Turkish Food Cihan Şahin It is not easy to discern one dominant type of food in Turkey. Historically, Turkey has a long repertoire of ancient recipes that were perfected by the chefs eager to please the Sultans. Add to that its geographical position at the crossroads between Europe and the Far East – bringing travellers from many different regions with different tastes and ideas – and it’s easy to see how the cuisine expanded.  Likewise, the country’s varied terrain - travel for three hours anywhere within Turkey and you’ll find different weather, altitude, humidity and vegetation – helps to grow a wide range of different foodstuff. It is for this reason that regional variations also abound in Turkish cuisine. The Black Sea, for instance, is noted for its fish, while the eastern regions are known for their spicy food.

Turkish Food Turkish food is simple in presentation, its natural flavour not camouflaged by sauces While there are certainly a great many dishes in Turkish cuisine, dishes typically use one or two types of main ingredients. That’s to allow the flavour of the main ingredient to come through – in Turkish cuisine, lamb should taste like lamb and eggplant should taste like eggplant, for instance. Turkish food is taken very seriously and a typical meal in a Turkish home can resemble a feast. They may start with soup before moving onto the main course, followed by vegetables, followed by desert, finally finishing with fruit. No one raid the refrigerator or eat alone if others are in the house. It happens rarely.

Soups Everyone waits till the oldest person at home starts to eat. Then, we often eat (drink/slurp?!) soup before the meals. Red Lentil Soup Chicken Soup Vegetable Soup

Turkish white bean stew This dish is made in every home, workplace cafeteria, military mess hall and restaurant serving Turkish fare. Most often served over white rice pilaf

Salads Shepherd's Salad Piyaz Burghul Salad (Kısır)

Stuffed Food (Dolma) “Dolma” in Turkish translates to any vegetable stuffed with a rice-based mixture. Lots of spices are used for the stuffing.

Grape Leaf Rolls with Olive Oil (Zeytinyağlı Yaprak Dolması) This is the dolma made with vine leaves cooked with olive oil and stuffed with a rice-spice mixture. Such a type does not contain meat, is served cold and also referred to as sarma, which means “wrapping” in Turkish.

Mantı Mantı is a kind of Turkish meal which is boiled in water. You put small pieces of meat in dough. You serve it by putting yoghurt, tomato paste, and butter.

Baklava It is a dessert made of walnuts, Antep nuts, almond or hazelnut.

Stuffed Pastries - Tepsi böreği Börek is also one of THE great indulgences of Turkish cuisine – comforting and satisfying. Börek is the much loved pastry that are common in Turkey. It can be filled with vegetables, cheese or meat.

Stuffed Pastries - Sigara Böreği Small cylindrical rolls of filo pastry (shaped like cigarettes), stuffed with white cheese and parsley, and served hot and crispy as a mouth-watering meze.

Çöp Şiş Another favourite from the grill is called 'çöp şiş‘ which literally translates as 'shish made of garbage.' Believe me, it's anything but garbage. 'Çöp şiş' is often treated like an appetizer, served before the main kebab meal. It whets the palate and prepares the stomach for larger things to come.

Kebabs - İskender Kebabı Crispy shavings of 'döner' are laid upon a loaf of tender, flat 'pide' bread, similar to pita, that's been cut into small squares. The entire dish is doused with melted butter, creamy yogurt and a tangy tomato sauce.

Döner Kebabı Shavings of 'turning kebab' are usually eaten wrapped in a soft tortilla made from wheat flour, called 'dürüm'

Kebab Adana Kebabı Dish named after one of Turkey's  most famous "kebab cities" Adana. Urfa Kebabı Ödemiş köfte/kebab

Çiğ Köfte Raw meat mixed with fine bulgur, spices and vegetables

Turkish Delight (Lokum) Turkish delight is one of the most famous desserts in the world. It is made of water, sugar, starch and salts of lemon. Turkish people usually serve it to their visitors.

References http://www.turkeyforyou.com/travel_turkey_turkish_food https://www.haikudeck.com/turkish-food-art-and-design-presentation- 026KRA7b1e#slide-7 http://www.turkishclass.com/turkey/essay/admin/turkish-cuisine-turkish-food-p1 http://www.okwave.com/arigato/en/posts/4912 http://www.food.com/recipe/stuffed-vine-leaves-authentic-turkish-dolma-recipe-225613 http://www.goodfood.com.au/recipe/tepsi-boregi-borek-20140425-378zz.html http://turkishfood.about.com/od/BeansRiceGrains/r/Navy-Bean-Stew-Considered- Turkey-S-National-Dish.htm http://www.slideshare.net/eminkutlu/traditional-turkish-food-20726239 http://www.slideshare.net/carolinegencel/turkish-foods