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World's best foods list includes some of the most delicious samples of the world of culinary | Featured Image

The World’s Best Foods List Includes 5 Turkish Dishes | Top 15

That’s right… You see right! Following our Turkey’s best street foods list, now we are before you with another mouth-watering list. Recently, a world-famous website Taste Atlas listed the world’s best foods. The website, which has millions of users around the world, shared some of the most delicious traditional foods in the world. So, behold! When it comes to the matter of foods, Turkey is always a guest of honor!

As the Irish playwright, critic, polemicist, and political activist George Bernard Shaw said,

There is no love sincerer than the love of food

He is totally right, isn’t he? When you concern about the delicious foods, tasty flavors of the world’s kitchens, it is out of the option not to agree with the thinker. So, as we people live in Turkey, we are proud of our delicious traditional delicacies. We have every right to be! And here is the proof of it. In the top 15 of the world’s 100 best foods list, there are not one, two, three, but five Turkish flavors!

But what are they? Which delicious Turkish foods did succeed to enter the list? What are the origins of other dishes? So, let’s keep on digging and scrolling down for the rest of the text…

15- Lasagne Alla Bolognese – Italy

Lasagne alla bolognese is a fulfilling Italian dish

Lasagne alla bolognese is a fulfilling Italian dish

This rich and filling piatto unico (lit. single plate; one-dish meal) traditionally consists of layers of homemade. What’s more, typically spinach-flavored fresh egg lasagna pasta that is topped with béchamel sauce and a rich meat sauce called ragù alla Bolognese.

14- Arroz de Marisco – Portugal

One of the world-famous dishes of Portugal-Arroz de Marisco

One of the world-famous dishes of Portugal-Arroz de Marisco

Arroz de marisco is a delicious Portuguese dish consisting of rice and various seafood ingredients. Unlike the popular Spanish paella, this Portuguese variety is not completely reduced and is often described as a thick rice stew. It can employ various seafood ingredients such as prawns, mussels, squid, or clams, and is usually seasoned with fresh herbs and white wine, then complemented with vegetables such as peas or tomatoes.

13- Risotto alla Milanese – Italy

Simply you can't think of a World's best foods list without Italy and Risotto alla Milanese

Simply you can’t think of a World’s best foods list without Italy and Risotto alla Milanese

One of the simplest, yet most luxurious rice dishes, this creamy risotto gets its vivid color and flavor from saffron. According to legend, the creation of the dish goes back some time to the 16th century, during the construction of Duomo. Apparently, either the master glazier of Milan’s cathedral invented it, a Flemish painter named Valerio Diependale, or his apprentice, nicknamed Zafferano (lit. saffron), who regularly used this expensive spice to stain the glass windows yellow.

12- Gyros – Greece

Turkey left its mark on the world's best foods list with 5 different flavors and Dolma

Turkey left its mark on the world’s best foods list with 5 different flavors and Dolma

Gyros is one of the most popular Greek street food dishes. It is consisting of meat such as pork and chicken (in Greece) or lamb. It may also include veal (popular in other countries) cooked on a vertical spit. The meat is sliced in thin shavings and is then usually placed in pita bread along with sauces. They are such as tzatziki and vegetables such as tomatoes, onions, lettuce, and cucumbers.

11- Dolma – Turkey

Turkey left its mark on the world's best foods list with 5 different flavors and Dolma

Turkey left its mark on the world’s best foods list with 5 different flavors and Dolma

Dolma is Turkey’s national dish, and it signifies any sort of vegetable stuffed with a mixture based on rice. For traditional dolma, grape leaves are stuffed with rice and ground meat. Stuffed leaves were first made at the court of King Khusrow II in the early 7th century.

10- Sarma – Turkey

Another mouth-watering dish of Turkey is Sarma

Another mouth-watering dish of Turkey is Sarma

The dish is one of the staples of traditional Turkish cuisine. It consists of a filling that is snugly surrounded by leaves or leafy vegetables. There are numerous versions of this dish but the mixture typically combines ingredients. The ingredients are such as minced meat, rice or bulgur, various herbs, seasonings, red pepper, paprika, ground sumac, or tomato sauce, while the typical wrapping usually includes vine, cabbage, or sauerkraut leaves, or a variety of leafy vegetables such as collard greens and swiss chard.

