turkish-food

Did you know that we have a ton of awesome Middle Eastern recipes that need a new home in your kitchen? It's true! Click, search and find your new favorite.

These charred sumac and oregano wings from John Gregory-Smith need nothing more than a squeeze of lemon and a hungry crowd.

The inspiration for these pomegranate beef skewers came from a Turkish kebab called çöp şiş, an odds-and-ends sort of kebab.

James Beard Award-winning Ana Sortun and Maura Kilpatrick have a Middle Eastern baking cookbook out! Make lamb and grape leaf tarts for a savory snack.

Istanbul is where continents and cuisines connect. The historic seat of empires and the gateway to the spice trade, the city boasts a food scene that reflects its neighbors in the Mediterranean and Eastern Europe, as well as towns and provinces throughout Turkey. Walking through the streets, you’ll see spit-roasting meats, tart and fresh juices squeezed to order,…

There has never been a better time to be (or eat) a piece of toasted bread. The crisp, chewy texture, world of nooks and crannies and endless varieties and level of “doneness” make for a superb blank slate popping up on menus from the humble to the ultra-posh! Enter: Posh Toast, a collection of delightful spins…

Food writer and editor Andy Harris’s latest book, Eat Istanbul, is full of recipes gathered while eating his way across the country with renowned photographer David Loftus. From the stunning art to stories detailing the vast array of ingredients used in this vibrant, varied and incredibly photogenic cuisine, Eat Istanbul is an instant classic for any…

There are huge metal round pans filled with plump midye (mussels) frying in every street food market and outside fish restaurants, tempting passers-by along the Bosphorus. It’s a favorite Istanbul snack or hot mezze — a few freshly fried battered mussels threaded onto wooden skewers and served with a squeeze of lemon and some tarator dipping sauce. My version turns…

We're digging into Israeli editor and cookbook author Janna Gur's latest work, Jewish Soul Food. A wide-reaching cuisine with influences from around the world, Jewish food should be a part of every home cook's repertoire. These addictive crispy fish cakes are certainly no exception.  These spicy, crunchy snacks are delicious with lemon wedges or thick yogurt.…

If you thought a book about pickled and fermented stuff would be all Greek yogurt and kombucha, you might be right. But if you pick up Cultured Foods For Your Kitchen by culinary specialist and cookbook author Leda Schientaub, you'll be presently surprised by meaty soups, hearty pastas and delicious fried stuff...all enhanced by the cultured ingredients…

How many people do you know have eaten their way across Turkey? Probably very few. Although Turkish cuisine is incredibly rich, healthy and regional, it still remains among the lesser-known global cuisines. Familiarize yourself with these food and drink phrases, and then plan a trip to Istanbul (or to your local Turkish restaurant) to experience…

Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, but Istanbul is a definite knockout. Centuries of history, an impossibly photogenic waterway and gorgeous, gregarious locals make other European capitals pale in comparison. (Here’s looking at you, Bern.) The continent-straddling city also happens to have one of the most diverse dining scenes in the East…

[caption id="attachment_70860" align="alignnone" width="700" ] Paula DaSilva (far left with chef Adrienne Grenier and a friend) brought home spices from the Grand Bazaar.[/caption] Chefs love to travel — for inspiration, to experience the cuisines of other cultures or just to get away from the heat of their own kitchens. When they return, we hit them…

Mark our words: bulgur is the new quinoa. Over the last few years, quinoa has shot to popularity due to its numerous health benefits, but we think it's time to make way for another superfood: bulgur. Bulgur is a whole grain made from several different types of cracked wheat. Compared with white rice, bulgur has…

It’s rare that a popular diet is not accompanied by its fair share of doubters and critics, skeptical of the benefits and quick to point out possible risks. If one such plan has remained relatively free of controversy, however, it is the Mediterranean diet. Advocating a high intake of olive oil, legumes, fruits, vegetables and…

The days of dreading being faced with a half-frozen Sloppy Joe on that trans-continental flight are over! Jaunted reported this morning that international airlines offer 18 specialty meal types on average. In serious contention for most impressive menu selection is Turkish Airlines, which features a total of 21 drop-down meal options, including seven different vegetarian…

I'm a big fan of breakfast for lunch. Because that means you can pull off a great sandwich for dinner and raid the fridge with all your heart at three in the morning. Simit, this bagel-esque baked good known by many names throughout the Middle East, is the national breakfast dish of Turkey. A simit…

Thanks to our editorial intern Laila, we've been pretty solidly educated on the glories of the various kinds of Middle Eastern street food she grew up with. First she brought Turkey's wet burger to our attention, a new kind of French dip experience totally worth the 12-hour flight. Then we learned about koshary, the most…

As a food-producing country, Turkey wants for nothing; it's one of the few nations in the world that grows more than it needs to feed itself. In Turkey, eating according to the seasons and buying locally is commonplace.The typical Turkish diet relies heavily on a variety of vegetables and these are prepared in such a…

Yes, gazpacho is great, but after slurping the stuff all summer, I needed a break from the cold tomato concoction. Enter cacık (pronounced JAH-jek), another hot-weather favorite. The Turkish cold soup is basically a tzatzki thinned out to a soup-like consistency. Just when you thought tzatzki couldn't get any better because you discovered what it does…

The mayo versus Greek yogurt debate burns hot again. As we've mentioned in the past, mayo is indeed a blank canvas, but so is Greek yogurt. It does almost everything mayo can do, plus it's the base of tzatziki, possibly the greatest condiment of all time. Throw a little Greek yogurt into a bowl with a couple…

As insane as it may sound, warm buttery ham and cheese croissant and piping hot croque monsieur oozing with béchamel can get old. After consuming way too many croissants for my own good during a recent two-month jaunt in France, I needed a (temporary) change of pace. I had my heart set on Middle Eastern…

Baklava is a traditional Oriental dessert many ethnic groups have claimed as their own throughout the centuries, from the Middle East to Greece to Turkey. Although the origins remain contested, one thing is certain: Nothing beats homemade baklava.This recipe has been in my family for generations and is passed on from mother to daughter with…

Every bon vivant enjoys great food, wine and, of course, a night on the town. From where to eat in what city to what to wear for every occasion, Food Republic's got you covered when it comes to food culture. That's why we've decided to launch The Spot, a weekly nightlife column where our nightlife…

Welcome to Part Two of Around The World In Four Spreads. See Part One: the Italian Antipasti and Part Three: the Korean Banchan. The mezze platter (sometimes spelled meze) is one of the more malleable snack trays, varying slightly depending on where it's being served. It's a popular way to start a meal in Turkey,…

Way before the pickleback came şalgam, a super spicy fermented bulgur-pickle juice popular in Turkey. The deep red concoction combines the juice of pickled red carrots, salt, spices and aromatic turnip along with ground bulgur wheat. It's all mixed together and fermented in barrels. Şalgam is traditionally served cold in large glasses and garnished with…

Turkish culinary guru Hande Bozdoğan’s accomplishments range from successful chef, author and Istanbul Culinary Institute founder to doughnutista (she opened 12 Dunkin' Donuts franchises in the country). The Institute, founded in 2008, has steadily gained a student body — offering professional culinary training in cooking, pastry, and restaurant management in addition to week-long workshops tailored…