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A Brief Guide to Turkish Regional Cuisine

Divided into seven regions, Turkey’s regional cuisine is influenced by the geography, availability of water and its vicinity and the climate of the region. A variety of different ingredients are grown throughout the land. In turn, this ensures that regional food cultures develop and thrive to offer a distinct variety of food, products and customs throughout Anatolia and the small part of the European continent, that make up the country of Turkey.

In traditional Turkish cuisine, ceremonies, feasts and weddings offer a good insight into the richness and varieties. Furthermore, it also offers an insight into regional similarities and differences across this big geography and landscape that Turkey offers. For more information on Turkish cuisine, here’s the article on the Brief History of Turkish Cuisine and the Top 10 Turkish food you should try!

Traditional Cuisine

Traditional or folk cuisine in Turkey owe its richness and variety to the natural and geographic conditions of the land and different regions. If you look at the ingredients, every region has its own unique ingredients and flavours. However, in the long list, there are a few basic ingredients, such as: grains, legumes, vegetables and fruits. Other ingredients such as honey, fish and local vegetables provide different tastes in homes and lokanta restaurants such as 脟颈测补 in many cities and regions.

脟颈测补 Sofras谋 in Istanbul, Image sourced from Flickr

For instance, grains and in turn, bread is prepared in different ways in almost every city and even towns and villages. This difference is reflective of the environmental factors present throughout the country.

On the other hand, meat and animal products feature heavily in Turkish traditional cooking given the nomadic culture. Meats such as mutton, lamb, beef, chicken and partridge and offal are prepared in many styles, including on on vertical or horizontal rotisseries. Learn more about dishes that are not for the faint of heart in our article about some very bizarre food from Turkey: Weird Turkish Food, Not for the Faint-Hearted.

Turkish traditional cuisine is also linked in many ways to the regional and religious traditions present throughout the country. For example, in the Islamic month of Muharrem, the sweet dish called ‘础艧耻谤别‘ or Noah鈥檚 pudding is prepared and shared with friends and families, especially on the 10th day of the month on the day known as Ashura. On this day, the Battle of Karbala took place where Imam Husayn was martryed. It is also believed to be the day that Prophet Musa parted the sea for the Israelites. It’s a very popular dessert across the country and in sweet shops across the major cities.

Image sourced from Flickr

Semolina helva (Irmik) and flour (Un) helva are usually prepared and offered to visitors at funerals or on religious occasions or anniversaries, for example. Learn more about the Top 10 Turkish desserts in our article.

Ethnic & Regional Influences

Every civilization and country has its own food culture, some based in the urban and some deep in the rural villages that few venture into. As is obvious, regional differences and geography obviously play a big role in the country鈥檚 cuisine. For instance, the same dish is cooked differently around the country, depending on local tastes and ingredients. This allows the regional cuisine to surprise and delight food enthusiasts/tourists from around the world.

Local cultures and their food cultures that make up regional, traditional and folk customs and traditions reflect the rich geography and the ingredients available to those people developing that very cuisine. Turkish cooking has its roots in the ancient traditions of the nomadic Turkic people spread across a vast geographical region. However, as they moved to the land called Anatolia, they came into contact with different ingredients. As a result, folk traditions mixed with new ingredients and led to the development of a rich culinary culture. Moreover, the existence of different ethnicities within the borders of the land have led to enriched tastes that many regional cities and towns are proud of.

With the presence of ethnic group, a mix of different cultures was an obvious development. This is especially true in towns and cities with a large ethnic population other than the Turks. You can find the Levantines in Izmir, some Greeks and Armenians in Istanbul and the Kurds and Assyrians in the Southeast.

Regional variations signify the availability of local ingredients. Cultural exchanges with bordering countries such as Iran and Cyprus also provide another rich layer. For example, in the Aegean and the Mediterranean region, the heavy use of olive oil and mastic gum for sweets and ice cream is common. Very few spices are used, if at all. The abundance of herbs in these regions, such as one called 鈥�颁颈产别蝉鈥�, and other vegetables such as artichokes and celery root add a distinct layer to the area鈥檚 cuisine. 

Image sourced from Tripadvisor

In the Marmara region, there’s a very popular dish out of Bursa. Called Iskender kebab, it translates to 鈥楢lexander Kebab鈥� and is named after the person who invented it.

On the other hand, in central and eastern Anatolia, meat plays a big role in the diet. This is together with the liberal use of spices such as sumac and hot chilli powder. At homes across the country, staples such as lentil/legumes and yoghurt-based dishes and soups are part and parcel of home food. Nonetheless, a variety of vegetables and meats are present on tables too.

Image sourced from Flickr

Other common dishes are mezes. They are common as appetizers but can be full-meals as well. They are prepared with olive oil or fried and served as side dishes. In fish and meat restaurants, a variety of appetizing mezes can be ordered to accompany the main meal, for instance.