9- Cochinita pibil – Mexico

A traditional Mexican food Cochinita pibil is one of the world's best foods

A traditional Mexican food Cochinita pibil is one of the world’s best foods

Cochinita pibil is a pork dish with origins in Mexico’s Yucatan area. You should marinate the meat in a combination of annatto paste, bitter orange juice, and garlic. After baking it slowly, and then shred, then serve on tortillas, tacos, or on its own with shallots, pickled onions, salsa, and various roasted vegetables.

8- Gyoza – Japan

Japan surprised followers from all over the world with its traditional dishes like Gyoza

Japan surprised followers from all over the world with its traditional dishes like Gyoza

The famous Japanese gyoza is crescent-shaped dumplings. The origination of the food is from the traditional Chinese jiaozi dumplings. Local people slightly altered the recipe to accommodate the Japanese taste. And thus, gyoza soon became one of the favorite Japanese meals.

7- Šaltibarščiai – Lithuania

A colorful Lithuanian food- Šaltibarščiai

A colorful Lithuanian food- Šaltibarščiai

This refreshing, cold beetroot soup is a part of traditional Lithuanian cuisine. It consists of a creamy blend of pickled or boiled beetroots and tangy kefir or buttermilk, poured over grated cucumbers and hard-boiled eggs. The whole soup is generously seasoned with dill and usually left to sit until all the flavors are thoroughly combined.

6- Tacos al pastor – Mexico

The Mexican dish consisting of thin slices of shaved pork from a rotating spit

The Mexican dish consisting of thin slices of shaved pork from a rotating spit

Tacos al pastor is a Mexican dish consisting of thin slices of shaved pork from a rotating spit, placed on a tortilla and topped with onions, chopped coriander, pineapple chunks, chili, and salsa. The dish evolved from the Lebanese culinary traditions that arrived in Mexico in the late 19th century along with numerous immigrants.

5- Döber Kebab – Turkey

Döber Kebab is probably the most popular Turkish traditional food in the world

Döber Kebab is probably the most popular Turkish traditional food in the world

Kebab döner is the 5th on the list of the world’s best foods. Döner kebab is a delicacy that people from all around the world know. It is consisting of grilled pieces of meat. The vendor shreds it from a vertical skewer. The meat is typically seasoned with fresh herbs and spices. Originally, the döner’s meat was exclusively lamb. But today in Istanbul, there are kebabs that people prepare with a combination of lamb and beef, or sometimes only with beef.

4- Lomo Saltado – Peru

Lomo Saltado goes well with rice and french fries

Lomo Saltado goes well with rice and french fries

It is a traditional Peruvian dish consisting of stir-fried marinated slices of sirloin or beef tenderloin, onions, yellow Peruvian chilis, and tomatoes. Traditionally, people serve the dish with French fries and rice on the side. And, you can find the dish on the menus of almost all Peruvian restaurants, whether simple or upscale.

3- Ramen – Japan

When you look at the picture, you will think of no country but Japan

When you look at the picture, you will think of no country but Japan

Ramen is a noodle soup that first appeared in Japan in 1910 when Chinese cooks combined the noodles with a salty broth. These curly noodles were of bright yellow color and more elastic than the Japanese noodles at that time. The dough was kneaded with sodium carbonate-infused mineral water. So, the name of this special water was kansui. Speaking of which, it is incredibly delicious food!

2- Adana Kebab – Turkey

The picture of this Adana Kebab, which is one of the world's best foods, should only remind you Turkey

The picture of this Adana Kebab, which is one of the world’s best foods, should only remind you Turkey

As for the world’s second-best foods, the credit goes to Adana kebap. It is a popular skewered meat dish. Its name derives from one of the most famous kebab cities in the country, Adana. Ground lamb and tail fat are the main ingredients of this kebab. And so, the chef has to knead them together. The chef also has to use garlic, onion, paprika, and hot red pepper flakes. Thus, this way of cooking the kebab will give it a deep red color and a spicy flavor.

