Must Eat Foods and Flavors in Istanbul
31 Flavors You Must Eat When You Come to Istanbul
Istanbul, a city steeped in ancient history and rich culture, is a culinary journey waiting to be explored. As the former capital of the Eastern Roman and Ottoman Empires, its food culture truly reflects its past and geographical location. The city’s streets are a living museum of traditional flavors from the Ottoman Empire, offering a glimpse into the historical significance of Istanbul’s food culture.
Here are specific dishes that you must eat when you arrive in Istanbul.
1- Simit (Turkish Bagel)
It is a traditional, frequently consumed, trendy pastry snack in Istanbul and Turkey. It is usually consumed for breakfast and is often offered by street vendors. Simit is also popularly known as “crisp” because its outer surface is covered with sesame seeds and has a crispy texture.
Turkish bagel is made with a slightly sweet dough. The dough is prepared using essential ingredients such as flour, water, yeast, sugar, and salt. Once kneaded, the dough is cut into small rings, flipped over large rings specially prepared to form the simit shape, and covered with sesame seeds. The sesame surface gives the bagel its unique flavor and texture.
Simit is a versatile breakfast item with its unique flavor and texture. It is often enjoyed with various accompaniments such as cheese, olives, tomatoes, and cucumbers. This versatility adds an element of intrigue, inviting you to experiment with different combinations and discover your favorite way to enjoy this traditional Turkish snack.
2- Fish Sandwich (Balık Ekmek)
It is a popular street food served by street vendors along the Bosphorus, especially around the Galata Bridge, Eminönü. Mackerel or bonito is often grilled and served on fresh bread with parsley and onions.
Both locals and visitors prefer this delicious street food to the city. It is an excellent alternative to drinking pickle juice while enjoying the sea view by eating fish bread, especially by the Bosphorus. It will be a pleasant part of your visit to Istanbul.
3- Adana Kebab
Adana Kebab is considered an essential part of Turkish cuisine. Its name comes from the city of Adana. With its unique taste and texture, it is a well-known flavor in the Turkish gastronomy world. It is a type of kebab prepared by blending finely ground mutton, minced meat, and spices, skewered, and barbecued. A good Adana kebab is known for its balanced spiciness and the ease with which it falls apart when you hit it with your fork.
Adana kebab served as long, thinly shaped meatballs, is a culinary delight that must be experienced. Accompanied by onions, greens, and sumac, this kebab is usually served in lavash or wraps, enhancing its unique flavor. The addition of hot pepper paste further elevates its taste. It’s no wonder that Adana kebab is a must-taste delicacy in Istanbul.
4- Kokoreç (Kokoretzi)
Kokorec is an Istanbul street delicacy usually made from sheep or goat intestines. It is prepared by marinating the internal organs with special spices and roasting them. It is a popular snack sold by street vendors and restaurants everywhere in Turkey.
During the preparation of kokorec, the intestines are thoroughly cleaned, and the internal organs (usually intestines, liver, and sweetbread) are thinly sliced and placed inside the intestines. These internal organs are then marinated in a unique spice mixture and roasted on the barbecue. After cooking, kokoreç is usually served with bread or on the side. The flavor of kokoreç comes from the intense and characteristic taste obtained by blending the internal organs with spices and roasting them on the barbecue. It is one of the must-try flavors on the streets of Istanbul. And guess what? It’s delicious.
5- Stuffed Mussels (Midye Dolma)
Stuffed mussels are a typical seafood snack in Istanbul. It is usually available from street vendors and fish restaurants by the sea.
Stuffed mussels are an appetizer usually prepared by stuffing large mussels with rice, onions, peanuts, and raisins. The filling is traditionally flavored with spices and steamed or baked into the mussels.
Stuffed mussels, a dish with deep cultural roots, are usually served with a refreshing squeeze of lemon juice. You can easily find them at the stalls of street vendors and consume them fresh, connecting with Istanbul’s rich culinary heritage. Midye Dolma was transferred to Istanbul through the food culture of Greek-Armenian minorities, adding to its cultural significance.
