Guide to Turkish Street food

Turkey produces some amazingly tasty, traditional treats from fantastically fresh ingredients. From the savoury fan to the sweetest tooth, there is something for everyone. Get familiar with Turkish treats before you go so you can enjoy them confidently.

Borek

Borek (pronounced burr-ek) are filled pastries, either baked as individual borek, or one large borek and then cut into portions (pictured above). They are made with thin filo-like pastry and common fillings include cheese and parsley, mincemeat, spinach and potato. They are delicious fresh and are still tasty once they have cooled down later.

Simit

(sim-it) are rings of bread covered in sesame seeds. Street vendors often carry them on a tray impossibly balanced on their heads. They are a really convenient snack when you’re on the go. In fact due to the mess created by shedding sesame seeds, it is probably easiest to eat them on the go!

Gozleme

Gozleme (gurz-lem-ay) are the Turkish equivalent of the crepe (pancakes with a filling). They are made from lavas dough and baked over a hot griddle. Their fillings are similar to those in borek and chocolate banana gozleme have appeared in tourist areas.

Kebabs

Kebabs in Turkey are not the same as those nasty kebabs you eat on the way home from a drunken night out. Shavings of meat are taken from a chunk of meat on a spit & served in a flat bread with onions, salad and usually ketchup, mayonnaise and chilli sauce.

Kokorec

(pronounced kok-or-etch) I have to be honest, I really don’t like kokorec. I include it however because it is very commonly sold on the streets of Turkey. Kokorec is made from lamb or goat intestines, often stuffed with sweetbreads, heart, lung and kidneys and has a really strong smell. You’re looking forward to trying it already. I can tell.