7 Turkish Dishes served on our Turkey sailing tours That Vegetarians Will fall in love with
7 Turkish Dishes served on our Turkey sailing tours That Vegetarians Will fall in love with
Turkish cuisine has a great variety of vegetable dishes. Just one of the details that make Turkish cuisine so delicious is the extent to which it's seasonal. Almost every dish can only be found in the season in which its primary ingredients are freshest and most delicious.
The most internationally known Turkish vegetarian and vegan meal is dolma in which just about everything can be stuffed (though of course stuffed vine leaves are most common). In southwest Turkey where we are offering our amazing sail Turkey tours, it is Mediterranean cuisine that tends to be olive oil-based, giving an extra light flavor to delicious fresh veggies.
Turkey’s Mediterranean coast has an incredibly varied landscape, from rolling hills to seaside beauty. As a result, it is literally the heaven of fresh fruits and vegetables, and they’re all used in cooking. Many Turks eat what is essentially a vegetarian diet, particularly on the Mediterranean coast where herbs and vegetables are so common we promise, whether you are vegetarian or not you will fall in love with 7 specific dishes that served on our sail Turkey tours. so here they are – 7 delicious Turkish vegan dishes. And one more note for you meat lovers out there – Don’t worry you will also have what you are craving for.
Mücver
Mücver is zucchini fries with feta cheese, onion, and dill. The zucchini is shredded or finely chopped and then fried in olive oil, typically with a touch of red pepper flakes sprinkled on top to give it just the lightest hint of a kick to it. Eggs are also used in some recipes to make them stick together more easily, but making them without eggs is just as easy and doesn’t take away anything from the flavor.
This is one of those dishes where you can make massive portions, so the first few Mücver are devoured right off the rack but when people get full you can wait until they cool down, and some people actually think that mücver is great when it is cold
Mücver just means fries in general, so in the other parts of Turkey they'll be made with carrots or potatoes, but zucchini mücver are certainly the most common and the most classic.
İmambayıldı
İmambayıldı is essentially a large flat eggplant stuffed with all kinds of yummy goodies and drenched in olive oil. The stuffing is an onion and garlic with tomatoes and herbs and spices. The name supposedly comes from an imam, whose wife told him that she'd used all the olive oil for just one dish and he fainted first at the cost of this one dish, and then after trying it he fainted again at how delicious it was!
Lentil Kofte
Lentil Kofte, or lentil balls, are made using red lentils and bulgur wheat to form balls and then stuffed with herbs onions, currants, spices and pine nuts, and it's often eaten around a piece of lettuce, cabbage, or vine leaves. Veggies can be thrown in as well, like peppers, zucchini, tomatoes or eggplants. But traditionally it's just a load of herbs and spices with possibly some tomato and pepper paste for a real burst of flavor with every bite. They're a common dish and an excellent source of protein for vegans looking around for something new to try!
Kısır
Kısır is very similar to a middle-eastern dish Tabbouleh salad. It's a bulgur-based salad made with tomato paste, finely diced tomatoes, parsley, and garlic. Dry onions or spring onions are both common, and so are cucumbers chopped as finely as the tomatoes. Lemon and olive oil are usually used as dressings, though many regions use pomegranate sauce. It's a very common food in the Mediterranean region.
Stuffed Vine Leaves
This is the most popular one on the list. Vine leaves are usually stuffed using rice, onions, currants, and pine nuts. This same essential stuffing can also be used to stuff vegetables. Stuffed peppers, stuffed zucchini, stuffed tomatoes, stuffed eggplant, and stuffed onions are all relatively common and the stuffing is often more or less the same. As rolling out the stuffed vine leaves can be difficult, it's often a rite of passage for children or a bonding experience as all the family gets together and stuffs their food together before devouring the delicious food.
Hummus
Hummus is a dip, spread, or savory dish made from cooked, mashed chickpeas blended with tahini, lemon juice, garlic, and spices. It is popular in the Middle East and Turkey.
Turkish Spring Rolls
Turkish spring Rolls are perfect to be shared or eaten as a quick snack to satiate. Inside the crisp outer shell is a mixture of white cheese, fresh vegetables, and herbs. The salt of the cheese mingles with the satisfying crunch, leaving you wanting just one more, every time.
Come and join us for a fun-filled week of sailing and try out all Turkish delicacies in every single meal. On all of our Turkey sailing tours, we have an exclusive chef onboard. For more information; www.goturkeysail.com/destinations