Türkiye is the best place to go on vacation if delicious food is your top priority. Located in the centre of the Mediterranean, Türkiye has a rich cultural history, gorgeous landscapes, and a wide variety of tourist attractions to offer visitors. It also provides its guests with a one-of-a-kind gastronomical experience by bringing the best tastes of its centuries-old, deeply rooted cuisine culture to the tables.
During the summer season in Türkiye, there is no doubt that olive oil dishes, vegetables and light recipes prepared with regional herbs and seafood from the country's surrounding seas are the most famous dishes on the menus. Let's look at some light, healthy, and delicious summer tastes that will keep you happy in a 'Turkish style' on hot summer days...
Olive oil and herbs: Two stars of Turkish summer tables
Sticking to a Mediterranean diet to stay healthy and fit is relatively simple during your holiday in Türkiye. Because the miracle of olive oil, essential for living a long and healthy life, can be included in every meal of the day. Olive oil dishes are served as appetisers on small plates in restaurants and as the main course at home. Green beans with olive oil, cooked across Türkiye and consumed as an appetiser, are served as a main course at homes during the summer. The use of meat and minced meat is also reduced during summer to make the meals lighter and healthier. Green beans, eggplant dishes, stuffed vine leaves (Sarma) or stuffed vegetables (Dolma) are also optionally cooked without meat. Summer also sees an increase in the use of fresh green herbs, and salads with plenty of olive oil, vinegar, or lemon are served with every meal.
Furthermore, wherever you go in Türkiye, you may come upon a specific herb in that region. Because, in this vast landscape, every region is distinguished by its unique biodiversity. In İzmir, the pearl of the Aegean, for example, you can taste herbs like blessed thistle (şevket-i bostan) or samphire (Deniz börülcesi). The stars of the Aegean coast's tables are regional vegetables like artichokes, zucchini flowers, and other herbs unique to the region. When no food is at home on summer days, the melon-watermelon and white cheese trio usually comes to the rescue. Çanakkale Ezine cheese and a few slices of melon or watermelon make up a perfect yet light meal.
Delicious Recipes of the Turkish Riviera
In addition to its pleasant climate, stunning landscapes, and healthy cuisine, the Turkish Riviera attracts attention during the summer months for its wide selection of vegetable dishes prepared with organic olive oil. Tahinli piyaz is one of the delicacies that foodies must try during their visit to the Turkish Riviera. The excellent combination of dry beans with tahini, onions, and tomatoes can even replace the main course on a hot summer day. And you must also try the Finike orange, which is known as one of the most delicious oranges in the world! A glass of ice-cold Finike orange juice with its unique aroma will refresh you on hot summer days.
Türkiye’s summer meals are not just based on Aegean and Mediterranean tastes. Ayran Aşı (cold yogurt soup with wheat and chickpea), a summer favourite, is one of the most well-known local dishes of Eastern Anatolia. When visiting Anatolia, you can try this famous soup prepared with various grains and seeds in different regions. On a hot summer day in Anatolia, Kahramanmaraş's Maraş ice cream, is also a refreshing treat. This delicious ice cream, produced with goat's milk and the roots of Maraş's wild orchids planted in Kahramanmaraş, is perfect for cooling off on hot summer days.
Fresh Fish
Fish is a vital element of the Mediterranean diet and is typically consumed all summer. It's also one of the most essential tastes in Turkish cuisine. As a country surrounded by three seas, Türkiye experiences an abundance of seasonal seafood varieties. Many delicious fish can be found on Turkish menus for summer tastes. During the summer, fish is typically prepared by cooking or grilling and is sometimes steamed with vegetables and served healthily. We also want to remind you that white wines from local grapes unique to Turkish lands, such as Bornova Misketi, Emir, and Narince, have great taste and pair well with seafood, olive oil, and fresh summer fruits...
Don't leave Türkiye without trying these healthy summer tastes
- Ayran Aşı Soup https://van.goturkiye.com/taste
- Green beans with olive oil https://www.youtube.com/shorts/eYewjANnTDo
- Tahinli piyaz https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=0VHIUp_-HO0
- Watermelon-Ezine Cheese https://gastronomy.goturkiye.com/marmara
- Maraş Ice Cream https://gastronomy.goturkiye.com/traditional-maras-ice-cream-and-its-history
- Ice-cold Finike orange juice https://gastronomy.goturkiye.com/a-taste-of-the-turkish-riviera