1- Pizza Margherita – Italy

Pizza Margherita is a delicacy that is literally fit for a queen. In 1889, Queen Margherita of Savoy visited Naples, where hosts served her a pizza. The pizza was resembling the colors of the Italian flag: red tomatoes, white mozzarella cheese, and green basil.

The king of kings, the king of all Italian pizzas, Pizza Margherita

The king of kings, the king of all Italian pizzas, Pizza Margherita

A chef Raffaele Esposito of Pizzeria Brandi had made the pizza. People then credited him for his invention. The Queen loved the dish, and Esposito named it after her – pizza Margherita. However, some others had already made such a pizza before that time and can be dated back to at least 1866. It is the time when the most popular pizza toppings included basil, cheese, and tomatoes. But the name of the pizza was not Margherita yet.

Since those times, Margherita has become one of the most popular pizza varieties in the world. And in 2009, it became to be under protection as one of the three Pizza Napoletane with an STG European label of protection. It proves its excellence in flavor, ingredients, and traditional pizza-making techniques.

Read More »The World’s Best Foods List Includes 5 Turkish Dishes | Top 15

Yatık Döner - Traditional Cag Kebab

Best 25 Turkish Foods You Must Know

Turkish cuisine is one of the richest cuisines in the world. It is influenced by many cultures from Middle Asia to Europe, Africa to Arabia. Turkish cuisine is a gift of these cultural exchanges and historical heritage from ancient civilizations. No matter how hard to list Best Turkish Foods, here are our best 25 Turkish Foods list.

So, let’s get started!

Soups:

25- İşkembe and Kelle Paça Soup

İşkembe - Tripe Soup - image courtesty http://www.biriskembe.com

İşkembe – Tripe Soup

Besides in Turkey, this tripe soup is a common meal in the Balkan area, Bulgaria, Greek, and eastern Europe. Made of cow’s tripe (dana İşkembe-Turk) cooked in terbiyeli sauce and served with garlic-vinegar sauce. By the way, Terbiyeli sauce made from a mixture of egg yolk, lemon juice, garlic, and flour. So, Tripe soup definitely deserves to take part in our Best Turkish Foods list.

24- Mercimek Red Lentil Soup

Savory Turkish Lentil Soup - Mercimek Çorbası

Savory Turkish Lentil Soup – Mercimek Çorbası

Turkish Red Lentil Soup is potentially Turkey’s most popular soup. People who live in Turkey enjoy the soup not only for lunch and dinner but also for a hearty breakfast in Anatolia. So imagine how breakfast with red lentil soup could be delicious!

23- Beyran

Beyran Soup

Beyran Soup

Beyran çorbası (soup) is a traditional Turkish soup originating from Gaziantep, where people serve it for breakfast. It consists of rendered lamb fat that’s topped with rice and shredded lamb meat. The combination is then cooked with the addition of garlic, pepper paste, and lamb broth. This soup is notorious for its spiciness, making it a pretty unusual way to start the day. If desired, the soup can be served with lemon wedges and fresh Turkish bread on the side.

22- Tarhana Soup

Tarhana Soup

Tarhana Soup

The soup, Tarhana Soup, is a traditional soup of Turkish Kitchen. It needs some effort and preliminary preparation. However, the result is worthwhile. Tarhana’s main ingredient of this soup is a kind of flour-like powder. In our kitchens, this powder is prepared in autumn so that in times of need powder is ready to cook. So, here is another best Turkish food and soup!

Street Foods:

21- Kokoreç

Kokoreç -Grilled sheep's intestines

Kokoreç -Grilled sheep’s intestines

Kokoreç is most probably an invention of the nomadic sheepherders of the Central Asian Plateau and brought by these travelers to Anatolia where it became a tradition over the past 100 years. So, it is one of the most common, popular, and tasty Turkish street foods.

20- Balık Ekmek

Balık Ekmek - Fish Sandwich (Image Credit: -Flickr)

Balık Ekmek – Fish Sandwich (Image Credit: Flickr)

Fish Sandwich (balık ekmek) is quite a simple and also delicious meal. Balık ekmek contains grilled white fish, raw onions, and salad in a half loaf of white bread. So, it is an absolute Istanbul classic. You can click here to read our detailed article which was completely dedicated to Balık Ekmek – Fish Sandwich!

