Turkey, as we all know is one of the most visited countries by the tourists as it is well known for its scenic landscapes, rich and ancient culture, a history spanning over centuries and warm, welcoming locals. But then there is more to all these for anyone who visits Turkey, that is their succulent cuisine. But, the vegetarians like me need not be disappointed as there are a plethora of options in this country to relish on where shawarma and kebabs are well known. I had a lengthy list of name of the foods that were “must-try” in Turkey and I was lucky enough to sample most of the items from this list. So, read along and know what I loved the most about Turkish cuisine.
Related post: Why Turkey has to be in your travel list
Let’s talk about the first meal of the day, that is breakfast or as the locals call it “kahvaltı tabağı” which means the breakfast plate. Turks really enjoy every meal they have but the breakfast according to me is the most lavish one which includes varieties of cheese, olives, bread, honey, jams, fruits and vegetables, börek, omelets, salads, menemen, tahini paste, gözleme, acma. I am a kind of person who loves to start the day with some good food and while in Turkey I loved the breakfast I had every day so much that I was looking forward to it every night when I got into bed.
Your day might get too hectic and busy with running around from one sightseeing place to the other and you may not have enough time to grab a bite. Worry not while you are in Turkey, especially Istanbul as it is filled with tons of options for street food. You will spot loads of büfes, that is a snack shop or carts all over the city selling freshly roasted hazelnut, corns, börek, simit and so on.
Now let’s talk about the main course and desserts. I loved how the simple bean salad and piping hot lentil Corba (soup) tasted that I ordered these every time I found it on the menu of the restaurant I went. While in Turkey if you are craving for some pizza then try the local Pide which is a boat-shaped flatbread with varieties toppings like the vegetable, tomatoes, spinach or just cheese. Also, try the sourly tasting Dolma which is stuffed with a variety of vegetables and wrapped with grape leaves. The famous Pilav rice is another item you can not miss in Turkey.
No visit to Turkey is complete without relishing on their delicious desserts. My first stop in Istanbul before we went sightseeing was a shop selling world-famous Baklavas. The pyramid-like tower of sweet, rich and scrumptious baklavas looked too good to ignore. Lokum or Turkish Delight is yet another world-famous dessert from Turkey which is often made in different flavors mixed with dry fruits and topped with finely powdered sugar.
The Turkish rice pudding is as delicious and creamy as it looks which is a simple preparation made of rice, sugar, milk or water and served in small earthen pots.
With all the delicious food on our plate, we can’t skip on the drinks which are accomplished with these. It’s needless to say that Turkish tea and Turkish coffee are the two beverages you cannot miss there as there are served every place you visit. Enjoy your meal with a glass of frothy Ayran which is super refreshing and healthy yogurt drink.
Hope you guys enjoyed reading this! Do let us know if you have tried any of this food in Turkey and also let us know about the other vegetarian food to try while in Turkey in the comments below..
Well written travelogue… interesting to note that vegetarians have so many choices through their travel in Turkey!!!!
Thank you Rashmi 🙂
Your food photos made me hungry! I’ve been wanting to go to Turkey for many years. So, it’s good to know that they have many vegetarian options as I’ve been trying to eat less meat.
Thank you Julia, yes Turkish cuisine has lot of options for vegetarians..
Loved to read 🙂 Yummy foods.
Thanks Rupam 🙂
I’m not a veggie, but I have tried, and love all the delicacies you mentioned, especially borek. I’m not keen however on baklava, it’s too sweet for me. That beer at the end looks so refreshing, I definitely wouldn’t say no to one!
Ha ha! thank you Lisa! 🙂
Wow, you certainly tried a lot of the local food! And whilst keeping it all vegetarian too. I’m heading to Turkey this winter and although I eat meat, a lot of these dishes look delicious. Of course I must try the Turkish coffee and tea as well!
I tried to tick of as many dishes as possible from list while I was in Turkey 😉
I am vegetarian and reading this post delights me as there are lots of veggie options in Turkey. I have sipped Turkish coffee, ate Turkish sweets in Dubai. But i haven’t tried Borek and Bean Salad which looks delicious. Even here also there are many Turkish cafes and I would now go there and hunt for these things. Thanks for sharing!
