From baklava to boza and everything in between – enjoy a flavoursome foodventure in Turkey
Take a culinary tour of Turkey’s Bodrum and Antalya regions
If you’re looking for a new culinary country to explore, Turkey makes for a wonderful choice, with its wealth of diverse, delicious local dishes that are impossible to resist. Rooted in ancient Ottoman cuisine, which takes elements and influences from nearby areas such as Central Asia and the Balkans, it’s renowned for its healthy, fresh ingredients, and every region boasts its own specialities. You can snack on street food, dine on meze, and enjoy the freshest catch of the day by the coast. You’ll find plenty of grilled meats, juicy kebabs and seafood, as well as sweet and savoury pastries, soups, salads, and stuffed vegetables.
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Here we take you on a culinary tour of two of Turkey’s best regions for foodies, Antalya and Bodrum, and outline the best local dishes and tipples to try…
Meze and markets in Bodrum
Bodrum may be a coastal city, and a former fishing village, but seafood makes up just part of its local cuisine; think everything from street food like kebabs and flatbreads, to chargrilled meats in rustic taverns. Vegetarians will also be happy here, thanks to the vast array of plant-based meze platters, soups and fresh salads widely available. Tucked around the castle, cobbled alleys and marina, you’ll find markets, meyhanes and meze aplenty in Bodrum town. Just follow the locals and you’re sure to dine well.
So, what are the must-try dishes? In a meyhane (a traditional Turkish bar or restaurant) you’ll be able to choose from a wide selection of hot and cold meze – small plates such as muhammara, a red pepper and walnut dip; şakşuka, aubergine with tomato and yoghurt; and beyaz peynir, a local white cheese. In most restaurants and street food stalls, you’ll find börek – filo pastries filled with spinach, cheese or meat. Also look out for su böreği, baked in layers like lasagne, andsigara böreği, a long, cylindrical pastry filled with feta cheese.
For a Turkish take on the humble jacket potato, try kumpir. They’re served from stalls around the city and come with a vast selection of toppings – everything from basics such as cheese and butter to mixtures of olives with yoghurt. And don’t miss a trip to Bodrum’s Friday market, where you’ll find fresh produce such as figs, pomegranates and peaches, but also snacks such as sesame simit – a cross between a bagel and a pretzel – and gözleme, grilled flatbread stuffed with cheese, vegetables or minced meat.
For the ideal foodie stay, book into the Anda Barut Collection, a sublime spot located right on the beachfront, with five outdoor pools, an aquapark and spa, where you can continue your culinary journey with unlimited use of its ten à la carte restaurants and five bars.
Or head to La Blanche Island. Located on its own peninsula and in lush green gardens, this stunning hotel offers spectacular panoramic views of the sea. With five a la carte restaurants serving everything from Turkish, Italian, Chinese and international cuisine, show cooking and patisserie, it makes for the perfect base and days discovering delicious new dishes.
Soups and sweets in Antalya
A region of relaxation well-known for its beaches, Roman ruins and resorts, you might be surprised by the variety of local dishes available only in the bustling harbour city of Antalya, which sits by the Mediterranean Sea. Make sure to try piyaz, a salad-like dish made from white beans dressed in tarator sauce, made from tahini, lemon juice, vinegar, salt, garlic and olive oil. Serpme börek is very specific to this area: dough is rolled out until it’s incredibly thin, then stuffed with a filling such as spinach or meat, folded up, and cut into squares after cooking. Not dissimilar are Alanya bohçası – fried crepes folded up, like a bundle, or bohça, around a stuffing of your choice. Also popular are Aksu köfte, rich meatballs made with fresh beef, lamb and salt, grilled over charcoal on skewers.
You might be surprised by how popular soup is in Turkey, but some are so beloved that they’ve even been trademarked. One such is Gülüklü, traditionally served at weddings and other special occasions; it’s made with small meatballs called gülük which are simmered in a tomato sauce with chickpeas, lemon, mint, red peppers, chicken, salt and pepper. Follow that with some freshly caught, grilled fish; in Antalya you have a vast choice, from bream to grouper, seabass, red mullet and swordfish.
Every meal should end with a sweet treat; obviously baklava, a syrup-soaked dessert made from layers of filo pastry filled with chopped nuts, is common throughout Turkey, but here you have to try arap kadayıf. Think small fried dumplings, filled with walnuts, sugar and cinnamon and drizzled with lemon sugar syrup. And why not accompany your meal with a glass of boza? A cross between a drink and a pudding, it’s a smoothie-like fermented beverage made with bulgur, rice, sugar and yeast, also sold at many street food stalls. Sounds different, but tastes divine!
Hotel-wise, check in to the Doubletree by Hilton Kemer, a stunning beachfront paradise located amongst the breath-taking mountains of Kemer. With street food trucks included in its all-inclusive package, as well as six restaurants serving a range of Turkish and Italian cuisine, plus a coffee bar and nine bars, it makes the perfect base for your foodventure. While the Regnum Carya offers the perfect foodie escape in an idyllic coastal location. With 18 restaurants serving everything from Turkish, Japanese, Italian, Thai, Brazilian and International cuisine, plus a patisserie, bakery, and a choice of 13 bars where you can enjoy sundowners on the terrace or beachfront.
Jet2holidays offers an incredible range of great-value getaways for all types of holidaymakers, across more than 50 stunning destinations. From the five-star luxury of Indulgent Escapes by Jet2holidays® to the compelling cities of Jet2CityBreaks, VIBE by Jet2holidays for Insta-worthy stays that suit your style to family-friendly Jet2Villas, the boxes are ticked for every age, budget and interest. What’s more, with holidays secured with a low £60pp deposit* and flexible payment options**, plus a host of perks like 22kg baggage and return transfers included††, it’s easy from start to finish. It’s all ABTA and ATOL-protected too. To find out more about how to book, head here
*On bookings made ten weeks or more before departure. **Terms and conditions apply. Please visit www.jet2holidays.com/part-payment for details. †Based on 4 people. On all holiday departures until 31 October 2025. T&Cs apply. See http://Jet2holidays.com/promotions#60OFFMYJET2SALE ††Transfers are not included as standard on Jet2CityBreaks. Jet2Villas packages include car hire instead of transfers.