, sausage, sausage, pickles, mayonnaise, ketchup etc.

STUFFED MEATBALLS : You can eat the best içli köfte in cities like Adana, Hatay, Gaziantep. However it can now be found everywhere. It may be one of the best snacks made with Bulgur and it is not possible to understand how good meat and bulgur are without eating meatballs. In Hatay region, they prefer to serve this snack with lemon, which is also tasted with pomegranate sour. If you live in Istanbul and are a complete meatball nut, you should visit the Patientstone restaurant in Asmalımescit or Beyoğlu Istiklal Caddesi.

LAHMACUN : Some of us like to squeeze a lot of lemon on it, some of us like to put a lot of sumac onion and wrap it in a burrito. Some of us like garlic on it and some prefer to use plenty of spice. Although everyone’s favorite is different, all delicious lahmacuns have two things in common. The first is that the dough is crispy, the second is that the mince is drawn in armor. (Aug 9, 2020)