These mouth-watering dishes are sure to set your taste buds tingling

Turkey’s delicious and exciting food is a major draw for tourists around the globe.. A huge variety of interesting dishes are available thanks to the richness of Turkeys cultural heritage, including Balkan, Ottoman and Turkic influences.

Cheap flights to Turkey are readily available at the moment, and food prices there are also very reasonable, making it the perfect destination for a culinary adventure on a budget! Below are ten Turkish dishes which are well worth the trip:

Mezes

Turkish appetizers, or mezes, are perfect to get the taste buds firing and restaurants will serve a large selection of hot and cold dishes.. Cold mezes include stuffed mussels, salad, aubergine and vine leaves.. Hot mezes usually inlclude borek, this is tasty flaky pastry stuffed with cheese, spinach or meat..

Main Dishes

Main courses in Turkey will often involve meat kebabs, with sauces and flavourings varying according to the region. Casseroles and goulash dishes are also popular. Fish is a very popular choice for a main course and is very fresh, including lobster, turbot and swordfish.. Popular cafes in Turkey will also serve homely stews known as ‘ev yemek’. Lahmacun, or Turkish Pizza, is a tasty and cheap lunchtime option. Barbecued bread is spread with minced lamb, coriander and other flavourings, then rolled with salad and lemon juice for a mouth-watering snack.

Seasonal fruits from the core of the Turkish desserts, including melons, cherries, strawberries, plums and almonds.

Seasonal fruits form the core of Turkish desserts, including almonds, plums, strawberries, cherries, melons and more, depending on the time of year. Delicious Baklava desserts are made with flaky pastry and sweetened with honey or syrup, they come in many shapes.. Delicious Baklava desserts come in many shapes, but all involve flaky pastry sweetened with syrup or honey. The cakes are made with fruit and nuts and are served with pistachios and cream.. Asure is a rich pudding which forms part of the history of the area. Legend has it the dish was created by Noah’s wife to celebrate the Ark coming to rest on Mount Ararat (in Turkey). The dish can contain up to forty ingredients, signifying everything that was left in the Ark’s kitchens!