Those were absolutely delicious! you need to try them..:)
I love you sweethearts!!! Being a veggie, its not really easy to find tasty food everywhere! More often I end up eating fruits & biscuits. Italy is perhaps the only place where I found so much of variety in veggie food. I’m so glad to see so many options in Turkey as well…
I did a lot of research of Turkish food and thats how I had a big list to try 😉
Both my husband and daughter are vegetarians- they will be so relieved to read about your delicious meals in Turkey. It’s always a bit stressful finding food that works for them but everyone (regardless of country) has always been extremely accommodating. Happy veggie travels!
Thank you Lois! Hope this food guide will be helpful for you when your family travels to Turkey!! 🙂
nice food collections i feel yummy thanks for sharing
Thank you so much Pushpendra! 🙂
I am a true-blue dessert lover. Hence, you had me at baklava. I am also thrilled to see that Turkish food had plenty of dessert options. The Turkish rice pudding looks so delectable!
There were many more desserts to try on my list, but I have saved them for my next trip 😉
Such am amazing post. I have been to Turkey and to be honest it was something having a nice juicy doner, but lifestyles are changing and a lot of people are choosing a vegetarian life. The articles is a great guide for them and I like how you have taken into consideration the street food and of course included Turkish Tea which is a must have.
Thank you Raghav! 🙂
OMG! Every food picture made me drool like crazy! I so wanted to just reach into the computer and grab it all! I am a veggie, I like nonveg, too, but prefer veg food, and the pictures you shared of the Turkey cuisine had me floored!
AWESOME!!
Ha ha! That’s so good to hear Shilpa! 😉 Thank you so much…
I loved my share of nonveg food in Turkey….my husband is a pure vegetarian although. I really love Baklava… although don’t like Turkish delight at all! You have beautifully captured your food journey!
http://www.docdivatraveller.com/
Thank you!:)
Food and more food is all I can see here. It nice that so many veggie options are there.
Thank you! yes, even I was shocked to find so many options for a vegetarian like me amid all the kebabs and shawarmas! 😉
OMG! All these food look so good and yummy! Börek is just soooo delicious, and the rice pudding as well. I also wanna try Pide. Turkish style pizza must taste delicious.
Trust me each one was delicious than the other! I still crave for these when see their pictures 😉
So glad to read this post before our trip to Turkey. We are vegetarians and always don’t find many options to eat. But this post has given us so many options to be a hogger there 😀 . thanks for sharing .
Thank you Krupa! We hope this post has provided good enough information on veg food in Turkey 🙂
I am also a vegetarian, and it can be hard to find delicious food while traveling. I will admit that I would have expected Turkey to be full of kebab restaurants, which don’t always have great vegetarian options. But those pictures are seriously making my mouth water–looks so good!
Thanks Bethany, yea, being a vegetarian and travelling can be quite difficult but little research on the local cuisine can result in enjoying succulent dishes like theses 🙂
I lived in Turkey for nine months and this post brought me back to this place filled with so many different wonderful recipes and flavours. You are absolutely right in saying that there are plenty of great tasting options for vegetarians, I absolutely loved the pide, the corba and the delicious Borek. AAhh Turkey! I just wish I was there right now filling up my belly with all of these delicacies.
Thank you Nicholas, even I feel the same, I want to be there enjoying all these delicious food once again…:)
I love Turkish food. Dolmas and baklavas… Don’t even let me start on borek! My favorite is with cheese. 😛 Oh, and yes, I forgot about the rice pudding, yummy!
You are right, the cuisine is full of meat, but there – you’ve found few delicious vegetarian dishes, right!
By the way, your photos made me hungry! 😀
Ha ha! Thank you Danijela 🙂
Benefit from the natural colors of the rarely
visited Rainbow Mountain Trek, mountain climbing by means of some isolated communities, in which you’ll work together with
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culture alive!