Turkish Food Culture

Our essence for centuries, our door to the outside world, our source of pride is Turkish cuisine… Since the first civilization that settled in Mesopotamia, our lands, Anatolia’s culinary culture has always been taken into account by other states, followed with curiosity, and by the greatest nations. sampled; Everyone has found a piece of their own in it. This food culture, which connects us from Aegean to Eastern Anatolia with its pastrami, sausage, butter and many more, should be the value and apple of our eye that we should protect the most. Turkish food culture, which is a very rich cuisine, and Turkish cuisine dishes; It is inspired by Asian, European, Middle Eastern and Arabian cuisines. There are many unique and important details about Turkish cuisine. We would like to include some of them here. All chefs here! There are a few lines that will interest you in this article!

10 Interesting Facts About Turkish Food Culture

• Kebab dishes form the most important part of Turkish cuisine. There are many types of kebab that are protected by law. In addition, all game meats, poultry, beef, fish and hundreds of vegetables and fruits have a place in this cuisine, except for extreme examples such as pigs, horses, bears, frogs and snails. Meat culture is a culture that has been left to us from our nomadic life for hundreds of years.
• Along the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts, cheese, olive oil, various fresh vegetables and seafood are used more frequently, while legumes, butter and beef are more dominant in dishes in Anatolia.
• Fish such as anchovy, bonito and horse mackerel are frequently cooked on the Black Sea coasts. In addition, spinach, kale and corn are the most characteristic vegetables.
• In traditional Turkish cuisine, fruits such as plums and apricots are often used instead of tomatoes. Grilling, boiling and baking are among the most commonly used cooking methods. An authentic cooking method is tandoori. In the tandoor, the meat is cooked in an underground well for hours on a charred wood fire. The result is very tender and tasty meat. Once you taste this delicious meat, you will always look for this flavor in every meal you eat.
• Sea products; It is prepared by grilling, pan, smoked, lakerda, steaming and baking methods. Anchovy, horse mackerel, bonito, sea bream, bluefish, sea bass and trout are among the most consumed fish. Mussels and shrimp are generally consumed in coastal regions. Especially around İzmir and Antalya are the cities where these flavors are consumed the most; tell us..
• Dairy products have an important place in our kitchen. Milk, yoghurt, cream, butter and cream are among the sine qua non of the tables.
• Soups are among the indispensable values ​​of the tables. Especially during the winter months, the meal always starts with a hot soup. The most consumed soups are Tarhana, Ezogelin, Lentil and Yayla soup. Soups served cold, such as yogurt soup, are preferred during the summer months. Confess it; In what other dish can you find the taste of tarhana soup you drink on a cold winter morning?
• Vegetables in stew, game or poultry, fish or beef dishes are preferred as the main course. Spices and condiments play an important role in these dishes. Spices are one of the most important values ​​representing this culture.
• Although salads differ from region to region, seasonal greens, dried fruits, onions and tomatoes are frequently used ingredients. The dressing of the salads is necessarily prepared with olive oil, lemon and vinegar.

Today, determining and promoting the local characteristics of Turkish Cuisine should be considered as a priority that should be evaluated within the scope of returning to local cuisines. Starting from the traditional production of the products that provide nutrition, based on the common consumption process; there is a need for analyzes to be made in areas covering the processing of these products into food. In this sense, it aims to conduct studies on the structural characteristics of local cuisines and their interactions with each other. Even a brief preliminary evaluation shows that the food and food varieties of our cuisine that remain within local borders can form the basis for healthy nutrition.