6- Turkish Delight (Lokum)
Turkish Delight may be the only branded Turkish food in the world. Turkish Delight is made with sugar, water, and starch. These ingredients are mixed and boiled, and various fruit juices or essences are added to give the desired color and aroma. The mixture is then poured into molds, cooled, and cut. The cut Turkish Delight is usually coated with starch or powdered sugar and served.
The most popular Turkish delight varieties are those with pistachio, pistachio, walnut or rose flavors. Each variety has its unique taste and texture. In Istanbul, you can find shops producing Turkish Delight for more than a century.
7- Lahmacun
Lahmacun is an essential delicacy of Turkish cuisine. It is a dish made by spreading a mixture of minced meat, onion, tomato, pepper, and spices on thin dough and baking it in the oven. It is generally very popular in the southern regions of Turkey, especially in Southeastern Anatolia. The best examples of Lahmacun are in Istanbul. It is served hot and is usually served with lemon wedges, parsley, lettuce, and pickled hot peppers.
With its thin dough and delicious filling, Lahmacun is preferred as a quick snack and a hearty main course.
8- Doner Kebab
It is a type of kebab that is widely consumed and very popular in Istanbul. Doner kebab is prepared by placing meat, usually beef or lamb, on a vertical skewer and cooking it specially. The Meat is generally cut into thin slices and served. Thin slices of meat are usually served with rice, lavash, or wraps. Doner kebab is famous in many countries outside Turkey and is interpreted differently worldwide.
You can easily find good doners in restaurants or street vendors in Istanbul. Doner is preferred as a quick street food and as a main course and is often served with yogurt, salad, and various appetizers. In recent years, chicken doner has also become popular.
9- Wet Hamburger (Islak Burger)
Wet hamburgers are a street food commonly found in Istanbul. They are made with beef or ground beef patties (usually thin ground beef) in a regular hamburger bun and topped with tomato sauce.
A wet hamburger is one in which the bun is completely soaked in tomato sauce poured over it, and the sauce’s flavor is absorbed into the bun. The sauce is usually spicy and sweet and sometimes poured into a meatball enriched with spices.
Wet hamburgers are usually sold by street vendors and are served with pickled hot peppers and lettuce. They can be found in various neighborhoods of Istanbul, but they are especially popular in busy areas such as Taksim—Kadıkoy. The wet hamburger is preferred as a quick street snack and attracts attention with its flavor.
10- Baklava
Baklava is a dessert native to the Middle East and the Balkans. It is filled with walnuts or pistachios between thin layers of phyllo dough and usually syrupy. The syrup is traditionally made from water, sugar, and lemon juice. It gives baklava a distinctive sweet and soft flavor. Baklava is traditionally cut into squares or triangles and served. Pistachios or walnut pieces are usually sprinkled on top.
Baklava, a dessert that holds a significant place among Istanbul’s flavors, is a treat often savored during special occasions, holidays, and celebrations. Its presence in these cultural events underscores its importance in the local culinary tradition.
11- Kumpir
Kumpir, a beloved street food in Turkish culture, is a potato-based dish with a rich history and tradition. The large potatoes are usually cooked in the oven or the embers and then cut in the middle. The inside is mashed with a fork and enriched with various ingredients, each adding a unique flavor to this cultural delicacy.
Butter, cheddar cheese, and various ingredients are mixed into the mashed potatoes. Kumpir is usually enriched with side dishes such as corn, pickled cucumber, olives, peas, and sausage.
12- Ice Cream
Compared to its worldwide counterparts, ice cream in Istanbul stands out with its intense milk flavor and the contribution of natural ingredients and sales. It is served in freshly made cones, preferably with chocolate and hazelnut sauce. It also differs from the light chewing sensation of mastic gum. Pistachio, double-clotted cream, and sorbets made with seasonal fruits are worth trying.
