Cooking in Turkey

Turkish Food Culture

A Taste of Türkiye's Culinary Traditions

Turkish cuisine reflects a blend of Central Asian, Mediterranean, and Middle Eastern influences, rooted in the Ottoman culinary tradition. It has shaped the food culture across many regions formerly under Ottoman rule. The cuisine features diverse dishes enjoyed throughout Turkey and beyond.

Culinary Heritage

Turkish cuisine developed primarily from Ottoman cuisine, which combined Central Asian culinary traditions with Mediterranean and Middle Eastern influences. This synthesis played a central role in shaping the food cultures of the Balkans, the Levant, Mesopotamia, North Africa, the South Caucasus, and Crimea. The shared culinary heritage reflects centuries of cultural exchange. Traditional foods and regional specialties continue to be celebrated across Turkey today.

Facts

• 783,562km2, total area

Major Cities

• Istanbul

  Istanbul, historically known as Constantinople, is Turkey's largest city and a major cultural and economic center. It is home to 18% of the country's population, making it a vibrant hub for diverse culinary experiences.

• Ankara

  Ankara is the capital city located in central Anatolia, with over 5.3 million residents in its urban center. It serves as an important administrative and cultural city in Turkey.

• Izmir

  İzmir is Turkey's third most populous city and the largest metropolitan area on the Aegean Sea. It is the capital of İzmir Province and known for its coastal location.

• Gaziantep

  Gaziantep, also called Antep, is a major city in south-central Turkey and the capital of Gaziantep Province. It is noted for its rich food culture and traditions.

• Bursa

  Bursa is a city in northwestern Turkey and the administrative center of Bursa Province. It ranks as the fourth-most populous city in the country.

• Antalya

  Antalya, located on Anatolia's southwest coast, is one of Turkey's largest cities and a key part of the Turkish Riviera. It is known as the 'capital of tourism' in Turkey.

Featured Dishes

These three dishes are featured because they had the highest Wikipedia article views from November 2025 to October 2026 among Turkish dishes in our catalogue. Doner kebab had 386,614 views, Borek 192,100 views, and Lahmacun 115,947 views. These numbers reflect public interest in the dishes, not ChefSnap usage.

• Featured

  Doner kebab

• Featured

  Borek

• Featured

  Lahmacun

Popular Dishes

• Doner kebab

  Doner kebab is made of meat cooked on a vertical rotisserie, with seasoned meat stacked in an inverted cone shape and slowly turned next to a vertical cooking element.

• Borek

  Börek is a family of pastries made of thin flaky dough such as filo, filled with ingredients like meat, cheese, spinach, or potatoes.

• Lahmacun

  Lahmacun is a Middle Eastern flatbread topped with minced meat, vegetables, herbs, and spices, then baked.

• Iskender kebap

  İskender kebap consists of sliced meat topped with hot tomato sauce over pita bread, with melted sheep's milk butter and yogurt.

• Simit

  Simit is a circular bread encrusted with sesame seeds or other seeds, found across cuisines of the former Ottoman Empire and the Middle East.

• Adana kebab

  Adana kebab is a long strip of hand-minced meat grilled on an iron skewer over charcoal, named after the city of Adana.

Events

Every event is listed from its official source.

• Past

  GastroAntep

  Gaziantep · 2026-10-03 - 2026-10-11

  GastroAntep

  Where: Gaziantep, Gaziantep

  An international gastronomy festival presenting Gaziantep as a food culture rooted in farming, family tradition, hospitality and trade, organised by the Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipality with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism as part of the Culture Route Festival.

  Held in Gaziantep; the 2026 edition followed the theme 'The Age of Experience: Gastronomy, Agriculture, Tourism and Hospitality'.

  When: 2026-10-03 - 2026-10-11

  Nine days

  Next Unannounced

  Official Site

  Close

Cooks and Creators

Cooks and creators in the Netherlands

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources

• Wikidata, area
• Wikipedia, Istanbul
• Wikipedia, Ankara
• Wikipedia, İzmir
• Wikipedia, Gaziantep
• Wikipedia, Bursa
• Wikipedia, Antalya
• Wikipedia, Turkish cuisine
• Daily Sabah, GastroAntep
• Wikimedia REST API, pageviews per article

2026-11-09