If you’ve ever been to Turkey, you’ve probably seen or tasted the famous borek, a phyllo dough filled with cheese, spinach, ground beef, or potatoes. Another popular street food in Turkey is simit, a crispy round bagel covered in sesame seeds. You can’t help but feel like you’ve gone crazy over this addictive snack! Then there’s the ubiquitous corn, which is served wrapped in green corn husks. It’s delicious, too, and you can even have corn on the cob with the husks attached.
Simit
There are many street food vendors in Istanbul selling simit, a sesame-crusted bread ring that can be eaten with tea or chocolate spread. The ring can be purchased from local bakeries, or you can find simit at Simit Sarayi, a Turkish bakery chain with outlets across the city. A small simit will set you back just two Turkish lira (approximately $1.50), but if you’re on a budget, buy a few at a time. The ring-shaped savoury roll is usually available in bakeries, and costs a mere two Turkish lira (roughly $2.50). Unlike other street foods, simit is also served with meze, a collection of small appetizer dishes that can be eaten before or alongside a main
A round, sesame-crusted bread, simit is traditionally made from flour, water, yeast, and salt. It is then covered in sesame seeds and baked until its center is fluffy and golden brown. The best way to eat simit is with cheese and ayran, which are often sold with it. If you’re looking for a filling breakfast, simit is a great choice.
Balık-Ekmek
Turkey is a culinary gem, with some of the best foods found on the streets of Istanbul. But eating in high-end restaurants can burn a hole in your wallet. To save your money, consider sampling these delicious street foods instead. Here are our top picks for the best street food in Turkey. Enjoy! This list has something for everyone. From fried fish to grilled kebab, Turkey has something for everyone!
Doner kebab is a traditional savoury dish that is often wrapped in lavash, a thin tortilla-like flatbread. Doner kebab can be found at Karadeniz Pide ve Doner Salonu. Another favorite is pilav, which can be eaten at any time of day. While pilav is widely available at restaurants, it’s best to pick it up from a street vendor. We love our pilav vendor, Meshur Tahtakale Pilavcisi!
Typically served at the streetside, balk-ekmek is a delicious way to start your Istanbul visit. Served hot or cold, balk-ekmek is a perfect lunch or snack to start your trip. The traditional sandwich contains grilled mackerel, onion, and lettuce. It’s often served with lemon or pickle juice, and is a perfect treat after a Bosporus cruise. https://stevehacks.com/
Lahmacun
Another famous Turkish street food is lahmacun, also known as Turkish pizza. This dish is a thin round dough topped with minced meat, onions, parsley, tomatoes, and spices. It is served hot, with a bit of lemon and parsley on top. It is also delicious when wrapped up like a burrito and eaten with a yogurt drink. If you’re not in the mood for a spicy meal, try lahmacun with lamb and beef.
This savory bread is typically served with thinly sliced lettuce, red onions, and/or herbs. If you’re adventurous, you can also eat the lahmacun right out of the oven. If you’re pressed for time, you can always bake them in two pans to shorten cooking time. In the meantime, you can reheat them as needed. Just make sure that they are cooked before eating.
While you’re in Turkey, you must try lahmacun. Known as Turkey’s answer to pizza, this savory flatbread is a tasty treat. It’s cheaper than pizza and makes a great snack. Another popular variation is called pide. This pie is similar to a pizza, but it’s filled with peynir cheese. While the dough in lahmacun is made of thin pastry, pide dough is much thicker.
Dürüm
Dürüm, or doughnuts, is a popular snack that originated in Western Turkey, but has since spread throughout the country, especially during the Ottoman era. The dish is made up of meatballs that are grilled and encased in bread. It is topped with fresh sliced tomatoes, onions, parsley, and grilled green peppers. It is served as a snack or a meal. It is especially popular near stadiums.
Another famous street food is the Dürüm sandwich. Similar to a pizza, this sandwich is made from meat that is grilled and served with salad and lemon juice. This savory treat is often served hot and makes a great lunch or dinner. While there are many Turkish street foods, this one is sure to satisfy your hunger. A traditional snack for travelers, Dürüm is served hot and is often accompanied by a glass of wine.