13- Dumplings (Turkish Mantı)
Manti is a traditional dish that is an essential flavor of Turkish cuisine. It is a type of pastry made by filling small square or triangular pieces of dough with minced meat or other ingredients. Manti is cooked in boiling water and is usually served with garlic yogurt and butter sauce.
Many different types of manti exist in Istanbul, and many successful representatives serve them.
14- Icli Kofte (Kibbeh)
İcli Kofte (Icli Kofte) is a pastry with a filling, which is a traditional flavor of Turkish cuisine and is usually cooked by frying. It is also consumed boiled with pleasure. The origin of kibbeh dates back to the Middle East.
Kibbeh is filled with a filling prepared with ingredients such as fine bulgur, minced meat, onion, spices, and usually walnuts.
15- Muhallebi (Custard)
Muhallebi is a traditional dessert of Turkish and Middle Eastern cuisine. It is a pudding-like dessert made by boiling essential ingredients such as milk, sugar, and starch or flour. In Istanbul’s food culture, it is prominent on the menu of old patisseries.
In some regions, custards enriched with different ingredients can also be found. Rice pudding is one of the desserts specific to Istanbul that falls into this category. “Oven rice pudding,” fried in the oven, is also an essential type of pudding. There are also varieties of custard enriched with fillings such as pistachio, hazelnut, or pistachio.
16- Pide
Pide is a pastry bread, usually oval or long rectangular, widely consumed in Turkish cuisine. Pita bread can be stuffed with various ingredients or made plain.
During Ramadan, pide is of particular significance in Turkish cuisine. It is when unique pide varieties are prepared, often with a plain filling, preferably with egg spread on the outside and with black cumin and sesame seeds.
17- Iskender Kebab
Iskender Kebab is a phenomenal dish spread from Bursa to Istanbul and Turkey. It is served by pouring hot butter over thinly sliced doner meat (usually lamb), and tomato sauce and yogurt are also added to the meat.
Combining delicious meat with butter and yogurt, this type of kebab is one of the essential symbols of Turkish cuisine and a must-try in Istanbul.
18- Sahlep
Sahlep or Salep is a hot and nutritious drink mixed with milk or water, usually drunk during the cold winter. It is made from the powder or extract obtained from the tuber of an orchid plant, which usually grows in the cold climate regions of Anatolia.
It is served sprinkled with cinnamon. It can be sweetened by adding sugar.
19- Boza
Boza is a traditional Turkish drink. It is a slightly sour and tart beverage obtained by fermenting grain. It is usually made from grains such as wheat or corn and is consumed mainly in winter. Especially popular during the Ottoman period, boza has a historical flavor traditionally loved today.
Boza is also a preferred drink in terms of health due to its probiotics and nutritional properties.
20- Meatballs
Meatballs are food prepared by kneading and shaping minced meat or other ingredients (such as bread, eggs, and spices…) and are usually consumed by frying.
Meatballs are a dish with many names and varieties in many cultures in Turkey and worldwide. In Turkish cuisine, meatballs are made in different ways, with other ingredients according to various regions, and have a rich flavor scale.
21- Ayran
Ayran is a traditional drink of Turkish cuisine. It is a fermented beverage made by mixing yogurt and water. It is usually served cold and is especially preferred to cool down in summer. Thanks to yogurt’s probiotic properties, it is also known to benefit the digestive system. In addition, the fact that it is low in calories is also an influential factor in the preference for ayran.
It is the most popular accompaniment drink with kebabs, lahmacun, and raw meatballs.
22- Rice with Chickpeas
Pilaf with chickpeas is a type of pilaf widely consumed and loved in Istanbul cuisine. Usually cooked with chickpeas, it is both filling and delicious. It is also known as one of the street flavors of Istanbul.
It is preferably served with boiled and shredded chicken meat.
