In my recent trip to Turkey, I discovered something that I rarely find in European countries…VERY nice food!
It’s well-known that Greece and Turkey share a lot of similar dishes, and maybe that’s why I thought the food was delicious. But honestly, if you ever find yourself in Turkey, I can recommend some very nice traditional dishes that you should taste.
Shall we get to it?
1. Kumpir:
The first ever street food I ate in Istanbul was not for picky eaters;)
It’s just a baked potato, and you can fill it with as many ingredients as you like (beans, corn, sausages, cheese, lot of sauces, basically anything you can imagine). Our friends, as traditional turkish guys, suggested to fill it with everything the shop offered. Yes I am very serious:) The outcome was not the best choise I ever made. But if you choose your ingredients wisely, I think you could have a very tasty and cheap meal!
The place that I ate: A food truck in Ortaköy. (Check it here: ortakyl-kumpir)
2. Dolma and Sarma:
Now we are talking for an absolute traditional dish in Turkey, made from a lot of leaves wrapped around a filling. The main difference between the two, is that dolma contains rice and sarma is usually based on meat, and various kinds of chopped nuts. This meal can generally be found in the cuisines of the Balkan countries.
The place that I ate: Was an amazing local cuisine shop called Esnaf Lokantasi based on Ortaköy. (You can find the address here.) As you can see in the left photo, the shop offered multiple traditional turkish dishes to try for every taste. Ask the owner if you want something specific.
3. Mercimek Çorbası, Tavuk Çorbası:
Now we are talking about 2 different varieties of soup.
It’s very common in Turkey to start your lunch with a soup. The first one (mercimek), is a thick soup based on red or yellow lentils. The second one (tavuk) is a traditional chicken soup with spices and herbs.
The place that I ate: The same amazing local cuisine shop called Esnaf Lokantasi based on Ortaköy that you can find here.
4. Biber Dolmasi:
This is actually one of my favourite dishes in the world.
In Greece we call it yemista, but here they name it biber dolmasi, and we are talking about peppers stuffed with rice mixed with a variety of spices. It’s generally cooked in the oven with olive oil, and if you like, it can also contain raisins or nuts. I fall in love more and more with this meal in every country I find it.
The place that I ate: I am very sorry to announce you that my friend’s mom cooked this meal for us, in her house in Bodrum. But you can ask for it in the local shop I mentioned before.
5. Ayran:
Ayran is one of the most disgusting things I have ever tasted. But opinions differ and a lot of my friends actually liked it. Anyhow, it’s really unusual and that’s the reason it’s on that list.
Ayran is a savory yogurt beverage. It is made by mixing yoghurt and iced water. Sometimes it can be seasoned with mint. Generally, they prefer to drink it while eating a delicious kebab.
The place that I didn’t drink it:
It was called Kasap Osman ans you can find more information here.
6. Baklava:
It’s probably the most common desert in Turkey.
It’s usually made with many layers of a pastry called filo, filled with syrup and with a variety of nuts. You can find baklava in many forms, shapes and with different tastes, so my advice is to eat as much as you can:)
The place that I ate: It’s called Karaköy Güllüoğlu and there are a lot of shops with this brand name all over Istanbul. (Check it here: karakoygulluoglu)
7. Macun:
Macun was an other street desert that I found from a random street seller. 
It’s a colourful lollipop made from a variety of spices and herbs. Every colour taste a little different, you can find lemon, mint, rose, cinnamon, I think it depends on the seller. The most interesting thing about it is the way it looks before, as much as it’s preparation. The outcome though is very impressive.
The place that I ate: I actually can’t define that, I found it random on the street, but if you meet a macun maker I can give you a quick tip: Ask him for macun’s history, it’s a very nice story.
8. Waffles:
Yes I know, you are in Turkey, why would you want to eat waffles? 
But trust me if you are in for a little european treat, this is the place to go. It’s very cheap, and you can specifically make your own waffle as you wish, because the shop offers a billion of ingredients.
The place that I ate: It was called Kemal Usta Waffles, based on Moda Kadıköy. The address and info are here.
9. Turkish coffee or tea:
My suggestion is to finish your meal by the turkish way.
In every restaurant you eat in Turkey you can actually ask for a tea at the end, and it’s amazingly cheap. As for turkish coffee, just try it. And a quick advise: Ask someone local to tell you your fortune from the coffee pot, after you finish it. You will be very impressed;)
The place that I drunk: Everywhere.. Really there are places to drink turkish coffee all around Istanbul. I suggest the Galata Konak Cafe & Restaurant that has an amazing view and you can find here.
+1. Turkish breakfast (kahvaltı)
Believe me you don’t want to leave Istanbul without trying the traditional turkish breakfast.
It consists of common stuff such as cheese , butter, olives, eggs, tomatoes, cucumbers, jam, honey and more traditional. My personal favorite was a dish called menemen, which is prepared with tomatoes,peppers, olive oil and eggs. Please don’t forget to try it. Also ask specifically for Sucuc or Pasturma, spicy sausages that can be eaten with eggs. Of course, turkish tea or coffee is served at breakfast.
The place that I ate: It was called Pişi breakfast & Burger Beşiktaş, and it was located in “the breakfast street of Beşiktaş” that you can find here.
So what do you think? Is Turkey your next “food destination”?
~mind wanderlust 