Top 3 Traditional Turkish Dishes

Yaprak (Dolma)

Dolma is a quintessential dish that can be found in many Turkic countries, and the name comes from the Turkish word dolmak, which means “to fill”. It has been a staple for centuries and is basically a family of stuffed dishes where wrapped and stuffed vine leaves are considered to be the queen of Dolmas.

Köfte

Köfte or kofta are traditional Turkish meatballs that are usually made from ground lamb or beef. It’s often served as a mezze, but can be part of the main dish as well. There are various versions of Köfte, such as Adana kofte and içli köfte. Another version is Çiğ köfte, which is a raw meatball. There are 291 different kinds of kofta in the country, which is one of many interesting facts about Turkey.

Mantı

Mantı is basically the Turkish version of dumplings, filled with spiced meat such as lamb or ground beef. Yogurt and garlic are also used to make the dish, which was originally created by Turkic folk groups. In Anatolia, Mantı is usually boiled or baked instead of being steamed. The oldest known recipe dates back to the 15th century and the Ottoman empire, and according to that recipe, Mantı should be filled with pounded lamb and crushed chickpeas before they are steamed and served with yogurt on top mixed with crushed garlic and sumac.