23- Tripe Soup
Tripe Soup is one of the most popular and well-known types of offal dishes. It is prepared by boiling finely chopped pieces of tripe for a long time and is usually flavored with ingredients such as garlic, vinegar, salt, and red pepper flakes. Locals and tourists alike enjoy it in the early morning hours or on their return from a night out. For this reason, there are 24-hour tripe soup shops in Istanbul.
24- Su Boregi – (Water Pastry)
Su Böregi is a popular type of Turkish cuisine prepared with leaf-shaped pastry dough. Water pastry takes its name from the fact that it is prepared by adding milk or water between the leaves and boiling the dough leaves in water beforehand.
This pastry is laborious and has plain spinach, minced meat, and cheese options.
25- Cig Kofte
Cig Kofte is a meatball from Southeastern Anatolia and is widely consumed in Turkish cuisine. It takes its name from the raw meat inside. Cig Kofte is a traditional flavor prepared by kneading and kneading with ingredients such as fine bulgur, finely ground lean sheep minced meat, spices, tomato paste, onion, and parsley.
Cig Kofte, also prepared without meat, is often served with lemon and lettuce. It is also usually accompanied by ayran or turnip juice drinks.
26- Turkish Coffee
Turkish coffee is a traditional type of coffee that is an integral part of Turkish cuisine and is prepared using a unique cooking method. It is brewed by boiling finely ground coffee beans with water and sugar in a coffee pot. This brewing method gives Turkish Coffee a unique consistency, aroma, and presentation.
It is served after meals or on special occasions, preferably with a piece of candy, chocolate, and water. December 5 is World Turkish Coffee Day
27- Chestnut
Kestane (chestnut) kebab is one of Istanbul’s historical and traditional flavors. This type of kebab is usually prepared with chestnuts cooked in the oven or embers and has an intense aromatic taste. Especially in the cold evenings of winter, hot chestnuts bought from street vendors are exceptional in Istanbul’s food and drink culture.
28- Corn
Boiled and roasted corn is a typical street snack sold by street vendors in Istanbul. They are mainly found in busy areas such as Istiklal Street, Eminonu Square, Kadıkoy Bazaar, and coastal areas.
Boiled corn is usually prepared by boiling fresh corn cobs and sprinkled with salt or a mixture of salt and pepper. Roasted corn, on the other hand, is generally sold cooked in the embers and then salted or smeared with butter.
29- Wrapped Leaves in Olive Oil (Sarma or Dolma)
Leaf rolls with olive oil are a popular and traditional dish of Turkish cuisine. This dish is usually prepared using vine leaves, and the filling is made with rice, onion, greens (parsley, dill, etc.), spices, and olive oil. The filling is wrapped around the leaves, and the tightly packed wraps are usually placed in a pot or casserole dish.
This dish, considered one of Istanbul’s essential flavors, is laborious to prepare but equally enjoyable to consume. Immigrant Turks frequently make it from Rumelia.
30- Pickle Juice
Pickle juice is the liquid used in pickle making that ferments with the pickles. This liquid, formed by the interaction of the ingredients (usually vegetables and various spices) and brine during the fermentation process, offers multiple benefits in terms of flavor and health.
Pickle juice, a trendy drink that has taken Istanbul by storm, is a testament to the city’s love for unique and flavorful beverages.
It can be found in pickle shops, markets, grocery stores, and restaurants. Pickles and pickle juice are excellent accompaniments to fish sandwiches.
31- Turkish Tea
Turkish Tea is a widely consumed and culturally important beverage in Turkey. It is usually served using a teapot (teapot) and thin-waisted glasses. Turkish Tea is prepared with black Tea obtained from the tea plant leaves and is usually brewed using a teapot.
Turkish tea is essential in Turkish culture and an important part of social interactions. Tea can be drunk plain or with added sugar, with individual preferences often varying. It is known to be consumed especially after meals and at any time.
