Konya Etli Ekmek is a cross between pide and lahmacun. A thin, flat bread topped with ground beef and peppers, cooked in a stone oven. We had this in Fethiye and aside from the taste, the most impressive thing was the size of the etli ekmek – 1.5meters long!! Served with spicy acılı ezme and salad and all for 10tl (although this was 2 years ago, it may have increased in price since). Despite being so long, it’s quite light since it’s thin. Delicious!
Manti are tiny little dumplings, filled with ground meat, similar to ravioli. Sheets of dough are rolled thinly and cut into small squares, then a small amount of filling is added and the sides pinched together, to form little dumpling parcels. The manti is then boiled and served covered in garlic yogurt with a spicy sauce, made from oil or butter and chili flakes.
Making it from scratch is a lot of effort, so when they decide to make it, women in Turkish villages invite each other around and they’ll sit in a group forming a little production line, gossiping whilst making hundreds of manti for their families.
I like it, as long as it’s not too soggy, but I still struggle with the concept of yogurt on dinner foods!
Adana kebab is a spicy lamb kebab, named after the Turkish city. The meat is minced together with spices and pepper then moulded around a thick, flat skewer and grilled over coals. Usually served with with rice and salad, with sumac to add to the flavour!
I like this dish but sometimes find it a bit fatty/gritty, some are definitely made better than others.
Çıntar mushrooms are a seasonal delicacy in Turkey. November/December are the months when these mushrooms are found in abundance. They grow around pine trees in forest areas, of which there are many in this region of Turkey! During these months you will find random cars parked up in the trees with people wandering around searching for the wild mushrooms. I’ve actually been foraging for çintar mushrooms in Denizli before too and we managed to fill a big bag, it’s quite satisfying when you find them!
The mushrooms are an orange colour and have quite a meaty texture and taste. The only way I’ve eaten them is cooked on a BBQ, and they are delicious!
According to google, the proper name for these mushrooms is Lactarius deliciosus, also known as Saffron Milk Cap mushrooms.
Kokoreç is a popular street food in Turkey – one that I’ve not yet been brave enough to try and I don’t think I ever will!
Kokoreç is made from sheep intestines. The intestines are cleaned then packed onto a large skewer and cooked horizontally over a coal fire, giving it a unique taste. The smell of it cooking is very strong and puts me off even more!
After it is cooked, it is carved off and finely chopped up into pieces then squished in between a half or quarter loaf of bread and eaten like a hot sandwich. Ayran is usually the drink which accompanies this feast!
Sucuk & egg is one of my favourite weekend breakfasts.
Sucuk is a spicy Turkish sausage, made from beef or lamb. It is mixed with garlic, cumin and other spices/seasonings then left to dry for weeks before selling.
It is sliced then fried in oil for a few minutes, then eggs are cracked and mixed into the mixture, or left whole. It is quite spicy and has a strong flavour, so I always chop up some fresh tomatoes and drizzle them with olive oil and eat them along side it, with some fresh crusty bread of course!
It’s often served as part of a big Köy Kahvaltısı (village breakfast).
The only bad thing is how strong it smells – when Berkay cooks it I can smell it for hours afterwards! I love the fancy pans it’s sometimes presented in.
Bazlama is a kind of village bread. It’s big, round and flat. It’s quite heavy and thick, kind of like a cross between a naan bread and a crumpet? I can’t really explain, but it’s really yummy.
My favourite way to eat bazlama is at the gözleme stalls in Fethiye or Calis market. They slice the bread in half and fill it with your choice of filling, cheese is the most popular but I love cheese, tomato and chili flakes. It’s then cooked on a metal plate. It’s like a giant toastie! So delicious and so filling. One whole bazlama is definitely enough for two people and is usually served with salad or pickled vegetables.
Berkay’s stepmum made some bazlama bread from scratch while we were there in September – the family goes through so much bread that it’s cheaper to make their own sometimes!
Beyti kebab is a popular kebab dish. Minced beef or lamb is cooked on skewers, then wrapped in thin lavaş bread (similar to tortilla wraps). It’s then sliced up into inch-thick pieces and arranged in a circle on a plate. A tomato based sauce is poured over the top, and yogurt placed in the middle. It’s a bit spicy, and usually served with rice. The combination of the rice and lavaş bread makes it very filling!
I’ve actually never had this dish in Turkey, but have in two different Turkish restaurants, one in London, one in Essex. It was served slightly differently in each place, one served it with peppers and tomatoes, and a thicker sauce, the other served it with cucumber.
It’s a good one to try – as long as you’re not put off by the sight of yogurt on your dinner plate. It took me years to get the hang of that!
Lokma are balls of dough, deep fried then covered in sweet, sticky syrup, best served while hot or warm.
Crispy on the outside but soft in the middle, when you bite into them they are slightly chewy, they are similar to donuts, but less cakey.
Lokma is often made in large batches and is a popular choice of food at celebrations or festivals, given out for free by families to all the local people during weddings, henna nights, openings of new shops/restaurants and even during sünnet (circumcision celebrations) and funerals (a certain amount of days after someone dies, their family arranges to serve food to local people).
When we were down in Ölüdeniz in April, there was a parade and celebration marking the official start of the summer season and they were cooking fresh batches of Lokma in the street and handing them out to everyone passing by. Wherever you find a stall giving them away, you can be sure there will be a huge line of people waiting!
Delicious, sticky, gooey, crispy… and full of sugar!
Midye Dolma, or stuffed mussels, are a popular street food in Turkey, sold by vendors from carts along the streets and beaches in lots of cities and towns!
The mussels are cooked and stuffed with rice and herbs. You gently pull the top shell off, squeeze some fresh lemon juice over the mussel and rice mixture, and use the top shell like spoon to scoop it out. I’ll be honest, I’ve never tried them as the thought of mussels just puts me off – but it does look good with all the rice stuffed inside.
They’re cheap, around 50 kurus – 1tl each depending on size, so it’s definitely worth a try. Berkay always goes to the same seller, just across the bridge by the water taxi’s in Calis.
Berkay absolutely loves them, I’m just not brave enough to try!
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