19- Tavuk Pilav

Tavuk Pilav - Chicken and Rice

Tavuk Pilav – Chicken and Rice

The pure flavor of simplicity: Chicken and Rice (Tavuk Pilav)! Boil chicken in a separate pot split it from its bones and skin, and then add it over the pilaf! That’s easy but it is not all! The secret is to know how to cook the best Turkish Rice. So, here is how!

18- Midye

Midye Dolma - Stuffed mussels

Midye Dolma – Stuffed mussels

Stuffed mussels or Midye is a generic name for plump orange mussels, herbed and spiced rice, pine nuts, and occasionally currants. It is a popular and common street food snack in the coastal and other areas of Turkey such as Istanbul, İzmir, and Bodrum. Midye dolma is sold at all hours and is normally eaten with lemon juice freshly squeezed over them so that the mussel and rice are not dry and the spices are easily mixed and tasted.

Originals: 

17- Muhlama

Mıhlama (Image Source: Trip Advisor)

Mıhlama (Image Source: Trip Advisor)

A favorite breakfast flavor in Turkey’s northern Black Sea region is a delicious blend of local cheeses melted together with coarsely ground cornmeal. It is cooked in sahan, which is a copper pan with two handles (like a paella pan). Pieces of fresh, crusty bread are used to scoop up the mixture with your fingers. You are very welcomed here to learn every single detail to cook Mıhlama — Cornmeal and Turkish Melted Cheese.

16- Su Böreği

Su Böreği — Pasta with cheese parsley filling (Image Credit: asliborek)

Su Böreği — Pasta with cheese parsley filling (Image Credit: asliborek)

Su böreği (Water Börek) is a variety of Turkish borek that has a reputation of being one of the most difficult boreks to prepare. Traditionally, people fill it with cheese and parsley. In the meantime, the dough sheets need to soak in a combination of water, olive oil, milk, and eggs before baking, making the borek tender and juicy. So, you can find Su böreği at most borek shops throughout the country.

15- Menemen

Menemen - Turkish style scrambled eggs with chopped onions, tomatoes, and sliced green peppers

Menemen – Turkish style scrambled eggs with chopped onions, tomatoes, and sliced green peppers

Typical items include fresh white bread, a slice or two of Turkish cheese-like white cheese or ‘kaşar’ cheese. It also includes black olives, sliced tomatoes and cucumbers, and either honey or fruit preserves. Well, Here is how to cook Menemen easily in your home.

14- İçli Köfte

İçli Köfte - Stuffed meatballs

İçli Köfte – Stuffed meatballs

Meatballs stuffed with Cracked Wheat,-Kibbeh- (original name in Turkish İçli Köfte) is a very preferable and tasty Arabic and Turkish traditional food. Moreover, people commonly consume food in Eastern and Southeastern Anatolia. Therefore, it is a specialty of these regions.

Dishes:

13- Etli Sebzeli Güveç:

Meat and Vegetable Hotpot (Güveç)

Meat and Vegetable Hotpot (Güveç)

It is one of the special, and tasty dishes of Turkish cuisine. Meat and vegetable hotpot contains potato, carrot, onion, garlic, and meat, of course. So, you must give it a chance at any time you are in Turkey!

12- Mantı

Aqueus Mantı

Aqueous Mantı

It is a traditional Turkish food. Its preparation and taste look like Ravioli, which is a quite famous Italian food. Cooking mantı is a bit hard but after tasting you definitely. Here are all the details you need to know to cook your home-made Turkish mantı.

11- Dolma

Stuffed Green Peppers

Stuffed Green Peppers

Every cuisine has its masterpieces. Stuffed green peppers -Turkish: Biber Dolması- is one of the peaks of Turkish cuisine which originates from the Sultan’s table. Do you wanna know where this popularity comes from? Then, you should take a look at this article!

10- Karnıyarık

Karniyarik - Stuffed Eggplants (Aubergines) with ground lamb (Image Source: Ardanın Mutfağı)

Karniyarik – Stuffed Eggplants (Aubergines) with ground lamb (Image Source: Ardanın Mutfağı)

This impressive dish is a legacy of the Ottoman Palace kitchens. And yet another of the imperial demands for ingenuity concerning the much-loved eggplant, or aubergine. It is for sure that you can find this dish wherever you go to Turkey! Though traditionally made with ground lamb, there are other ways, too. You may also prepare it with ground beef or have a vegetarian version. Simply replace the meat with your favorite vegetable (mushrooms, chickpeas work very well), sprinkle some grated cheese over the top, and bake it. It turns out to be a delicious alternative.

