ExploFood · Asia
What to eat in Türkiye
Five dishes to try in Türkiye, the most typical first. Three are vegetarian.
Five dishes to try in Türkiye
Döner kebab Döner kebap
Meat roasted on a vertical spit, shaved thin and served in bread or on a plate.
How to have it: Order it 'dürüm' (wrapped in lavash) for a quick lunch; best from busy stalls with fresh spits.
Lahmacun
Thin flatbread topped with spiced minced meat, baked in a stone oven.
How to have it: Squeeze lemon on, add parsley and onion, roll it up and drink ayran with it.
Ezogelin soup Ezogelin çorbası
Red lentil and bulgur soup with tomato, mint and red pepper.
How to have it: Found in every lokanta; Turks eat soup for breakfast or late at night with lemon and bread.
Menemen
Eggs scrambled into soft tomatoes, green peppers and spices.
How to have it: Served sizzling in its pan at breakfast cafés; dip simit or fresh bread straight into it.
Baklava
Layers of filo pastry with pistachios or walnuts, soaked in syrup.
How to have it: Gaziantep pistachio baklava is the benchmark; order by weight and have it with Turkish tea.
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Questions
What food is Türkiye famous for?
Döner kebab (meat roasted on a vertical spit, shaved thin and served in bread or on a plate) comes first on our list, followed by Lahmacun, Ezogelin soup, Menemen and Baklava.
What is the national dish of Türkiye?
Ask ten people and you get several answers. The dish we put first for Türkiye is Döner kebab: meat roasted on a vertical spit, shaved thin and served in bread or on a plate. Order it 'dürüm' (wrapped in lavash) for a quick lunch; best from busy stalls with fresh spits.
Which dishes in Türkiye are vegetarian?
Three of the five on this page are vegetarian as usually made: Ezogelin soup, Menemen and Baklava. Recipes vary, so ask about stock, lard or fish sauce.
What street food should I try in Türkiye?
Döner kebab (meat roasted on a vertical spit, shaved thin and served in bread or on a plate) and Lahmacun (thin flatbread topped with spiced minced meat, baked in a stone oven).
How reliable is this list?
The dishes are hand-picked from general knowledge in the Explo app, where you can also tick off the ones you have tried. Recipes vary by region and by family, so take it as a starting point.
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Tick off every dish you try in Türkiye
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Get ExploDishes are hand-picked from general knowledge in the Explo app, with links to Wikipedia. Recipes and names vary by region.