Turkish cuisine is one of the richest in flavors, spices, products and aromas. It has borrowed flavors both from Asia and the Middle East, as well as from the Balkan people.
There is an abundance of kebab, pilaf, moussaka, soups, salads, appetizers, burek, sarma, baklava and seafood delicacies. Each region of the country has a specialty characteristic of it. The most popular dishes from Turkish cuisine are:
Imam Bayildi
The name imam bayildi means "the imam fainted". Legend has it that the imam fainted after eating too much of this dish, prepared by his wife. Imam bayildi is roasted eggplants with onions, tomatoes and spices.
Kebab
It is believed that the kebab originated in Ancient Persia. It can be sliced or minced meat and grilled. Doner is another type of kebab.
Translated it means rotating kebab. The doner was invented in 1867 in Bursa by Haci Iskender. The idea of turning the skewer vertically was a good innovation, because that way the meat cooked more evenly.
Pilaf
Pilaf is mainly made from rice and bulgur and sometimes vegetables and meat such as lamb and fish are added. One of the most popular pilafs is Ajem pilaf. It is made from lamb with pistachios, rice and many spices.
Sarma
The most famous are the sarma from vine leaves, but they can also be prepared from beetroot, dock or cabbage. They are thin and elongated, often as thick as a human finger. The sarma are made from rice or bulgur and meat can also be added.
Gozleme
Gozleme are filo pastries made from filo pastry with white cheese or cottage cheese and butter. For a better taste, they are baked on a sach. Nowadays, there are different types of fillings made with meat, vegetables or jam.
Kunefe
Kunefe is a variety of Kadaif. It is prepared from several layers of kadaif with a filling of crumbled cheese and poured with syrup or honey.
Baklava
The city of Gaziantep has been declared the capital of baklava. Baklava can contain, in addition to walnuts, Turkish delight, fruit, chocolate, nuts, honey, which are abundantly covered with syrup.
Revani
Revani is a highly syrupy pastry made from eggs, flour and sugar. It is baked and syruped with a hot syrup, made out of sugar and water.
Other amazing Turkish dishes are pide (a Turkish version of pizza), ashure, lokma and meatballs.