9- Tas Kebabı

Delicious Turkish Tas Kebab

Delicious Turkish Tas Kebab

Tas Kebab, the combination of special meat stew with pilaf, is another favorite dish of Turkish people. If you ask someone in Turkey about his/her favorite kebab variety, most of them mention this one. This juicy kebab variety is also on our Best Turkish Foods List.

8- Ciğer

Tava Ciğer — Fried Liver (Image Source: harbiyiyorum.com)

Tava Ciğer — Fried Liver (Image Source: harbiyiyorum.com)

Its great taste and tenderness begin with the liver itself. However, you can only use young, very fresh calf or lamb liver. Thus, you can have the fresh taste. So, you need to remove and discard any veins because these can be tough after cooking. Here are some useful tips to cook the perfect liver!

7- Köfte

Classic Turkish meatballs

Classic Turkish meatballs

Here we are with another traditional flavor which takes place on our Best Turkish Foods list. Homemade Turkish Meatballs known as kofte are the best things to happen at your dinner table. So, these are spicy, tender, and perfectly juicy. It’s not a secret anymore to make meatballs at home that are much tastier than store-bought ones.

6- Kuru Fasülye

Turkish Beans in Stew

Turkish Beans in Stew

No need to be modest! We must say, Turkey has many tasty bean dishes but this is one of our favorite ones! “Kuru Fasulye” translates to “dry bean” but if you ask for Kuru Fasulye here, there is only one thing you’re talking about, this specific white bean…

Turkish Pizzas:

5- Pide

Pide - Turkish Pizza I

Pide – Turkish Pizza I

This Kiymali Pide, Turkish flatbread with ground meat and vegetable filling, is one of the most popular snacks and our slow cooked “fast food” in Turkey. In Rural Anatolia, locals would prepare the filling and take it to their local bakery, firin. Then, the bakery bakes into delicious flatbreads with this topping over. There are also “Pideci” Turkish flatbread shops that solely bake and serve these flatbreads along with piyaz or Coban Salata, Shepherd’s Salad; such delicious flavor combinations.

4- Lahmacun

Lahmacun - Turkish Pizza II

Lahmacun – Turkish Pizza II

If you’re a fan of pizza but can survive without the cheese, you’re sure to love lahmacun, a Turkish street food. It has a much thinner dough and doesn’t use cheese in the topping, and is usually rolled or folded before eating. Lahmacun is a good example of Turkish regional cuisine and is originally from the southeastern part of Turkey famous for its spicy kebabs and other meat dishes.

Döners and Kebabs:

3- İskender Kebap

Iskender Kebab - Buttered

Iskender Kebab – Buttered

You make Iskender Kebab with doner kebab, which requires a vertical rotisserie where layers of thinly sliced lamb, beef, veal – or chicken – stacked together. So, traditionally, people use minced meat to stick the slices of the meat.

2- Şiş Kebabs

Mixed Shis Kebabs -Lamb -Adana -Chicken and Aubergine Kebabs

Mixed Shis Kebabs -Lamb -Adana -Chicken and Aubergine Kebabs

So, here we are with a delicious and Richy Turkish tables with lots of meat and vegetables. Moreover, you can find and order yourself this tasty-look table everywhere in Turkey. We assure you that you will love it in case you are not a Vegetarian…

1- Döner Kebab

Yatık Döner - Traditional Cag Kebab

Yatık Döner – Traditional Cag Kebab

Finally, we have come to the top of our Best Turkish Foods list. And the Oscar goes to traditional Turkish Döner Kebab. We are sure that there is no one among our followers who do not know or taste so far this delicious meat. In Turkey, on every corner and street, you can find a döner restaurant. It has, by the way, 2 kinds: Chicken and meat döner. So, depends on your taste, you can choose whichever you wish!

Read More »Best 25 Turkish Foods You Must Know

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