OVERVIEW
Türkiye is a hotbed of genetic resources for crops. In addition, many well-known fruits such as the cherry, the apricot and the almond all originated in Türkiye, including the fig. This vast, fertile landscape has been home to countless civilisations for thousands of years, and each civilization has created its own unique cuisine.
Attalos Travel spends enough effort to complete its tours with the best traditional food&beverage points, especially for the ones looking for the “taste” of this country. Here are some basic information that will help you while determining the route of your tour.
Anatolian Origins
After the Turks arrived in Anatolia, they mixed their own culinary skills with those already established. Early historical documents show that the basic structure of Turkish cuisine was established during the nomadic period and in the first settled Turkish states of Asia. The culinary attitudes toward meat, dairy products, vegetables, and grains that characterised this early period still form the core of Turkish thought. The early Turks grew wheat and used it liberally for various types of leavened and unleavened bread, which was baked in clay ovens, fried on a griddle, or buried in embers.
Mantı (dumplings) were already among the most sought-after dishes of the time. Stuffing not only the dough but also all kinds of vegetables was common practice, and still is, as dozens of different types of Dolma prove. Skewering meat and other types of grilled meat, which later became known to us as the Kebap (Kebab) varieties, as well as dairy products such as cheese and yoğurt were convenient staples of the Turkish cuisine. Turks introduced these attitudes and practices to Anatolia in the 11th century. In turn, they encountered rice, fruits and vegetables native to the region, and hundreds of species of fish in the three seas surrounding the Anatolian Peninsula. These new and wonderful ingredients were integrated into the basic cuisine in the following millennia.
Türkiye Landscape
With the combined characteristics of the world’s three oldest continents and an ecological diversity that surpasses any other country along the 40th parallel, the Turkish landscape encompasses such a wide variety of geographic zones that you will find yourself in a different zone every two to four hours by car, with all the accompanying changes in landscape, temperature, altitude, humidity, vegetation, and weather.
Thus, the diversity of cuisine has taken over that of the landscape with its regional variations.
Eastern Region
In the eastern region of Türkiye, you’ll encounter rugged, snow-capped mountains where winters are long and cold, and highlands where spring, with its lush wildflowers and rushing streams, extends into the long, cool summer. Livestock production is widespread. Butter, yoğurt, cheese, honey, meat, and cereals are the local foods. The long winters are best survived with the help of yoğurt soup and meatballs flavoured with aromatic herbs from the mountains, followed by endless servings of tea.
Central Anatolia Region
The interior is an arid steppe of rolling hills, endless wheat fields, and barren rock that takes on the most incredible shades of gold, purple, and cool and warm greys as the sun moves across the sky.
Along the trade routes lie ancient towns with lush cultivated orchards and gardens. Among them is Konya, the capital of the Seljuk Empire, which distinguished itself as the centre of a culture that attracted scholars, mystics, and poets from around the world in the 13th century. The sumptuous cuisine enjoyed in Konya today, with its clay oven Kebaps (Tandır), Börek, meat and vegetable dishes and Helva desserts.
TurkAegean Region
Heading west, you finally reach warm, fertile valleys between cultivated mountain slopes and the lacy shores of the TurkAegean, where nature is friendly, and life has always been carefree. Fruits and vegetables of all kinds are in abundance, and the best is the seafood! Olive oil is a staple food here and is used in both hot and cold dishes.
Black Sea Region
The temperate zone of Türkiye’s Black Sea coast in the north is protected by the high Caucasian Mountains and is rich in hazelnuts, corn, and tea. The Black Sea people are fishermen and identify with their ecological companion, the shimmering Hamsi, a small fish similar to the anchovy. There are at least 40 different dishes prepared with Hamsi, including desserts!
Many poems, anecdotes and folk dances are inspired by this delicious fish.
South-Eastern Region
The south-eastern part of Türkiye is hot and arid and offers the greatest variety of kebabs and sweet pastries, such as the famous Baklava. The dishes here are spicier than in any other region, possibly to delay spoilage in hot weather or, as the locals say, to match the heat inside the body to that outside!
The development of agriculture can be described as the first revolution in the history of humanity and it was accomplished approximately 10,000-12,000 years ago in the territories of Mesopotamia. Wheat, which is the symbol of the transition to sedentary life and the symbol of agriculture, has an important position in the region’s cuisine. Durum wheat (Triticum durum) and Siyez wheat (Einkorn wheat) were first cultivated in the fertile south-eastern Türkiye.
Marmara Region
The culinary centre of the country is the Marmara region, which includes Thrace, with İstanbul as its Queen City. This temperate, fertile region has a great variety of fruits and vegetables, as well as the best seasoned lamb. The variety of fish that travel through the Bosphorus surpasses that of the other seas. Since İstanbul is the heart of Turkish cuisine, a glimpse into the Sultan’s kitchen is essential to understand it!