Another tasty snack in Istanbul is the Turkish Durum. This burrito-style sandwich contains slow-cooked meat, wrapped in thin lavash bread. While the lavash bread is chewy and thin, it’s sturdy enough to hold the meats together. If you’re looking for a filling lunch, try durum. Whether you’re traveling with a large group, a durum is an inexpensive, wholesome option.
Tantuni
A classic of Turkish street food, tantuni is made from a stuffed tortilla topped with meat and spices. The spicy filling is traditionally served with a lemon or lime and is traditionally mind-blowingly hot. Tantuni is an authentic street food that originated in Mersin, a Mediterranean city on the Turkish Mediterranean coast. Other popular street foods include kokorec (fried green peppers) and lahmacun (a Turkish pizza).
This popular sandwich is similar to Durum, but the filling is beef, wrapped in a thin tortilla. Another popular street food in Istanbul is “midye dolma,” stuffed mussels. Both ranked midway on the list, these dishes are experimental, but everyone can appreciate them. They are available throughout Istanbul, so be sure to try them out. There is no shortage of delicious street food in Istanbul.
Another famous street food in Turkey is the Turkish kebab. Made of ground beef, it is served on a hot plate with spices. It can be eaten in bread or a durum wrap. Another popular dish is lahmacun, which has a thin layer of tomato and meat on it. These dishes are cheap and can be enjoyed by anyone. Unlike other street foods, these dishes are prepared in a pan and are cooked on a large hot plate.
Midye dolma
If you’re a seafood lover, you’ll want to try the traditional dish of stuffed mussels (midye dolma). This tasty snack is sold by street vendors along Turkey’s coastal regions. They scoop the mussels out of their shells with a spoon and sprinkle lemon juice over them. You can also order the dish at a seafood restaurant and enjoy it cold. But it’s even better if you get it from a vendor’s stall and squeeze lemon juice on top before eating. https://stevehacks.webflow.io/
If you’re not quite ready to make your own sandwich, then consider ordering one of Turkey’s traditional pizzas, or Lahmacun. Lahmacun is thin, oval-shaped dough topped with minced meat, tomatoes, onions, parsley, and red pepper. It’s best eaten hot. Another street food that is sure to make your mouth water is Bali ekmek, a fish fillet sandwich served with lettuce and onions. The tangy and spicy taste of this Turkish treat makes it one of the best things you can get in Turkey.
Kokoreç
The classic Turkish street food of kokorec is worth the trip alone, but if you want to go all out, try a whole kebab of grilled sheep intestines. This dish is incredibly spicy and is usually served on top of Turkish bread with a side of yogurt and/or turnip juice. While not exactly traditional, kokorec can be a great way to experience Turkish cuisine without breaking the bank.
If you’re a street food lover, Istanbul is a foodie’s dream. You’ll be able to sample a wide variety of Turkish street food at a number of affordable prices, from a few US dollars to a few Euros. Be sure to check out some of the many peddlers and vendors on the street who serve delicious street food.
If you’re looking for something a little more sophisticated, try durum, which is a type of flatbread stuffed with meat, cheese, and vegetables. It can be bought on the street or at more upscale restaurants and comes in both wrap and stuffed inside. Try it at Bambi in Taksim Square or Kizilkayalar in the Grand Bazaar.
Kumpir
The ultimate baked potato, the kumpir is filled with cheese, pureed potatoes, and butter. It originated in East Europe and was brought to Turkey by the Ottomans. It is served with a variety of toppings and is best eaten for breakfast. A slice of kumpir is a great way to start your day. Another popular street food is the Borek, a phyllo dough stuffed with a variety of fillings. You can also order this food as a tea snack or a quick breakfast.
A deliciously simple street food from Turkey is kumpir. This baked potato dish is often sold by vendors by the roadside, but you can find them in Turkish restaurants as well. Kumpir is a popular street food staple in Turkey and is one of the most versatile. It can be topped with a variety of toppings, including cheese, kasar cheese, and sosis, or even sausages!