Turkish Food

 

Turkish Food in Germany

 

Döner  is a Turkish dish made of meat cooked on a vertical rotisserie, normally lamb but also a mixture of veal or beef with these, or chicken.

The sliced meat of a doner kebab may be served wrapped in a flatbread such as lavash or pita or as a sandwich instead of being served on a plate. It is a common fast-food item not only in Turkey but also in the Middle East, Europe, Canada and Australia. Seasoned meat in the shape of an inverted cone is turned slowly against a vertical rotisserie, then sliced vertically into thin, crisp shavings and served various ways – e.g with rice, flat bread or chips and then with sides like onion, pickled cucumber, chilli, cheese, and yogurt based dressing.

Kral Döner. Kral Döner-A Slice of Quality. 24. October 2016. <http://www.kral-doner.co.uk>

 

Kebab (Shish Kebab) is a skewer with meat and vegetables and is usually grilled. It can contain lamb, beef, fish, or chicken, as well as vegetables like green peppers, onions and mushrooms. Especially in Adana (Turkey), you can find the most delicious Kebab.

Fayed, Saad. Mideastfood. Shish Kebab. 17. October 2016. 24. October 2016. <http://mideastfood.about.com/od/middleeasternfoodfaqs/f/whatisshiskkab.htm>

 

 

Mantı. These delicious tiny treasures, Manti or Mantu, dumplings with spiced ground meat and onion, is one of the all time favorite  dishes in Turkey. In especially Anatolia, family members gather to prepare the dough and fill the tiny dough squares with the filling together; it is a bit of a labor of love, so it is great to get together for making it, and so worth the effort. The marriage of the melt-in-the-mouth dumplings with garlic yoghurt sauce and spice infused olive oil is simply irresistible. Tangy Sumac, red pepper flakes and dried mint infused in olive oil all add another layer of deliciousness and work greatly with garlic yoghurt as the sauce for manti.

Warren, Özlem. Ozlemsturkishtable. MANTI,TURKISH DUMPLINGS WITH GROUND MEAT, ONION AND SPICES. 18. December 2013. 24. October 2016. <http://ozlemsturkishtable.com/2013/12/manti-the-tiny-treasuresturkish-dumplings-stuffed-with-ground-meat-in-garlic-yoghurt-and-spices/>

 

 

Sarma or Dolma

Sarma / Dolma is a Mediterranean dish made with rice-stuffed grape leaves. Although the term dolma is a Turkish word, meaning something that is stuffed, most countries in the Mediterranean region have their own version of this dish. Occasionally dolma can be found premade in specialty stores but is more often found in Mediterranean restaurants or made at home.

In addition to grape leaves, rice, onions, and lemons are normally included in dolma. Tomato paste, pine nuts, and mint are added to many versions as well. Cinnamon, allspice, and oregano, as well as salt and pepper, may be used to season the dish. Some versions included fresh dill, dried currants, or parsley. Minced or ground meat, usually lamb or beef, are included in many dolma recipes.

To prepare dolma, the onions are sauteed in oil, then the rice is added and the mixture is covered in hot water. The rice is allowed to simmer for a short time, partially cooking it. Afterward, it is removed from the heat and the other ingredients, excluding the grape leaves, are mixed with the rice.

Grape leaves may be purchased fresh or in jars. To prepare the grape leaves, the leaves are washed and the stems removed. If jarred, the leaves are soaked in water and then separated prior to use.

WiseGeek. What is Dolma?. 24. October 2016. http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-dolma.html>

 

 

Köfte. If you visit Turkey, you’ll see köfte—balls of ground meat (or sometimes ground vegetables) seasoned with onion, herbs, and spices—everywhere. The recipes vary from region to region and town to town. Some köfte are made with bulgur, rice, or breadcrumbs; others are meat only, mostly lamb, but sometimes a combination of beef and lamb. They are served with flatbread, onions sprinkled with sumac, and yogurt.

