Best Mediterranean Turkish Foods
MAIN INGREDIENTS
Turkish ice cream is believed to originate from the city of Maraş—hence the name—and what really sets it apart from other varieties is its resistance to melting and a particularly dense, chewy texture. These qualities are brought by adding two thickening agents to the basic milk and sugar mixture: Arab gum, also known as mastic resin, and salep—a type of flour made from the root of the early purple orchid.
In fact, in the Kahramanmaraş region, ice cream typically contains distinctly more salep than usual, which is why it is sometimes called kesme dondurma—from the Turkish kesmek, meaning to cut—which is the reason why this ice cream variety is usually eaten with a knife and fork.
MOST ICONIC Dondurma
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Antakya künefesi is a traditional kunāfah variety hailing from the ancient Turkish city of Antakya, made from shredded phyllo pastry filled with creamy unsalted cheese. The origins of this dish can be traced back to the Ottoman Empire, and to this day, it has remained one of the authentic representatives of Antakyan culinary heritage and traditions.
To make Antakya künefesi, the pastry is first prepared by shredding phyllo dough into thin strips and placing it into a flat, round tray. The dough, in this form known as kadayıfın, is then topped with a mixture of unsalted cheese, traditionally Hatay peyniri, and another layer of shredded phyllo dough.
OTHER VARIATIONS OF Kunāfah
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Adana kebap is a popular skewered meat dish named after one of the most famous kebab cities in the country, Adana. This kebab is made with ground lamb and tail fat that are kneaded together with garlic, onion, paprika, and hot red pepper flakes, giving it a deep red color and a spicy flavor.
The whole concoction is typically placed around large and flat metal skewers, then grilled. Once it's done, the grilled meat is traditionally served on a platter over flatbreads, peppers, and tomatoes, or stuffed into pita bread along with a salad consisting of parsley and red onions.
OTHER VARIATIONS OF Kebab
MOST ICONIC Adana kebap
View moreTantuni is a traditional street food dish from Mersin, consisting of thinly sliced beef or lamb that is seasoned with Turkish spices and herbs, usually cooked with onions and tomatoes. The combination is cooked in specially designed tantuni pans.
Traditionally, the dish is served rolled in lavash, with ground sumac and a lemon wedge on the side. Since every tantuni chef has his own method and secret technique of preparing the dish, it is said that the flavors of tantuni are never the same.
Tantuni was originally created as a poor man's dish - it's very nutritious because it consists of meat with a lot of fat stuffed into bread.
MOST ICONIC Tantuni
MAIN INGREDIENTS
Piyaz is a traditional salad. In most of the country, it's a general term for a dish of dried beans, parsley, onions, and sumac. In Antalya, however, piyaz also contains a rich and smooth sauce consisting of tahini, lemon juice, and vinegar. The beans are topped with the sauce, and the dish is usually dressed with chopped tomatoes, sliced onions, hard-boiled eggs, olive oil, and parsley.
Piyaz is often eaten as an accompaniment to köfte and similar grilled meats, but it can also be included in a meze selection.
MOST ICONIC Piyaz
View moreKısır is a classic Turkish salad made with thin bulgur wheat, tomatoes, mint, garlic, parsley, and either lemon juice or sour pomegranate molasses. Red pepper flakes are often added to the salad to make it spicier. Lemon juice is typically used in northwestern Türkiye, while pomegranate molasses is more commonly used in the southeast of the country.
The salad is ideal for buffets and meze, but it is also often used as a side dish for a variety of barbecued meat dishes. It is traditionally served cold or at room temperature.
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Arguably the most laborious Turkish soup and one of Gaziantep's favorites, yuvarlama çorbası is made with spiced meatballs, chickpeas, yogurt broth, olive oil, and other optional ingredients. The soup is traditionally prepared for the three-day celebration of the fast-breaking Ramazan Bayramı, and it is served in virtually every Anatolian home.
The preparation of this festive soup is a time-consuming process, and everyone is involved, as often both family members and neighbors get together to share the work and joy of rolling hundreds of tiny yuvarlama köfte. These spiced meatballs are typically made with lean beef mince, and either rice or bulgur flour, but they can also be made without meat.
Tuzda tavuk is a traditional dish originating from the Hatay region. The dish is made by stuffing a whole chicken with a combination of rice and selected spices and seasonings, depending on the cook. Once stuffed, the whole bird is covered with wet salt so that it forms a crust.
