Turkish cuisine is now finding its proper place in the culinary world.
Turkey is an agriculturally rich country surrounded by the sea—the perfect situation to supply abundant, high-quality ingredients for the kitchen and the dining table.
Turkish cuisine delights in variety, from the dozens of different meze (“MEH-zeh,” appetizers) to the 40 different ways to prepare aubergine/eggplant.
Most Turkish dishes are admirably simple and uncomplicated, with one or perhaps two spices or flavorings used in each dish. But such simple cuisine requires fresh ingredients and careful preparation to succeed.
Although innovation used to be discouraged, with recipes virtually written in stone, creative Turkish chefs are now exploring beyond the confines of the traditional dishes and using a newfound knowledge of the world’s other great cuisines to develop and enhance what they learned from their mothers and fathers.
Learning how to cook alla Turca is one of the most rewarding experiences of a visit to Turkey, and may be the most valuable and prized souvenir you bring home with you—and the one you will be proudest to demonstrate to your friends.
Turkish Cooking Classes
You can get a quick introduction to Turkish cooking in as little as an hour, though a half-day class is more rewarding. Here are my favorite cooking classes in all parts of Turkey. More…
Cuisine Tours of Turkey
If you have an adventurous palate that delights in new tastes and dishes, you should seriously consider a cuisine tour of Turkey. You’ll see all the top sights just as on a regular tour, and you’ll also visit kitchens, tour markets, chat with chefs, and even help to prepare a meal that you will then enjoy, perhaps with a glass of Turkish wine. More…
—by Tom Brosnahan
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