TURKISH FAST FOOD

 

Döner: An old Turkish favorite. Compressed lamb and beef combination slowly spinning as it grilled on a vertical rotisserie by open flame. As it turns, the cone of meet is roasted by the flaved and then slowly carved down in very thin slices with a very long knife. Next the meat is served on pide with your choice of tasty tomato sauce, onions and lettuce, yoğurt and by pilav.

 

Gözleme: A simple food however is very opten listed among the specialties in small eating spots. A very thin wrapped sheet of dough, similar to crepes baked on a curved sheet of metal and then filled with cheese and lettuce, potato, spinach, sausages. Also you can choose whether you want it with hot spices or not. It is served freshly made and can be covered with butter while warm. During weekends especially on Sundays, you can see old ladies opening the dough in the streets of Ortaköy and some other tourist areas.

 

Lahmacun: For sure you will see lahmacun somewhere. It is a delicious Turkish pizza, on a thin layer of pastry mince meat is spread - with tomato, onion, salt and parsley - spiced with red pepper from mild to hot. Suggest you rolling and then eat, other way you cannot even hold it straight. There is also fındık (hazelnut) lahmacun which is much smaller than the original size and is usually served at the meat restaurants before the main dish.

 

Simit: A ring-shaped bread covered by sesame seeds is on the top rank among the simple pleasures in Turkish food. Simit can be found everywhere in Turkey being sold on the streets, sometimes displayed in small covered carts, sometimes on small stands, sometimes simply carried by a walking vendor, piled on his head. The simit, in spite of the slight variations in presentation, was always very light and rich in flavor, so much that usually you took it plain, as if it were a pastry. It makes an excellent resource for calming down the stomach in the middle of a hike, for example. Açma and çatal, usually displayed with simit, too worth the bite and the money.

 

Kokoreç: One of the favorite Turkish fast food made from sheep intestine. They put the meat with tomato, onion, and parsley into quarter or half bread. It is delicious! You can eat the best kokoreç in Kadıköy, Ortaköy and Balık Pazarı.

 

Kumpir: Simply made from potatoes. Basically the potato is baked and cut then cheese and salt put into it and mixed. Later various kinds of food such as Russian salad, green and black olive, pickle, pea, mushroom, sausages, corn etc can be added according to your choice. Try once this delicious food, you won’t regret.

 

Köfte ekmek: (meat balls & bread): One of the best foods you can find in the streets. Usually sold in mini vans. In the bread you can have onion, hot spice, tomato, salad, parsley, and of course meatballs. Usually it is added to quarter or half bread. The minivans are everywhere so you can find them easily and have a great meal in your car or while hanging around and they usually serve till dawn. But keep in mind that some may not be very hygienic.