cheesedicers

 These mouth-watering dishes are sure to set your taste buds tingling

The varied and delicious cuisine of Turkey is a major draw for tourists from all over the world. Thanks to the richness of Turkey’s cultural heritage, including Ottoman, Balkan and Turkic influences, a huge variety of exciting dishes are available for travellers to sample.

Cheap flights to Turkey are readily available at the moment, and food prices there are also very reasonable, making it the perfect destination for a culinary adventure on a budget! Below are ten Turkish dishes which are well worth the trip:

Mezes

 Turkish Mezes, or appetizers, are a good way to get the taste buds firing, and restaurants will serve a huge variety of hot and cold small dishes. Cold Mezes include stuffed vine leaves, aubergine salad and stuffed mussels. Hot Mezes will usually involve Borek – delicious flaky pastry stuffed with meat, spinach or cheese.

Main Dishes

Main meals in Turkey will often include meat with sauce and spices varying depending on the region. Fish is a very popular main course, and it is also very fresh.  Fish includes Fresh turbot, swordfish, lobster and many many more different kinds.Barbecued bread is spread with minced lamb, coriander and other spices then salad and lemon juice is added, this is a delicious lunchtime snack.

Desserts

Seasonal fruits form the core of Turkish desserts, including almonds, plums, strawberries, cherries, melons and more, depending on the time of year.  Tulumba is a tasty fried dough dessert, served here with buffalo cream (‘Kaymak’) and pistachio powder.  Delicious Baklava desserts come in many shapes, but all involve flaky pastry sweetened with syrup or honey. The cakes are flavoured with nuts and fruit and are sometimes served with cream and pistachios.   Asure is a rich pudding which forms part of the history of the area. Legend has it the dish was created by Noah’s wife to celebrate the Ark coming to rest on Mount Ararat (in Turkey). The dish can contain up to forty ingredients, signifying everything that was left in the Ark’s kitchens!