WHERE TO EAT The best Köfte in the world (according to food experts)

"It's Develi köfte we're after - meatballs of lamb painstakingly ground by hand and grilled to succulent perfection. We try çig köfte, spicy raw lamb wrapped in lettuce. Each meatball is a short essay in texture."

"It has been serving its slightly rubbery ızgara köfte (grilled meatballs) and bean salad to ultra-loyal locals since 1920, and shows no sign of losing its custom – there's often a queue outside."

"Ali Usta is a institution, famous for his çiğ köfte, a paste made from bulgur wheat and spices, spread across flatbread and eaten with arugula, lettuce, tomato and lemon juice."

"Family-owned Meşhur Filibe Köftecisi has been serving its delicious köfte since 1893; the only better option is your mother's recipe."

"Some people find İnegöl köfte a little on the chewy side, but, eaten here with a simple salad of white beans and onion, with toasted bread dribbled with oil and with a shot of pomegranate juice to wash it down, it tastes quite heavenly."

"The thing that I really thought was interesting was this cous cous mixture they eat in a lettuce leaf. It had a lot of intense herb and lemon flavors. You put this adobo spicy sauce on it that’s way hotter than anything I am used to. Although it does look like straight raw ground beef (I was assured it was vegetarian) it had such an interesting flavor I ate a few servings of this."

"Try akçaabat köfte (the local meatball specialty)."

"The founder, Hüseyin, may have passed on, but his son now operates this favorite little köfte (Turkish meatballs) spot and brings with him the expertise and dedication of his father."

"The taste was great."

"It’s always nice to eat here and the çiğ köfte (raw meatballs of minced meat, spices and burghul) are all worth mentioning."