Complete List and Explanation of Turkish Dishes

TEA Turkey's foremost national drink (when they are not drinking Raki!!) You will see tea being drunk at all times of the day served in little glasses with saucers. Nothing is setteled in Turkey without first having a glass of "cay". In fact, when shopping, after a healthy bout of bartering you will seal the bargain over a glass of regular tea, apple tea, island tea, mint tea, clove tea or even orange tea. 90 % of Turkey's tea comes from RIZE, a small town on the east coast of the Black sea. The all year round heavy rainfall makes this region ideal for tea plantations.

RAKI without a doubt, it is the national drink. This aniseed liqiuer is usually drunk with the meal diluted with water which gives it a milky appearance. It is frequently referred to as "Lion milk". It can also be drunk neat.

WINE Only a very small part of the grapes cultivated in Turkey is used to produce wine and much of it is imported. Generally, the wine is of a good quality and the best varieties come from the region of Izmir.

BEER After raki, beer is the nation's second most popular drink. Beer tends to be of the European lager type, the most popular being Pilsen and Tuborg licenced from Denmark

SPIRITS Most spirits are available though as they are all imported tend to be expensive. Do try the national gin (CIN), vodka and brandy. Many bars offer a great choice of cocktails, and if these are made with the national spirits, they are very reasonable.

SOFT DRINKS Apart from the obvious, coke, pepsi, fanta, etc., you must try the delicious VISNE SUYU (cherry juice), SEFTALI SUYU (peach juice), and AYRAN (a yoghurt drink).