Unique flavours of Turkish Cuisine on Gulet Charter

Turkish cuisine is one of the most appetizing and rich cuisines of the world, and Turkish people are known to be quite passionate about food. Diversity and the full flavor makes the Turkish cuisine worldwide famous which draws influences from its rich history and each region in the country today praises its own specialities. In Turkey, people love eating and cooking food. Most meals at a typical Turkish home is like a feast. If you are a guest for breakfast, lunch or dinner, the variety of food and sincere hospitality of the people might seem quite surprising at first. Inviting guests for a meal is part of culture and tradition of a Turkish family and ‘taking good care’ of the guest is the cultural side of it.

Turkish people usually eat dishes prepared with fresh meat and vegetables. The freshness of the food is the most important. I can say that the main difference of Turkish food, differing from other cuisines, is its emphasis on freshness Turkish cuisine does not have sauces to hide the real taste of the food. Turkish people do not like to mix too many ingredients and prefer simplicity to taste each ingredient. The richness of Turkish cuisine is based on several different factors. Variety of products cultivated on the lands of Asia and Anatolia, numerous cultural interactions in history, the palace kitchen of Ottomans. Key ingredients being primarily meat, vegetable and legumes.

Turkish meals are generally soupy, consisting some kind of stew or stock. Hence, bread consumption tends to be way too much among Turks. Turkish cuisine uses many vegetables, and some of the most used vegetables are zucchini, tomato, onion, eggplant, cauliflower, green beans, potatoes, spinach, chickpeas, garlic, and lentils.

The oil used in Turkish food is mostly plant-based. There are some regional differences in oil preferences in Turkey. Generally, sunflower oil is the common oil in Turkish cuisine. Yet, south and west coastal areas use olive oil. North coastal areas use corn and hazelnut oil.

Turkish people eat three meals 3 times a day. Turkish people prefer a rich breakfast with many types of jams, bread, sausages, and fried or boiled eggs. Lunch is home food or snack food usually eaten in restaurants. Dinner is home food made with a healthy mix of vegetables and meat.

Meal Times in Turkey

• Breakfast is between 07:00 to 09:00
• Lunch is mostly between 12:00 to 13:30
• Dinner is around 19:00 – 20:00

Breakfast
An average Turkish breakfast is exceptionally rich. In a typical Turkish breakfast, you can find a great variety of cheese, black and green olives, butter, “sucuk” (spicy Turkish sausage), eggs (boiled or fried), tomatoes, cucumbers, bread, honey, jam and “kaymak” (heavy cream). Pastry products such as ‘börek’, ‘poğaça’, and ‘simit’ are also preferred in a rich Turkish breakfast. Of course, Turkish tea is must. Tea is an essential part of a typical Turkish breakfast. Especially Sunday breakfasts turn into a convivial social gatherings with added ingredients and last longer than week-in breakfast.

Lunch
Lunch is usually Chicken or meat products with high nutritional values are preferred. You can find many types of foods like vegetables, pasta or rice with main dish. The lunch depends on the person, yet there are lots of food varieties to choose from.

Dinner
The tradition is to eat dinner together as a whole family in general. A typical Turkish dinner starts with a soup followed by a main course made with fresh vegetables, meat or legumes. “Pilav” made with wheat or rice, pasta are preferred in dinner accompanied by salad.

Seafood is very common in coastal areas, and there are many different Turkish recipes for seafood. The most consumed fishes are anchovy, bonito, sea bream and sea bass. In addition, mussels, calamary and shrimps are consumed a lot in Turkey. They are the most consumed products among seafood products. Mussels are stuffed with rice and various spices and eaten with lemon as a street fast food.

Yogurt: A little of history first, yogurt originates from Central Asia, and would have reached Europe and the Balkans through Turkish peoples. The origin of the word “yoğurt” is also found in the Turkish verb “yoğurmak” meaning “kneading”. Turkish people use yogurt in combination with salty dishes. It is denser and has a touch of acidity. Do not be surprised if you find some next to your meat and vegetables.

Vegetable dishes with olive oil: Which constitute the core of the Turkish cuisine, are the key to taste and health. Vegetable dishes with olive oil include a variety of delicacies such as Sarma, Dolma, Mucver, and the similar dishes made with kidney bean or artichoke.

What is the national drink in Turkey?

The national drink of the Turks is Raki. Raki, which is obtained from grapes and has a high alcohol content, is usually consumed with appetizers.

Ayran is a kind of drink obtained by adding water to yogurt. It is obtained by mixing water and yogurt. If you like salt, you can add some salt to it.

Turkish tea has a big place in our culture; Turks consume tea massively. Turkish tea is prepared in two-chambered teapots and traditionally served in unique tea glasses. Tea in Turkey is a real passion, it is a sign of hospitality. It is served when you visit people, and often offered at the end of a meal.

Turkish coffee is another unique Turkish drink. Turkish coffee is prepared in a ‘cezve,’ a small pot special for making Turkish coffee, and is served in unique cups. You usually find piece of Turkish Delight next to your coffee cup.

Sweets and Desserts
Desserts can be dough / flour based, milk based, fruit based. These desserts can be enriched by pistachio nuts, walnuts, rose water, saffron , cinnamon, cloves cheese or clotted cream.

If you asked anyone from Turkey to name a dessert, their answer would probably be Baklava. It is the most populer one and there are several different type thet you can choose from.

Turkish Baklava is layers of phyllo dough that have been brushed with butter and stacked on top of each other. You can also try Burma which has crushed nuts between the layers. Fistikli Sarma is created like Baklava but uses a whole piece of pistachios. The possibilities are endless.

Turkish Delight is an traditional candy, also better known as Lokum in Turkish. Traditional Turkish delight has been produced since the 15th century and is the most well known Turkish candy in the world. Nearly all candy shops sell Turkish delight, which can be seasoned with many different flavours such as rose, walnut, coconut, almond, milk cream, mint, mastic, fruit, date, cinnamon, ginger, pistachio, carnation, or coffee.

Building up weekly food menu on weekly Yacht Charter

Most of our private yacht charter guests coming to Turkey for the first time for their vacations are curious about what Turkish people eat and what kind of food they will be served in Turkey. Believe us, food will be the last of your worries. Turkish food is delicious and has many dishes that can please both vegetarians and meat or chicken lovers. In fact, when you return, you will be searching for Turkish food recipes on the internet…

On the private gulet charter, depending on the class of the gulet and the abilities of the chef, several menus might be prepared. As a result, depending on the number of people, the number of days, your meals, or the menu you select, separate needs lists are prepared for the rental boat. Our authorized personnel will contact you before to each tour to discuss the menu and develop your needs lists in accordance with your expectations.

The number of kids and babies, adult nutritional preferences, food allergies, if any, and our guests who are vegan or vegetarian are all determined during this interview. The menu is produced based on the information provided, and all specifics are relayed to the boat crew.

Our company is responsible for planning, preparing, supplying, transporting your food stock to the yacht, and organizing the deficiencies throughout the tour on your behalf, considering every aspect of the menu. As a result, there will be no additional expense for our guests on their holiday in Turkey.