Dining in Turkey

Overview

If you enjoy delicious food, you’ll have to schedule another trip after your medical tourism vacation just to sample everything that Turkey has to offer.  Widely regarded as one of the finest cuisines in the world, Turkish food takes its inspiration from a diverse range of sources – the Ottoman Empire, which, at the height of its glory, extended from Vienna to Arabia, the light fare of the Mediterranean, and the rich hearty food of central Asia.  Encompassing salads and soups, kebabs from Arabia, European-style steaks and appetizers, and Viennese pastries, the food is simple, yet diverse.  This ease of preparation ensures that most restaurant can rustle up a more than decent meal. 

Local Cuisine

Breakfasts on your Turkish medical tourism vacation will include plenty of freshly baked breads, fruits, black olives, white cheese, and yoghurts.  Tea, not coffee is the perk-me-up beverage of choice, and it’s almost always brewed from the rich tea leaves of the Black Sea region.  The locals generally eat a light lunch, which most often consists of a plate of doner kebabs - succulent pieces of lamb layered with ground beef and spices, wrapped tightly around a revolving spit and slow roasted.   

Dinner is a hearty affair that can stretch out for hours due to the incredible variety of food.  Appetizers might consist of green peppers or grape vine leaves stuffed with rice, nuts, and spices, and drizzled with olive oil, and a choice of dips and spreads for little pieces of bread.  Main dishes typically include kebabs either grilled on skewers or roasted inside a paper packet that is stuffed with onions, garlic, and thyme (pork rarely features on the menu with lamb and beef being the primary meats of choice).  Wind down with exquisite pastries, puddings, or your choice of fresh fruits.  And top it all off with black Turkish coffee (although the beans are often imported from Brazil).   

Also remember that in Turkey, restaurants generally specialize in one type of coking only. Kebab houses for instance, are great to go to for grilled meats.  For a lighter snack, head to a picdeci, where you’ll find a variety of freshly baked breads with a choice of cheese and vegetable toppings, like a pizza. 

International Cuisine

There are fast food franchises in all the major cities, like Istanbul and Ankara, and most 4 and 5 star hotels will have enough “familiar” food for the risk-averse.  But you’ll be missing out on a ton of delicious food culinary experiences by going the “safe” route.  Few medical tourism destinations can hold a torch to the sheer variety that Turkey has to offer.

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