Turkish cuisine is a source of flavors and creativity that appeals to food lovers. It challenges the senses, reflecting the life of a people with a complex and turbulent history.
This gastronomy has its brand of identity. An identity is generated based on an extraordinary variety of products, elaborations, and even places and ways of serving food. Any humble and standard product is transformed by a Turkish cook’s hands into a special and unique dish.
##The roots of Turkish cuisine
Turkish cuisine evolved with time and social events, as with all international cuisines. But Turkey has certain pillars that allow its gastronomic richness.
One of them is the natural environment. Turkey is famous for its variety and abundance of food products. In addition, the Turkish territory is integrated with diverse regions home to rich and prolific fauna and flora.
Another essential factor in this melting pot is the influence of imperial cuisine. The cooks specialized in satisfying the sovereign’s tastes have undoubtedly left their mark.
##Some typical dishes of Turkish cuisine
The kebab is one of these dishes. It is common to see towers of meat cut into cubes and stacked on the grill. Layers of different meats are alternated. As the meat is grilled, it is sliced thinly and served.
Imam Bayildi. This is a vegetarian dish. Its main ingredient is eggplant which is stuffed with onion, garlic, and tomatoes. All these products are previously fried in olive oil. Once the eggplant has been stuffed, the cooking continues in the oven. It is a dish that is usually served cold.
Moussaka. In the traditional recipe, it is made with three layers. The bottom consists of eggplant slices fried in olive oil. The middle is minced lamb meat cooked with ground tomatoes, and the top is béchamel sauce.
Turkish delight and baklava are exquisite sweets. Turkish delight is made from sugar, starch, and citric acid. They are flavored with chocolate, rose, mint, lemon, nuts, pistachios, and hazelnuts.
##Street carts
Street food is a vital feature of Turkish cuisine. It is a mirror of the richness of these people. It encompasses fast food, pastries, homemade meals, and Turkish desserts.
It is common to find breakfast carts with proposals suitable for that meal in the morning. In glass-enclosed windows, hard-boiled eggs, cheeses, and cheeses, olives, tomatoes and cucumbers, bread and butter are displayed.
At lunch and dinner time, kebabs smoke and aromatize the air. Burgers and lamb intestine sandwiches attract those who like fast food. Grilled meatballs, rice pilaf, and shredded chicken complete this tasty, diverse and abundant offer.
##Spices: a great secret of Turkish cuisine
Everything tastes and smells different in Turkey. Spices are as essential as water or air. It is one of the countries with the most effective use of spices.
While for a long time, spices were brought from abroad, mainly from Africa, today many are grown in the country. However, some are not adapted to the Turkish climate and soil conditions and continue to be imported.
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