Turkey Best Street Foods

There are many ways to get to discover countries. In addition to discovering its architectural, historical and natural beauties, experiencing street food is also very important in understanding the culture of that country. When you are involved in the deep-rooted culinary culture of that region, you understand the living conditions and traditions of the local people. It is important to remember that the best dishes do not always appear in gourmet restaurants.

Sometimes, we come across delicious street food that we do not expect. Let's take a journey toward the street flavors of different cities in Turkey.

Buryan/Siirt

Siirt friends, please do not be angry. Although Büryan is now registered in Siirt, I really enjoy eating in both cities. Meat cooked in the tandoor, which is a miracle of taste, Büryan is one of the most famous delicacies of the city. You can eat both street food and from restaurants. Bitlis Meatballs are also a must-try. Gülbez Dessert made with walnuts and honey from the Hizan district, and Lokma dessert from the Cittaslow Ahlat district are other delicacies of the city.

Liver Kebab (Ciğer Kebap)

I do not say that it is my hometown, but Diyarbakır is a city that hosts truly magnificent tastes. While visiting the city, you can find places that provide 24/7 service. Especially towards midnight, liver kebab stalls are set up in the streets of the city, and the smell of the famous Diyarbakir Bun and Fat Bread begins to spread from all the bakeries. Diyarbakir Lahmacun, Burma Kadayif, and Etli Çiğköfte are other delicacies you can find in the city.

  Sirdan & Adana Kebab

Adana is a very rich city in terms of street flavors. The most famous flavors of the city are Adana Kebab and Şırdan. Kebab at any time of the day; You can find Şırdan especially late at night. Banana Milk, Halka Dessert, Şırdan, Bici Bici, which have been popular recently, and Mumbar, which are served separately at their counters, are among the other good delicacies in Kokareç.

Inegöl Meatballs

Here is another city rich in street food. When it comes to Bursa cuisine, of course, İskender comes to mind, but when our subject is the tastes that you can consume more practically and mobile, that is, street food, we turn our route to the famous meatballs of Inegol district. Doner, Minced Meat Cantik, Tahini Pita, Kemalpaşa Dessert, Candied Chestnut, Bagdat Date, and Turkish Delight with Walnut are other prominent tastes.

Raw Meatballs (ÇiğKöfte) 

Although Adıyaman is a barren city in terms of street flavors, Çiğ Köfte, which has taken its geographical sign, has now spread all over Turkey, but you can find the freshest products everywhere in the city.  ÇiğKöfte, which is normally made by kneading fine bulgur, isot, finely chopped raw meat, and various spices, is a flavor you can often encounter on the street, mostly without meat. ÇiğKöfte wrap, which is served with the addition of greens to lavash, which is specially made for raw meatballs, becomes an indescribable taste when consumed with lemon and pomegranate syrup and also with ayran. You can reach raw meatballs, which are incredibly famous in Adıyaman and other Eastern and Southeastern Anatolian provinces, almost anywhere and you can get enough of this flavor whenever you feel like it.

Stuffed Meatballs/İçli köfte

As you know, stuffed meatballs, where you can eat the best ones in cities such as Adana, Hatay, and Gaziantep, can now be found everywhere. It can be one of the best snacks made with bulgur, and it is really impossible to understand how meat and bulgur go together without eating stuffed meatballs. Try this snack, which is very difficult to make, on the street or wherever you find it; Only in this way can you find the local stuffed meatballs that best suit your taste. In the Hatay region, they prefer to serve this snack, which is also tasted with pomegranate syrup, with lemon. Even if you say you can't go that far to eat kibbeh, we recommend that you search for restaurants that offer local delicacies in your city. 

Tantuni/Mersin

Tantuni is a Turkish delicacy between bread and lavash, which was born in Mersin and spread all over Turkey over time. It is prepared with finely chopped pieces of meat, spices, and onions.

By the way, what we mean by street food is practical delicacies that we can eat on the street, on foot, or at the counter, rather than the local dishes that we order by sitting in that place. So, do you want to know what street food can be eaten in Turkey's street flavors or in which city?