Aegean Cuisine

Heredotus mentioned Smyrna, or ancient Izmir and exclaimed: “A land that is built right under the most beautiful sky.” Truly, Izmir sunsets are gorgeous! A modern, multi-cultural, multi-lingual and multi-religious city, Izmir’s cuisine can be a considered a culinary capital of the whole Aegean region. Not far from Izmir, there’s another town Mu臒la, with a similar cuisine.

A protected port city with a mild climate and within migration and trade routes, Izmir is an important city and has been so since antiquity. With the population exchange, a large number of Cretan Turks migrated to the city and brought their culture and food with them. Today, you can find Cretan restaurants that are popular with the locals in the city.  Fresh ingredients with a heavily plant-based and olive oil-based dishes are on the menu.

The city’s cuisine’s number one ingredient is extra virgin olive oil. This is soon followed by Izmirians love for wild herbs and greens. These include: milk thistle, cibes, tangel, nettle, fennel, chicory, and wild asparagus. The herbs are either sauteed or boiled and then dressed in extra virgin olive oil. Another way is to wrap them in phyllo pastry with cheese and baked in the oven for a delicious snack! 

Typical Turkish ingredients in a food market in Istanbul, image sourced from Flickr

Izmir’s food culture is also heavily influenced by the sea. Seafood mezes are made with a variety of seafood, olive oil and garlic. Dishes such buttered shrimps, baked crab and scallops, deep fried squid and grilled octopus are common in raki-infused taverns across the city.

Artichokes in the spring season are a popular choice across local restaurants and homes across the city. In the summer months, you can find fried zucchini blossoms or blossoms stuffed with fragnant rice. In the hot summer months, you can find an abundance of fig, called 鈥�产补谤诲补肠谋办,鈥� a variety local to Izmir and of course, you can find mastic gum ice cream, borrowed and localized from across the waters of the Aegean sea: Sakiz Ada or Mastic Gum island i.e. Chios Island.

Image sourced from Flickr

Artichokes, a variety of wild herbs are what sets apart Aegean cooking from the rest of the country. These two ingredients are so popular that you can find local town festivals in their name in the spring season! One is the Ala莽ati Ot Festival or Herb festival and another is the Urla Enginar Festival or the Artichoke festival, both held in the spring months in Ala莽ati and Urla, respectively. Other popular dishes from Izmir include Deniz b枚r眉lce (sea glasswort) salad, 艦evketibostan (thistle) cooked with meat and the sweet, syrupy and delicious 舰补尘产补濒颈 dessert!

Local wineries such as Urlice vineyards and restaurants such as Od Urla have also gained popularity in recent years with domestic and international food enthusiasts. A local wine route is in development to allow others discover the local wines of this beautiful city! Check out our article on places outside of Istanbul to visit, including Izmir: Outside Istanbul: 10 Cities and Attractions to Visit.

Mediterranean Cuisine

The region along the southern coast of Turkey from Marmaris to Antalya and all the way to Hatay has a distinct cuisine and food culture, heavily intermixed with traditions and familial customs. Olive oil is a big ingredient in this cuisine. Generally, the cuisine has seafood, greens, vegetables and cheese. Dishes such as (Eksili kuru dolma or sour stuffed peppers) from Adana and A艧颈r from Antakya/Hatay region are unique dishes belonging to this region.

Villages all along the coast and into the regional mountains of Babada臒, Tahtali, Davraz, Toroz and Medetsiz offer some great insight into rural cooking techniques and dishes. You can find recipes such as Piyaz (Antalya usul眉 Piyaz or a bean salad with tahini sauce, crunchy fried fish, 贬颈产别艧 or a hummus dip/meze. Sweets or snacks such as cookies named Ba臒a莽a from Antalya and a dessert resembling stuffed dumplings called Arap Kaday谋f谋 with stuffed walnuts are some of the few dishes that you need to try.

On the other hand, cuisine from Hatay or Antakya is popular around the country for its emphasis on spices and unique tastes. For breakfast, there’s a special cheese called 厂眉谤办 made with whey cheese and spices and Biberli ekmek or spicy bread. Hatay’s Tepsi kebab, Sembusak or fried stuffed dumplings, Chicken baked in rock salt, an eggplant dip called Mutebbel and sweet snacks such as Bici bici and 贬补测迟补濒谋 are sure to delight. 艦algam suyu or Turnip juice are one of the most popular drinks from this region.

Black Sea Cuisine

A unique region in Turkey, the Black sea area comprises a large number of towns and cities. These include Zonguldak, Sanfranbolu, Karabuk, Amasra, Inebol, Samsun, Trabzon and all the way to Rize and beyond, stopping short of Batumi in neighbouring Georgia.