It is then placed into a wood-fired oven or a furnace and baked for up to two hours until fully cooked and tender. Once taken out of the furnace, the salt crust is cracked with a hammer in front of the patrons, making it a visually attractive dish that's nowadays prepared in restaurants across the region and outside of it.
MAIN INGREDIENTS
Cezerye is a Turkish dessert originating from Mersin. It is made with caramelized grated carrots, sugar, and nuts such as walnuts, hazelnuts, or pistachios, although hazelnuts are the most traditional option. The name cezerye is derived from the word cezer, meaning carrot.
Once prepared, the concoction is either rolled into balls or shaped into flat, rectangular disks. Regardless of the shape, cezerye is typically covered with shredded coconut before consumption. In Türkiye, this sweet confectionery is often thought of as an aphrodisiac and it is especially popular on special occasions.
Zeytin salatası is a traditional dish originating from the Hatay area. This simple salad is made by cracking indigenous green Turkish olives in a copper bowl, one by one. The salad is seasoned with olive oil and pomegranate syrup. It can be served as an appetizer before the main meal or as a healthy and nutritious breakfast.
Best Mediterranean Turkish Food Producers
Ezra Olive Oil is a producer based in Mersin, Turkey. The company specializes in the production of high-quality extra virgin olive oil. They utilize traditional methods combined with modern technology to ensure the purity and flavor of their olive oil.
The olives are sourced from local groves, and the production process emphasizes sustainability and environmental responsibility.
AWARDS
NYIOOC - Gold
2023
Olive Japan - Gold
2023
London IOOC - Gold
2023
BEST Ezra Olive Oil Olive Oils
AWARDS
Terraolivo IOOC - Grand Prestige Gold
2018
BEST Büyükakca Zeytincilik Gida Olive Oils
One of the largest mountain ranges in Turkey, stretching from the Mediterranean to the Aegean; the Taurus Mountains... A unique naturalness with its evergreen trees, deep valleys, plateaus, lakes, streams and waterfalls... Yörükoğlu, who discovered the value of the milk produced by the Yörüks living in the clean and healthy environment of the Taurus Mountains years ago, has been sharing the flavors produced from this milk with you for years.
Yörükoğlu, which has been among Turkey's top 500 industrial giants since 2007, offers a wide range of flavors from ayran to yogurt, cheese to butter with its advanced technology and over 700 employees in two separate locations in the Antalya Organized Industrial Zone as of 2020.
BEST Yörükoğlu Süt Dairy Products
The company prides itself on producing high-quality, natural honey sourced from the rich, biodiverse landscapes of Turkey. Their honey is known for its purity and rich taste, harvested from the flowers of various plants found in the local region. Eğriçayır follows sustainable practices to ensure that the honey is of the highest quality, preserving the natural flavors and health benefits.
With a commitment to natural products, their honey is popular for its unrefined, raw state, offering a taste of the region’s diverse flora.
BEST Egricayir Bal Honeys
Best Mediterranean Turkish Food Products
AWARDS
NYIOOC - Gold
2023
London IOOC - Gold
2023
AWARDS
Terraolivo IOOC - Grand Prestige Gold
2018
AWARDS
Olive Japan - Gold
2023
This honey is harvested from flowers that grow naturally in the untouched landscapes of the area, ensuring its purity and natural sweetness. The honey is produced using sustainable practices, with no artificial additives, preserving its organic integrity and beneficial properties.
The product is renowned for its smooth texture, unique floral taste, and a wide range of health benefits, including its antioxidant properties. Ideal for those who enjoy natural, unrefined honey, this product offers a taste of the natural richness of the Anatolian region.
TasteAtlas food rankings are based on the ratings of the TasteAtlas audience, with a series of mechanisms that recognize real users and that ignore bot, nationalist or local patriotic ratings, and give additional value to the ratings of users that the system recognizes as knowledgeable. For the “Top 13 Mediterranean Turkish Foods” list until March 27, 2025, 2,441 ratings were recorded, of which 1,185 were recognized by the system as legitimate. TasteAtlas Rankings should not be seen as the final global conclusion about food. Their purpose is to promote excellent local foods, instill pride in traditional dishes, and arouse curiosity about dishes you haven’t tried.