There is no doubt someone would come to Turkey just to eat out. Turkey is ranked among the top five countries in the world for cuisine and no holiday is complete without tasting some of the delicious dishes on offer.

Stemming partly from the amazing variety of fresh ingredients and partly from the influence of the many civilizations that inhabited Anatolia throughout history, Turkish food is a must try.

Turkish food is prepared from fresh ingredients, and finished off with spices and herbs to delicately flavor the meal. Turkey produces a large amount of fruits and vegetables and being surrounded on three sides by sea there are many different types of fish available.

The variety of the Turkish food is enormous, from a choice of different soups to an astounding variety of meze (colourful platter of appetizers or small dishes) followed by fish and meat dishes. After the main course is finished, take a break to contemplate which famous Turkish sweets or pastries to try before finishing with a Turkish coffee or tea.

A Turkish breakfast is a very popular way to start the day. A typical breakfast in Turkey consists of slices of beyaz peynir (white cheese), honey or jam, black olives, fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, clotted water buffalo cream (kaymak), boiled eggs and piles of delicious fresh Turkish bread all accompanied by hot black tea in small tulip-shaped glasses.

In Turkey it is customary to say ‘Afiyet Olsun’ meaning Bon Apetit, and to the chef or person that cooked your food ‘Elinize Saglik’ which literally means “health to your hands”, but is interpreted as meaning “well done, very delicious”.