Wisniewski, Amy. Chowhound. Turkish Köfte. 24. October 2016. <http://www.chowhound.com/recipes/turkish-kofte-28468>

 

Içli Köfte  is a Turkish dish made of burghul and chopped meat. The best-known variety is a torpedo-shaped fried croquette stuffed with minced beef or lamb.                                                                                               In İçli köfte the exterior crust acts as a  vessel within which minced meat, onions, and spices cook. It is a special dish because it is difficult to make. Commonly made in the Southern part of Turkey, some people stuff it with just ground meat, while in other places it can’t be called içli köfte without ground walnuts inside.  Some prefer a more greasy meat for the filling, but again others think that it makes the dish too heavy and fattening. Some people fry these köftes whereas others boil them in hot water.When people have important guests for dinner, they often make içli köfte for their guests to show how they are important to the host.

 

 

Çiğ köfte is a raw meat dish in Turkish and Armenian cuisine, very similar to kibbeh nayyeh and to a lesser extent to steak tartare. It is made with either beef or lamb, and usually served as an appetizer. It is a favorite Turkish snack and a specialty of southeastern Turkey, especially Şanlıurfa.                                                                                                                                                    Bulgur is kneaded with chopped onions and water until it gets soft. Then tomato and pepper paste, spices and very finely ground beef are added. This absolutely fatless raw mincemeat is treated with spices while kneading the mixture, which is said to “cook” the meat. Lastly, green onions, fresh mint and parsley are mixed in.One spice that is associated with çiğ köfte, and with Şanlıurfa as a whole, is isot, a very dark, almost blackish paprika, prepared in a special manner, and which is considered as indispensable for an authentically local preparation of çiğ köfte (and also of lahmacun). Although, isot is famous as the special dried pepper that is locally produced by farmers of Şanlıurfa, in fact, it is a general word used for pepper in Şanlıurfa.                                                  A favorite way of eating çiğ köfte is rolled in a lettuce leaf, accompanied with good quantities of ayran to counter-act the burning sensation that this very spicy food will give.

Friends of Anatolia. Dictionaries Sensagent. Cig Köfte. 25. April 2005.  26. October 2016.<http://dictionnaire.sensagent.leparisien.fr/Çiğ_köfte/en-en/>

 

 

Pide(pronounced pee-dE) is often described as Turkish pizza on menus and we guess that’s the nearest description. It’s a thin, oblong dough base, your chosen filling and then it’s folded over around the edges. You can usually watch the guy prepare the base, spinning it in the air and then sliding it into a stone oven. A few minutes later, your pide will be taken out of the oven, chopped into thin slices and served to you on a plate.

Turkey's For Life. Turkish Food-Pide. 24. Oktober 2016. <http://www.turkeysforlife.com/2010/06/turkish-food-pide.html>

 

 

Lahmacun, also known as ‘Turkish pizza’, is a spicy Turkish/Middle Eastern dish consisting of a ground meat/vegetable mixture, spread on a very thin bread/cracker-like crust.
Although lahmacun may look somewhat similar to Italian pizza (and is referred to as Turkish pizza outside of Turkey), their tastes are completely different. Lahmacun is spicy, the dough is very thin, there is no cheese and it’s main ingredient is the ground meat. Lahmacun is especially famous in the Southern and Eastern parts of Turkey where it’s traditionally eaten with salad and lots of red hot pepper flakes! The latter is optional, if you are not into hot/spicy food, just leave it out. I myself have started appreciating spicy food just recently, yet enjoyed the more mellow, non-spicy lahmacun for years.

