Kebab and Meat Dishes

While more vegetable dishes are eaten in the Aegean region, the West of Turkey, kebab, and meat dishes are quite popular in the remaining parts of the country. Tasting delicious vegetable and meat dishes, as well as immersing yourself in the historical magic of Istanbul, will be one of the best experiences you have ever had. 

Turkish Culture

The history of Turkish culture lasted in Central Asia until the 11th century. The Turks also got a taste for nomadic life and then moved to a settled life. Turks have coexisted with many nations throughout history. As a result, they have also been influenced by regions such as Central Asia, the Balkans, and the Middle East. This process of influence has also radically changed the Turks’ language, religion, culture, and lifestyle, and a nation has emerged that contains many cultures unique to this nation. 

While the Turks’ religions, languages, and cultures were generally influenced by a cultural synthesis, magnificent Turkish cuisine emerged. On the other hand, Istanbul is a very lively and constantly developing city that contains a massive synthesis of culture, just like Turkish culture. Therefore, if you want to taste the delicious dishes of Turkish culture and see the historical monuments of the Ottoman-Byzantine period that contain cultural syntheses, Istanbul will be the right choice.

Although Turkish cuisine is generally famous for its dishes made with meat, we can say that vegetable dishes are also quite famous as good news for tourists who will come to explore Istanbul. You will be impressed by Turkish cuisine with various appetizers, and one-pot dishes made with vegetables, and pulses soups, and you will not forget their taste. 

Meat Dishes

Dishes made with meat are quite famous in Turkey, and you can meet delicious tastes from doners to hamburgers, kebabs, to home-cooked dishes made with meat. Turks have been a nation engaged in animal husbandry and agriculture for a long time, taking advantage of the country’s fertile soil. Therefore, if you are not a vegan or vegetarian, we recommend that you try meat dishes first among the things to eat in Istanbul. So, let’s take a look at some of the famous and popular meat dishes that can be eaten in Istanbul together and which ones you should eat, and where you should eat them.

Kebab is perhaps one of the most popular and decadent meat dishes among the things to eat in Istanbul. Kebab is the name given to meat dishes cooked on barbecued oak charcoal or in a wood oven. While there are many varieties and ways of making kebabs in Turkey and the Middle East, the primary ingredient is meat, and meat quality is essential. After trying a variety of meat dishes and kebabs in traditional Turkish cuisine, you can be sure that you will think of nothing but these dishes. 

Types of Kebabs

The first type of kebab that we will recommend for you to try will be eggplant kebab with meat because it is a dish consisting of both vegetables and meat. Meat and eggplants cooked next to each other on a wood fire are accompanied by peppers and tomatoes, and rice is also brought with them in restaurants. While searching for things to eat in Istanbul, you will probably come across luxury kebabs or artisan restaurants. Whether you eat it in a luxury restaurant or an artisan restaurant, eggplant kebab will be a taste that you will not forget.

Another example of kebab, one of the indispensable elements of meat dishes, will be Adana Kebab. Adana is a lovely province of Turkey, and meat dishes are very famous there. For this reason, this type of kebab, which was initially made in Adana but which you can eat with skillful hands in Istanbul, will be among the flavors that you will not forget. This type of kebab is made by passing the meat made into minced meat and flavored with spices through a bottle and turning it over the fire. In addition to kebabs, onions, lavash, all kinds of appetizers, and tomatoes are brought to all restaurants. 

Iskender Kebab, on the other hand, is a delicious meat dish that was originally famous in the Turkish province of Bursa but is now made in every region of the country. This dish consists of a combination of yogurt, a special pita bread, butter, meat in the form of doner and tomato sauce. It is so delicious that this type of kebab has become one of the indispensable in Turkish cuisine. People can go to Bursa and eat this dish no matter how far they are to eat it. But the most suitable places for you to eat this meat dish can be shops and restaurants where Bursa craftsmen work, located in Istanbul.

The last kebab that we will recommend will be Tas kebab because it is a very tasty meat dish that can be made both at home and in restaurants. This kebab is a different flavor in which cubed meat cooked for a long time is combined with fried potatoes and rice. In addition, there are quite healthy ingredients in this meat dish, such as onions, tomatoes, garlic, and peppers.