Must-Try Turkish Foods for Your 2025 Food Journey

Welcome to Mediterranian Madness, where we will check out the best Turkish foods together. Imagine walking through the streets of Istanbul, where you get hooked on the mouthwatering smells of spices and meat. Turkish foods are all about culture and heritage, and they believe in sharing and savouring life’s simplest pleasures.

We are sure you are curious to check out our suggestions for the best Turkish meals. We have made a list of the Top 10 popular Turkish foods for you that will make you want to book your tickets and fly to Turkey for your next food adventure.

Must-Try Turkish Foods 

1. Kofte
2. Doner Kebab
3. Lahmacun (Flat Pizza)
4. Manti (Turkish Dumplings)
5. İskender Keba
6. Borek
7. Menemen
8. Pide (Turkish Flatbread)
9. Baklava
10. Lokum (Turkish Delight)

A wholesome Turkish meal typically starts with soup, especially in winter. This is followed by a dish made of vegetables or ground meat, accompanied by Turkish Pilav, pasta, and salad. Olives are native to the region, so olive oil is widely used in Turkish foods.

Kofte

The Indian subcontinent is quite familiar with Köfte, a traditional Turkish dish made from ground meat combined with spices, onions, and herbs like cumin, black pepper, and occasionally mint. The mixture is often layered with breadcrumbs or rice, then shaped into patties and fried to perfection. The word Köfte itself means ‘to beat’ or ‘to grind,’ reflecting the preparation process. Beyond its culinary appeal, Köfte holds cultural significance in Turkey, generally served at communal gatherings and celebrations, symbolising the importance of shared meals in Turkish social life.

Taste and Flavour: Woodsy and Tart with punchy flavours with notes of mint, citrus, and peppers.

Doner Kebab

A popular Turkish-origin dish made with juicy, marinated meat mixed with yoghurt and flavorful Middle Eastern spices. If you love sandwiches or subs and find yourself in Istanbul, this is a go-to dish for you. Döner Kebab is typically served with garlic yoghurt and spiced vegetables, all then wrapped in soft Turkish pita bread. What makes this dish even more interesting is that this tasty street food dates back to the 19th-century Ottoman Empire and has since become a favourite across the Middle East and Eastern Mediterranean.

Taste and Flavour: Savoury, slightly spic,y with intense flavours of cumin, garlic, and oregano.

Lahmacun (Flat Pizza)

If you love Pizza, Turkey has Lahmacun to serve you hot. This popular Turkish food has a super-thin, crispy base. This flatbread pizza is quite famous and available across the country as street food. The bread is topped with minced meat loaded with pepper, tomatoes, fresh herbs, Middle Eastern spices, and lemon juice. Filled with different Mediterranean spices, Lahmacun is full of flavours.

Taste and Flavour: Savoury, slightly spicy and an aromatic flavour profile.

Manti (Turkish Dumplings)

Tender Turkish dumplings filled with minced beef or lamb are topped with garlicky yoghurt. To add taste to these melt-in-your-mouth dumplings, they are finished with warmed olive oil and infused for an authentic Turkish taste. The rich, comforting, and authentic Turkish taste of Manti dumplings makes them a perfect main course for entertaining and sharing with friends and family.

Taste and Flavour: Spiced and savoury core with a creamy garlicky sauce.

Iskender Kebab

A Turkish kebab rotisserie stick where the kebabs are cooked vertically to prevent the fat from the meat from dripping on the fire. For Turkish kebab, the meat should be at least marinated for 24 hours, but it only takes 10 mins to be cooked.

This sliced kebab is served on a piece of Pira bread, topped with hot tomato sauce, and generously covered with melted butter. To add to the taste, Yogurt is served on the side with İskender Kebab.

Taste and Flavour: Rich butterfly flavour of spicy tomato sauce and lots of melted butter.

Borek

Made from thin, flaky dough, like film, it’s a savoury pastry or pie that’s popular throughout the Middle East. Börek can be filled with a variety of ingredients, such as feta cheese, cottage cheese, meat, minced beef, spinach, parsley, potatoes, or fried courgettes. Börek can be prepared in many different shapes and sizes, like rustic tray versions, similar to lasagna, in coils or cigar shapes. Börek is a must-try if you love Turkish meals!

Taste and Flavour: Flaky, crispy layer. The filling could be creamy butter, spiced meat or herbs and vegetables.

Menemen

If you are wondering, ‘What should we eat for breakfast today?’, this soft, perfectly scrambled egg with tomatoes, peppers, and onions is the perfect simple one-pan Turkish dish that comes together in 20 minutes or less. Menemen is a popular traditional Turkish dish that you must try. This popular Turkish food is so simple yet so delicious! Istanbul is a city that lends itself to exploring on foot for its authentic Turkish food, especially in the early hours of the day and is the best place to taste Menemen as an early morning breakfast.

Taste and Flavour: Fresh eggs, tomato, and spices are used but with less emphasis on spices.

Pide (Turkish Flatbread)

There is nothing better than freshly made Turkish Pide, and better if made lovingly by the hands of a Turkish grandma. Pide is a famous popular Turkish food that is a baked Turkish flatbread stuffed with a variety of toppings, be it cheese, spiced meat, sausage, or spinach. This dish is often called a Turkish pizza of the Middle East and is sold at kebab shops all around Turkey as a street food. Well, shame no more. This delicious homemade pie recipe is a must-try if you are visiting Turkey!

Taste and Flavour: Rich, flavorful and slightly oily due to dough ingredients.

Baklava

Let’s move on from meat to some sweet Turkish dishes from Turkey, and undoubtedly, Turkish baklava is the winner. Baklava is the perfect make-ahead dessert because it’s even better the next day! It is a sweet dessert made of layers of flaky, also known as fistula baklava or pistachio baklava. It is typically made of phyllo dough, finely crushed pistachios, butter, and a simple syrup made of sugar, water, and lemon juice. Pistachios or walnuts are the most commonly used nuts.

Taste and Flavour: This dessert has a very sweet and rich flavour, with a combination of crispy, flaky pastry layers and a nutty filling. 

Lokum (Turkish Delight)

Another in line for those who have a sweet tooth is the Lokum, a Turkish delight, a family of confections based on a gel of starch and sugar. This dish’s Premium varieties consist primarily of chopped dates, pistachios, hazelnuts, or walnuts bound by the gel, and the traditional varieties are often flavoured with rosewater, mastic gum, bergamot orange, or lemon. Other familiar flavours include cinnamon and mint. The confection is usually packaged and eaten in small cubes dusted with icing sugar, copra, or powdered cream of tartar to prevent clinging. You definitely are missing authentic Turkish foods if you miss out on this sweet dish.

Taste and Flavour: It is very sweet and has a soft, gel-like texture. Common flavours are rosewater, lemon, bergamot orange, or plain.

Turkish Foods With TripzyGo

Turkish foods tell a story that any food lover will fall in love with quickly, from savouring the rich aroma of street foods to dining with the locals and experiencing the taste of authentic Turkish food cuisine. And what’s better if you align your food cravings with a travel plan to explore Turkey? 
Travelling through Turkey with TripzyGo is not just about visiting new places; it’s an invitation to experience the rich flavours and traditions in the vibrant land of Turkey and Turkish foods. So why wait? Book your customised itinerary today and experience the essence of Turkish Cuisine, where every meal you have is a celebration of history and hospitality.