TURKISH CUISINE AND DINING OUT
Would someone come to Turkey just to eat out? Yes, they would. Turkish food is famous
throughout the world. The painstaking preparation of simple, but fresh ingredients brings
out the richness of their flavors in a way that never fails to delight. The range is
enormous, from the many soups to an astonishing variety of hors d'oeuvres (meze) followed
by meat and fish dishes. Then pause awhile to contemplate the famous Turkish sweets and
pastries before finishing with Turkish coffee. All Turkish food is prepared from fresh
ingredients. The country produces a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, and, being
surrounded on three sides by sea, the range of fish to be found is considerable.
Among alcoholic drinks are the light Turkish beer, local wines, and the national drink,
'raki'(an anisette), which clouds when water is added, giving it the popular name of
"lion's milk." The drinking of raki is a rite in itself, and it is traditionally
accompanied by a variety of "meze" (hors d'oeuvres). Wherever you go, coffee or
tea will be offered to you. Bottled drinking water and mineral water are easily found
everywhere. Tap water is drinkable but the taste is not good because it is chlorinated.
Especially in large cities like Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir, you can also find restaurants
which feature Chinese, Russian, Japanese, Korean, French, Swiss, German and Italian
cuisine.
