Börek (Phyllo Pastry)
Börek is one of our favourite breakfast options! It’s basically a type of pastry filled with cheese between the layers of paper-sheet thin dough. If you are not a huge fan of cheese - don’t worry - there’s something for everyone! They have many different types of “börek” filled with potatoes, meat, peas and even mushrooms! I don’t know if it’s possible to try them all throughout your stay but what we’ve tried DID NOT disappoint!
Baklava
Perhaps the most popular type of dessert in Turkey is Baklava! After trying our first Turkish Baklava, we see why it’s so popular among locals and tourists.
Baklava is a bite size, sweet pastry, made of filo and filled with chopped nuts such as pistachios and walnuts and soaked in honey. There are tons of different kinds of baklava to choose from, but whatever you choose - you will not be disappointed.
One of our favourite Baklava tasting experiences was at “Hafiz Mustafa” cafe in Istanbul.
Izmir Bomba
Have you ever eaten a dessert and wished that is had bit more filling, just a tad more of chocolate? Well, Izmir Bomba is literally the king of all the chocolate desserts! Why? It’s all about the melted chocolate cream or Nutella and just a very thin layer of pastry! This pastry has originated in Izmir and can be founded anywhere in Turkey. I have no idea how many calories it contains, but I’d be careful if I was you! It is very addictive, sweet and filling. Make sure to have a tissue with you, otherwise you’ll look like a baby who’s just had their first chocolate ice-cream.
Kunefe (Sweet Cheese Pastry)
Turkish Künefe is something not to be missed on your trip! This mouth-watering dessert will take you to Cloud - 9! This goodness is made of buttered kadayif (thin Turkish noodles), stuffed with unsalted cheese and sweetened with syrup. When you cut into it, look out for some stringy cheese! If you don’t see one, your kunefe experience hasn’t been fulfilled! We can recommend you try Hafiz Mustafa”cafe in Istanbul for some hot künefe along with baklava.
Tavuk Göğüsü (Chicken Breast Pudding)
Have you ever heard of such thing before? Chicken dessert? What?! How does someone dare to put these two words together? Well, some sultans thought it was acceptable to do so during the Ottoman Empire! This milk pudding contains very fine shreds of white meat chicken and it’s usually topped with cinnamon. I think it’s a very polarising dessert - you either love it or hate it. Today, it is considered a signature dish of Turkey and we think that you should try it for yourselves! Please let us know what you think in the comments bellow! We are so intrigued!
Lokum (Turkish Delight)
Wow! Turkish delight is so Turkish that you’ll spot it on every corner! It’s a type of dessert that is based on a gel of starch and sugar. It usually contains varieties of largely chopped dates, pistachios, hazelnuts, walnuts and it’s bound by the gel. We haven’t tried that many Turkish delights (already put on weight from baklava and kebabs) but the one that we tried and fell in love with was “churchkhela” - Turkish sweet sausage.
Halka Tatlisi (Turkish Sweet Churros)
Halka tatlisi is a very sweet type of dessert! It’s like a churro but round, fried and dipped into syrup! To be honest with you, we found it to be a bit too oily and sweet but maybe we didn’t try it at the right vendor. We might have to give it another go!
Osmanli Macunu (Ottaman Candy)
Osmanli Macunu is a type of dessert that is just so beautiful to look at! We didn’t see that many men offering this type of candy but once we saw one on the street - we had to give it a go! It’a type of candy that is made of Turkish toffee paste and it comes in different flavours and colours! It’s quite gooey and served on a stick with different colours!
Simit (Turkish Bagel)
Simit dates back to Ottoman Empire and it is easily accessible everywhere in Istanbul. You will see a ton of red pushcarts dotted around Istanbul selling these Turkish bagels usually covered in sesame seeds. Locals like to grab these on the go for their breakfast. You can also ask a seller to pair it with some nutella or creme cheese.
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