Zell. Traditionaltukishcooking. Lahmacun. 24. Oktober 2016. <http://www.traditionalturkishcooking.com/2013/05/lahmacun-lahmacun-also-known-as-turkish.html>

 

 

 

Poğaça is a salty delicious pastry. These delicious cheesy pogacas (poh-ah-cha) are a favorite breakfast or tea time treat in Turkey and we love them. Basically Turkish people eat them anywhere, anytime. They are easy to make at home; make your kitchen smell heavenly and they are very popular with children, as well as adults. Bakeries, street stalls sell freshly baked pogacas (plain, with white cheese, olives or with potato & cheese filling) in Turkey and with a glass of cay aside, they make a delicious and affordable breakfast or tea time treat. It is generally made from wheat flour, but barley and sometimes rye may be added.

 

         

Warren, Özlem. Ozlemsturkishtable.HOMEMADE POGACA; TURKISH SAVORY PASTRY WITH CHEESE AND PARSLEY. 4. November 2013. 24. October 2016 <http://ozlemsturkishtable.com/2013/11/homemade-pogaca-turkish-savory-pastry-with-cheese-noahs-dessert/>

 

 

Baklava is a Mediterranean dessert made with Phyllo dough, nuts, butter, and sugar. After baking to perfection, a sweet syrup is immediately poured over the pieces allowing the syrup to be absorbed into the layers. Baklava has its origin in Gaziantep, Turkey.

 

  

Habeeb. Baklava. 25. Oktober 2016 <http://www.habeeb.com/about.baklava.html>

 

 

 

 

Kurabiye is a Turkish delight. It is a cookie, particularly a sweet (originally middle eastern, now also turkish, greek and albanian) cookie, often made with almonds or hazelnuts. There are various types.

 

  

 

Künefe is considered to be one of the most delicious Turkish desserts, especially in the city of Antakya (Antioch) located on Mediterrenean Sea, in Southern Turkey. Although künefe shops are very common throughout Hatay, Kilis, Adana, Mersin and Gaziantep provinces, the city of Antakya in Hatay is known for the best künefe in Turkey. What distinguishes Antakya’s künefe from others is the daily made fresh, elastic cheese that is only made in Hatay region. The kadayıf (shredded phyllo dough) is also made from scratch at small künefe shops in almost every corner in Antakya which I find very entertaining to watch.

Mediterranean Turkish Cook. Mediterranean Turkish Food Passion.Turkish Kunefe (Künefe). 6.August 2010. 25.Oktober 2016.<http://mediterraneanturkishfoodpassion.blogspot.co.uk/2010/08/turkish-kunefe-kunefe.html>

 

 

Maraş Dondurması. Many Turkish towns and cities are known for what they produce -Malatya for its apricots, Gaziantep for baklava, and Adana for its kebabs.  Kahramanmaraş is famous for its ice cream.In the summertime you can find Kahramanmaraş ice cream sold by vendors in the popular tourist destinations in Istanbul.  They perform and entertain as much as they sell dondurma.  Their job is to make the ice cream do the seemingly impossible – pull it like taffy, spin it around like a rope and then play tricks on the tourists with the sticky mass that doesn’t easily leave the spoon. This is ice cream unlike anything you have experienced. The traditional serving is plain ice cream with a sprinkling of powdered pistachio, served with a fork and knife, for it is not easily scooped with a spoon.  While it may sound unappetizing to eat such a hard, frozen mass it is in fact very smooth and melts like butter as soon as it hits the warmth of the tongue.  No need to greedily gulp down a cone of ice cream to prevent a sticky mess of melted syrup down your arm – Maras ice cream sits patiently in its cone, allowing  you to leisurely savor each creamy bit. The secret to Kahramanmaraş ice cream is the salep – or the dried, powdered root of an orchid that grows in Southern Turkey.  Salep is what gives this ice cream its incredible creamy flavor, and also these gravity-defying, melt-resistant qualities.

Turkish Yazar. Turklish.Kahramanmaraş Dondurması - The Ice Cream that Seemingly Defies Physics. 10. Februar 2013. 25. Oktober 2016.<http://turklish.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/kahramanmaras-dondurmas-ice-cream-that.html>