So Now That I'm in Sarigerme,  What Food Should I Eat?
What you need to know first thing : KEEP AWAY FROM THE KEBAB SHOPS in the UK . It is horrible discussting stuff , many Kebab Shop in UK i have spoken to agreeing with me.
Kebabs in Turkey and the Kebabs in UK has vast amount of difference ...Well , try it for your self !!!

IF YOU HAVE GLUTEN INTOLERANCE PLEASE CLICK HERE

The Turkish Cuisine has the extra privilege of being at the cross-roads of the Far-East and the Mediterranean, which mirrors a long and complex history of Turkish migration from the steppes of Central Asia (where they mingled with the Chinese) to Europe (where they exerted influence all the way to Vienna).

All these unique characteristics and history have bestowed upon the Turkish Cuisine a rich and varied number of dishes, which can be prepared and combined with other dishes in meals of almost infinite variety, but always in a non-arbitrary way. This led to a Cuisine that is open to improvisation through development of regional styles, while retaining its deep structure, as all great works of art do. The Cuisine is also an integral aspect of culture. It is a part of the rituals of everyday life events. It reflects spirituality, in forms that are specific to it, through symbolism and practice.

Anyone who visits Turkey or has had a meal in a Turkish home, regardless of the success of the particular cook, is sure to notice how unique the Cuisine is.

Due to its exceptional produce, the food of the Aegean coastal region is said to be the best of the country. The most notable ingredients are the tomatoes, olives, and olive oil, which are at the base of the diet. There are also many varieties of honey, fish, as well as a myriad of fruits and vegetables.
A land brimming with a wealth and diversity of fresh fruits and vegetables and oils that has enabled less agriculturally rich areas to enjoy its bounty.

Typical Turkish egg dish is MENEMEN, in which many finely chopped tomatoes and vegetables are cooked down, and then beaten eggs are scrambled with them. The result is a tomato-dominated dish of scrambled eggs with a lot of vegetable juice running through.

Depending on the day or type of work one does, lunch can consist of anything from a salad to grilled meat or tost. A formal meal, for either lunch or dinner, consists of a variety of cold and hot appetizers, known as meze, followed by a meat or fish dish. Common cold mezes are artichoke hearts with peas and dill, grated carrots in yogurt, roasted eggplant puree, roasted eggplant with chopped tomato and peppers, purslane in yogurt with garlic, spicy pepper and tomato paste (aci ezme), and coban salatasi (Shepard’s salad). Hot appetizers include green beans cooked in olive oil with tomato, fried eggplant with yogurt, börek, fried calamari, and fried mussels.

BOREK is a common type of dish, but can take many different forms. It is made up of layered flaky pastry dough that is stuffed with a variety of different fillings, and is either baked or fried. For example, sigara böregi are filled with cheese, rolled up to look like a cigar, and then deep- fried. Other times rectangular layers of dough are filled with spinach and cheese and baked.

Mezes are followed by a main dish of either meat or fish. Köfte are grilled meatballs made of ground beef or lamb, or a combination of the two. Different spices and seasonings are added to the meat mixture to give the ground meat its characteristic flavor. Urfa köfte, for example, is made with ground red pepper and is spicy. Kebabs are skewered meats that are cooked on the grill. Köfte are often skewered and can also fall into this same category (i.e. köfte kebab). Cubed eggplant is often interspersed with lamb cubes on a kebab skewer for a delicious grilled combination.


FISH depends upon the season, but sea bass, sea bream, shrimp, octopus, and anchovies are all quite common. Fish is simply grilled and served with lemon, olive oil, and herbs. There are rarely heavy sauces that go on top of the grilled meats and fish; the flavor is to come through with the freshness of the ingredients.

KOKOREC :
Kokoreç is a delicacy and not a standard menu item in restaurants. It can be found at street vendors and some specialized restaurants only. Visit Ortaca Bus Station where this vendors can be found.
The ingredients are cut up and seasoned with lemon, olive oil, oregano, salt, and pepper. The intestine is cleaned especially thoroughly. The filling meats are threaded onto a long skewer and wrapped with the intestine to hold them together.Kokoreç is usually roasted on a horizontal skewer over a charcoal.
A quite different preparation mixes the chopped innards with chopped tomatoes and green peppers, and then cooks them on a large griddle with hot red pepper and oregano added. The cook constantly mixes and chops the mixture using two spatulas. When done, the dish is kept warm aside on the griddle until someone orders a serving.The cooked kokorec is chopped, sprinked with oregano, and served on a plate.It may also be served in a flat-bread sandwich, plain or garnished.

In Turkey, common side dishes are pickled peppers or cucumbers.

There are several ways of serving it. It is usually served as a sandwich in form of Yarım Ekmek Kokoreç (Half-Bread) or Çeyrek Ekmek Kokoreç (Quarter-Bread). It may also be served without bread, on a plate, as a normal dish.Kokoreç is usually served with Ayran, Turnip juice or Cola. Pickled hot green peppers or pickled cucumbers may be served as side-dishes.

GOZLEME is a savoury Traditional Turkish hand made and rolled pastry cooked on a hot plate. Gozlemes are slowly fermented and shaped by hand to develop their unique flavours.
Gozleme is a delicious tasting pastry filled with a choice of the freshest ingredients including spinach, cheese, parsley and potato. It is prepared and cooked while you wait for ultimate freshness.
Gozleme is sure to excite your taste buds and a great way to fulfil your appetite! If you care about where your food comes from and what it does for you, Gozleme is the natural choice.

 

MANTI are little pasta dumplings filled with ground lamb and served in a yogurt sauce with spiced butter and are very popular. Quite often manti is served in restaurants that specialize in the dish.

Pides fall into their own category. They are easily described as being similar to pizza, but are quite different in shape and toppings. Pides are made with a very thin dough that is rolled out and then formed in an oblong shape with pointed tips and rolled up sides, similar to the bottom of a boat. Finely ground lamb with spices and herbs is one topping, and crumbled feta cheese with tomatoes and herbs is another one. Because they are very long, they are often served sliced into two or three pieces.

LAHMACUN, It is made with finely rolled out circular dough that is topped with a thin layer of finely minced lamb, herbs, and spices. It is baked in an oven and then served with fresh parsley and lemon juice.

Dessert is an important aspect of Turkish cookery, and is far too wide of a topic to cover in this simple observation. The basic common desserts are baklava, mühallebi, and revani.

BAKLAVA is made of flaky pastry dough layered with syrup and ground nuts.

MUHALLEBI is a sweet milk pudding made with rice flour that is either served in individual dishes or made large and turned out upside down to serve.

REVANI is a semolina cake soaked in lemon scented simple syrup.