Fried Liver (Ciğer Tava) / Edirne

When Edirne is mentioned, the first thing that comes to mind is fried liver. Having a very different style compared to the livers served in other cities, the pan liver is one of the best flavors I've eaten across the country. Apart from this, Kavala Cookies, Bitter Almond Cookies, Marzipan, Edirne Cheese

Cag Kebab/Erzurum

In fact, it's okay if we don't write anything else for Erzurum, the hometown of Cağ Kebab, one of the most famous flavors of our country. Apart from this magnificent taste; Lalanga, which we can write as the pancake of Erzurum, Stuffed Kadayif, Erzurum Ketesi, Mulberry Çullama, and Su Böreği are the best street food you can find in the city.

Pepper Bread (Biberli Ekmek) & Kunefe / Hatay

Hatay, which has one of the most beautiful cuisines of Turkey and fascinates its guests, especially with its breakfast and appetizers (it was badly damaged in the earthquake), became the second city to be included in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network in the gastronomy category. If we list it as follows; A miracle of pastry, Pepper Bread, Iskenderun Doner, served with a sauce spread all over Turkey and special bread, Sembusek with plenty of ground beef, onion, green pepper, and cumin, Oruk, another version of stuffed meatballs, Kaytaz Böreği, Paper Kebab as thin as paper. Spicy chickpea flavor sold in the glass, Yellow Nightingale, Sulk, which is a wonderful combination of fresh herbs, spices, and precipitate, Antakya Kömbesi, which is made by blending many spices such as cloves, mahaleb, cinnamon, mastic, allspice, ginger, and baklava, which is the most famous dessert of our country. Kunefe, Zucchini in Lime is one of the delicacies of this city.

Cotton Candy-Pişmaniye / Kocaeli

In Kocaeli, which is one of the industrial cities of our country, there are not many street foods, but since it is a big city, you can easily find the most famous street food in the country in the city. The first street flavor that comes to mind when Kocaeli is mentioned is the famous Pişmaniye. Even though there are many different varieties made nowadays, I wouldn't trade the white cotton one for anything. Another flavor is Pita with Mancar, you should definitely try this flavor made by roasting the herb called mancar with onions. Don't forget to eat the famous Kandıra yogurt while you're there.

Meat Pita - Etli Ekmek

You can find Etli Pide, one of the country's most famous and city-identified flavors, at almost all food outlets in the city. It is even sold in bakeries. Mevlana Böreği is one of the city's other unique flavors. Sac Böreği and Sac Arası Desserts are among the other famous street food.

Tokat Çemen & Kebab

Tokat is also famous for its kebab, but the difference here is that it is made with lamb with bones. Apart from that, Tokat Cemeni, Niksar Bun and Walnut, which is made by adding ground beef to the cemeni, Tokat Çökelekli, which is amazing with tea, and Tokat Pağacı, which is a little harder than normal bread because walnuts are added to the dough, are the most beautiful street food of the city.

Herbed Cheese-Otlu Peynir/Van

Although our city of Van, which used to be the first city that comes to mind when talking about breakfast, has lost this feature, when you come to this city, it is a place where you should start the day with a magnificent breakfast. Herbed Cheese, the apple of the eye of these breakfasts and now known in Turkey, is a flavor that you can both taste there in abundance and take as a gift to your loved ones on your way back. Apart from that, I am sure you will like the dessert Spoon dessert with sherbet.

Ply&Katmer/Kilis

Especially pan dishes are amazing in Kilis. Desserts are more prominent in terms of street tastes. Kilis Katmeri, which has a different flavor than Antep Katmer and is made by frying, and Cennet Mud, which has a completely unique taste, are among the things you should try when you come to this small city.

Ayvalık Toast

It is made by putting many foods such as cheddar cheese, salami, sausage, mashed potatoes, ketchup, and mayonnaise into specially prepared quince toast bread. This toast, which is famous in Ayvalık, it has become one of the sneak brands of Turkey. 

Kumru & Boyoz İzmir

Another flavor spread from Izmir. Kumru is one of the traditional Turkish bread. It is eaten cold by putting İzmir Tulum cheese, tomatoes, and peppers between the Kumru bread. The most commonly consumed is the hot one. This dove made by cooking sausage, cheddar cheese, and salami is consumed hot. The specialty of Kumru bread is that it is made with chickpea yeast. It is cooked specially for the dove by giving it a chubby shape with two pointed ends and a chubby middle with sesame on it.  Boyoz, which has become one of the symbols of İzmir with its crunchy form, is a kind of pastry that can't get enough of its taste. It is an indispensable street delicacy that you can stop by the Dostlar Bakery in Alsancak, Izmir, and consume with eggs, cheese, olives, honey, and tea to suppress hunger or for pure pleasure.