Turkey is not a "dairy country" like Holland or Denmark. Milk (süt) and milk products (sütürünleri, such as peynir, cheese) play an important part in the Turkish diet, but they are not used in most foods.
You will see milk mostly in the form of yogurt, white sheeps'-milk cheese ("feta," or beyaz peynirin Turkish), and yellow cheese (kaşar peynir).
France may be the land of 246 varieties of cheese, but in Turkey you'll see mostly these two.
Traditional Turkish bread is a sourdough loaf, and so far as I know does not contain milk or milk products.
Useful Phrases
İçinde süt ürünleri var mı? (EE-cheen-DEH sewt ew-rewn-leh-ree VAHR muh), Is there milk in it?
İçinde peynir var mı? (EE-cheen-DEH pey-neer VAHR muh), Is there cheese in it?
Hiç süt, yoğurt, veya peynir yeyemem. (HEECH sewt, yoh-OORT veh-yah pey-NEER yee-YEH-mehm), I cannot eat any milk, yoghurt or cheese.
Süt ürünleri alerjim var. (SEWT ew-rewn-leh-ree ah-lehr-ZHEEM vahr), I am allergic to dairy products.
Laktoz alerjim var. (Laht-TOHZ ah-lehr-ZHEEM vahr), I am allergic to lactose.
—by Tom Brosnahan
Food Allergy Awareness & Medical Assistance in Turkey |