Turkish cuisine is known as gastronomy center. When you think of Turkish food, people usually think of kebabs, but sometimes you find the most special flavors on the street, not in the restaurant. Street flavors have an important place in the culinary culture in Turkey as well as in the rest of the world. I have brought together these delicacies that the local people consume every day. If you visit Turkey one day, be sure to read this article that can guide you.

Turkish bagel ( simit )

Bagel, a kind of bread, may be one of our oldest and most popular street delicacies. It is mostly eaten for breakfast but you can see people on the street who eat bagel  almost every hour of the day. It is one of the prominent tastes among Turkey’s street tastes and can be found almost everywhere today. You can see a man selling simit on every corner on the street. You can fill your stomach very cheaply. Simit; It is prepared from yeast dough with sugar, milk and oil. The ring-shaped bagel is sesame and given to the oven. Sesame seeds are pressed into the dough with the help of molasses. It’s like bread, but it’s really so delicious that it’s perfect with a cup of tea and a slice of cheese.

Fish and bread ( Balık Ekmek )

If you like fish but don’t want to spend a lot of money, you should definitely come to the fish and bread boats you can find on the beach in Istanbul. Think of a wonderful fillet fried in a barbecue, in a fresh piece of bread. It’s so delicious with onions, lettuce and tomatoes inside that you can’t wait for it to be finished to order another one. You can find this flavor not only in Istanbul but everywhere on the coast, but the most famous is in Istanbul.

Chestnut ( Kestane )

You may not see this flavor in any other country. (Maybe. Actually I don’t know) You cannot guess that chestnut can be a street delicacy. If you see a car with a mini barbecue on the street, approach immediately and buy 100 g of the crispy chestnuts . Eat hot. No matter how much you try at home, you will never reach this taste. I don’t know the reason maybe charcoal or type of  chestnuts, but it’s delicious. It warms you up, especially on cold winter nights.

Rice with chickpeas ( Nohutlu pilav )

You’re leaving work and you’re very hungry. You immediately go to the rice cart on the corner of the street. First, you will eat one, then two or three plates of this delicious rice. It is an excellent dish with ayran . It competes in taste with my mother’s rice. It is one of the most beautiful foods sold on the street.

Kokoreç

Kokoreç, which has come from Ottoman cuisine, is a dish that attracts a lot of attention. Kokoreç, which is made from the small intestine of the sheep, is among the first dishes that come to mind when it comes to street delicacies. Thinly sliced ​​meats are mixed with spices and placed between the bread.Put  Kokoreç in iron sticks and cooked by turning.We say şiş to these stickes. Kokoreç, which can be found almost everywhere in Turkey, is sold by peddlers as well as by restaurants that make kokoreç. If you ask me, peddlers on the street are more delicious. Some sellers serve it with tomato , pepper  and oregano.

Stuffed mussels ( Midye dolma )

How many can you eat in one sitting? Do you have a record of eating stuffed mussels? Can Turks make stuffing from anything? Stuffed mussels is a very popular street food that is cooked with rice, onions, spices and pieces of mussels and served in mussel shells. You can see people eating 50 of them. You take the mussel in your hand, squeeze a lot of lemon and ask for another one. Yes Turks can stuff many things with rice .

Raw Meatballs ( Çiğ köfte )

My favourite. I can eat every day. Meatball without meat . If you like spicy food, you should definitely taste it. A delicious raw meatball in a lettuce leaf is really delicious. We say raw because we do not cook it. We can list the raw meatball ingredients as follows; Brown bulgur for raw meatballs, hot water,  salt,  tablespoons of isot,  tomato paste, pepper paste,  pomegranate syrup, olive oil, lemon juice. You have to mix all the ingredients and knead very well. In fact, the secret is in the kneading. It takes some strength. The ingredients you use must be fresh. Most importantly, it must be spicy , very spicy . A glass of ice-cold  ayran can be a perfect match . Yummy

Street delicacies are endless. There are many flavors that I haven’t counted yet. Corn, tantuni, doner, …. I hope I was able to introduce our culture a little.