Turkish cuisine is an impressive blend of the various societies and food cultures of the Ottoman Empire. Turkish food culture represents the multicultural society and the influences of different culinary traditions with a variety of dishes such as soups, meat dishes, vegetable dishes with olive oil, appetisers, and desserts. 

The diverse food cultures of Anatolia, the Aegean, the Mediterranean, the East, and the Black Sea are among the main factors that enrich Turkish cuisine. The variety of products grown in different climates and soil types across these regions enhances the richness of the cuisine. One of the distinctive features of Turkish cuisine is its winter meals, which include meat dishes, winter vegetables, and rich spices.

Here are 4 delicious and practical Turkish recipes you should try during the winter season:

Lentil Soup will warm you up in the cold winter season. This soup, which can be prepared practically with very simple and few ingredients, will protect you from all diseases with its high protein and abundant vitamin content.

After roasting the onion and carrot in oil, add the tomato paste. Once all of them are cooked, put the red lentils in the pot and pour hot water over them according to the amount of ingredients. After the lentils soften, add spices such as salt, black pepper and cumin. Finally, blend the soup until smooth to bring out its full flavour. This easy-to-make soup, prepared with easily available ingredients, will brighten your table with its orange hue.

If you want to discover various soups in Turkish cuisine, you should check this blog post here: The Delicious Starters.

One of the unique flavours of Aegean cuisine, celery root in olive oil, strengthens your body with its healthy content that is beneficial for liver health and a strong immune system. Harvested in winter, this healing vegetable captivates those who taste it with its lightness and distinct flavour, enhanced by lemon and olive oil.

Firstly, you should peel the celery root and cut it into bite-sized pieces. One of the important tips is to soak these pieces in lemon water. Then, you should fry the onion and garlic in olive oil. When they are cooked, you should put the celery pieces into the pot. Finally, you should add salt, black pepper, and some hot water. After cooking it for about half an hour, you should cool the celery and serve it by garnishing it with fresh parsley.

Hünkârbeğendi is one of the most famous dishes of Ottoman cuisine, which was frequently served at the tables of the sultans in the Ottoman Empire. This dish, with its unforgettable flavour and the perfect harmony of eggplant purée and meat, will give you energy on cold winter days.

The base of the dish is made by crushing the roasted eggplants and mixing them with butter, flour, milk, and Turkish kasar cheese. Lamb or veal meat is cooked with onion, tomato, garlic, pepper and various spices. The meat is cooked over low heat until soft. Spread the creamy eggplant puree on the bottom of the plate and top with the lamb or beef sauté. You can preferably serve the dish with traditional Turkish yoghurt.

Pumpkin, the indispensable flavour of autumn and winter, becomes a delicious dessert with syrup, tahini, and walnuts. It is a wonderful winter dessert with its warming orange colour and unique aromatic flavour. 

Peel and cut the pumpkin into square slices and place them in a pot. Sprinkle the granulated sugar over the pumpkin and add some water to the tray. Close the lid and cook over low heat until the pumpkin softens. After cooking, you should let it rest for a while. At the last service part, you can top it with tahini and walnuts. 

Pumpkin is used in Turkish cuisine in creative ways, such as in soups, stuffing, or desserts. Those looking to explore different pumpkin recipes within Turkish food culture can check out this blog post: Traditional Turkish Pumpkin Recipes for the Fall Season.

Turkish cuisine offers a wonderful flavour route with its soups, vegetable dishes with olive oil, appetisers, meat dishes and desserts. If you want to learn more about Turkish cuisine and Turkish food culture, you should visit our web page about gastronomy.