Geographically, the region produces or earlier produced wheat, siyez, barley, corn, rice and of course, tea! The region also once had a mighty ancient kingdom called Paphlagonia that served as an animal husbandry centre for the Roman empire. Certain cities and towns are important with regards to poultry, turkeys and geese. Furthermore, the region’s climate and geography enables an abundance of endemic vegetables, fruits, herbs and mushrooms.

The Northern forest of the region are rich in fungi and grapes. In terms of meat, we can find dishes such as a red meat stew, Kuzu dolmas谋 (rice pilaf filled with lamb) and Kuyu Kebab谋 (lamb roasted in a pit), usually prepared for special occasions such as weddings or religious ceremonies. Meat is first simply poached in butter and then, cooked over low fire. This, according to local cuisine researchers, hasn’t changed in the region for the last 800 years.

Image sourced from Wikimedia CommonsSoups are a staple in this region. In the cuisine, the main types are soups and vegetable and meat dishes, fish and poultry. Moreover, you can find b枚reks and sweets, as well as pickles, salads and various nuts (hazelnuts, for example) and dried fruits.

In Rize, for instance, soups were made from various grains and legumes such as barley and wheat. A soup called Korkota soup is unique to the region. It is made by grinding corn more coarsely than flour. However, its popularity has waned recently and the soup has lost its earlier popularity.

Image sourced from UnsplashOther dishes you can find in the region is Dolma with hazelnuts, Muhlama with small sardine-like fish called Hamsi, unique breads such as Laz 叠枚谤别臒颈, Bazlama and Pide with various cheese (Trabzon pidesi with Kolof cheese, for example).

Central Anatolian Cuisine

Image sourced from Wikimedia CommonsThis particular cuisine can be considered to come from the villages and cities in central Anatolia, for instance: Ankara, Kayseri and Sivas.

Central Anatolia is steeped in traditions, religious festivals and familial customs. For instance, in Kayseri Province, in the past, many Turkish tribes lived together and still do. As such, different areas in the province have their own unique culinary culture. Wedding ceremonies, funerals, special religious holidays and commemorations are among some of the traditions of the area.

Indeed, food plays a central role in the celebrations and commemorations of the people. Dishes such as Mant谋, Pide, B枚reks and Eri艧te are among the many dishes that people of this area prepare and offer in their celebrations and everyday lives. Then there’s also pastirma or cured meat, many milk products (cheese, butter and yogurt) and pickles are also important dishes.

In Sivas, there are foods unique to the city itself as well as to its districts and villages. For example, a broad variety of soups are made in Anatolia with grains and legumes. The word a艧 is used in Anatolia for soup as well as 莽辞谤产补.  The province of Sivas has the most variety of soups than any other in Anatolia.

Image sourced from Wikimedia Commons

On the other hand, in Ankara, the country’s capital, an old tradition called the Zekeriya Sofras谋 involves food. The food at these parties consisted mainly of nuts and dried fruit, snacks and salad-type foods called 办耻谤耻测别尘颈艧. The Zekeriya Sofras谋 or Peygamber Sofras谋 (鈥淧rophet鈥檚 Table鈥�) was said to have begun by an old woman and is mainly hosted by a woman wanting to make wishes and fulfill one.

Traditional Turkish cuisine typically includes many foods and meal traditions that are religious in nature and food plays a big part in these customs and traditions. 

Eastern & Southeast Anatolian Cuisine

In Gaziantep, the local dishes are many, varied and extremely famous for its food. The city itself is famous for its gastronomy! This is the result of its history, geography and migrations. It is also the result of the variety of cooking techniques, utensils and ingredients used, such as saffron (called hasbir), tarragon (迟补谤丑谋苍 ), red pepper, wild greens, garlic, yogurt and the tandoor oven.

Image sourced from Wikimedia CommonsIn the wonderful gastronomic city of Gaziantep, they use the Turkish word ocak濒谋办 for kitchen and not the Arabic-derived mutfak (which is a common word in Turkish). Here, you can find some unique dishes such as karakavurma, boran谋, sar谋ksak a艧谋, pi艧颈, b枚rek 莽辞谤产补s谋 or 迟耻迟尘补莽 and meat and bulgur dishes and certain sweets (baklava!). For more info on the top 10 desserts, read our article on the Top 10 Turkish Desserts!

In the cooking of the city of Elaz谋臒, fish from Hazar Lake hold an important place in the culinary tradition of the city. Another very popular food among the people of the Elaz谋臒 region is 莽i臒 k枚fte, or 鈥渞aw k枚fte,鈥� and kavurma (meat cooked and preserved in its own fat).

Yaprak Sarma/Dolma, image sourced from Wikimedia Commons

In Siirt,  a rich culinary tradition is passed on young women from their mothers. Dishes such as rice prepared in a variety of ways and vegetable dolmas and sarmas (stuffed vegetables) are popular dishes from the city.