Situated at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, Turkish cuisine originates from Central Asia and flourishes in Anatolia. In a sense, it embodies elements of both Middle Eastern and Mediterranean culinary traditions, with meats, vegetables, and legumes forming the core of Turkish gastronomy, predominantly featuring beef, lamb, and chicken. Its distinctive feature lies in accentuating the natural flavors of ingredients, primarily meat and dairy, emphasizing authenticity through the use of butter, olive oil, salt, onions, garlic, spices, and vinegar.
This culinary masterpiece, Turkish grilled meat, also known as Turkish halal cuisine, primarily consists of lamb, beef, and chicken.
The iconic rotating vertical spit of grilled meat is known as doner kebab.
It can be further classified into:
- Sliced and served in bread, called doner kebab (grilled meat sandwich).
- Rolled in flatbread, known as durum kebab (wrap-style grilled meat).
- Served as sliced grilled meat on a plate with yogurt, named Iskender kebab. These variations primarily use beef. Grilled chicken is called tavuk kebab. Cooked in a clay pot, served by cracking the pot open onto an iron plate, is known as testi kebab.
Skewered minced meat is termed adana kebab.
Alternating layers of eggplant and meat on a skewer are referred to as Patlican kebab.
Meatballs flattened and grilled are called kofte.
Sheep intestines wrapped into a large cylindrical shape, horizontally grilled, are known as kokorec.
Grilled fish is called balik kebab, served openly as a dish in restaurants. Eating grilled fish sandwiched in bread is known as balik ekmek.
In Turkey, grilled meat is not just a food; it symbolizes a way of life. Picture this: in the glow of the setting sun, a masterful grill chef attentively tends to skewers over charcoal, beads of sweat trickling down his forehead. This in itself is a captivating scene. And when you taste the crispy exterior and succulent, aromatic meat, the satisfaction is beyond words.
