The Turkish Food and Beverage Page

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Our World Food -- Turkey
(in collaboration with Dani Valent, for Lonely Planet Publications) --
was runner-up winner for the UK's prestigious Andre Simon Award in the 2001!
Includes comprehensive bi-lingual dictionary and Menu Decoder...
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if you'd like to learn more about this book...

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Classical Turkish Cooking:
Traditional Turkish Food for the American Kitchen
by Ayla Esen Algar
306 pages (May 1999); HarperCollins (paper)
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to learn more about this book...

Türkçe -- English, Glossary of Terms
Thanks to JS for her kind contributions...

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[A] [B] [C] [Ç] [D] [E] [F] [G] [H] [I] [i] [J] [K] [L] [M] [N] [O] [Ö] [P] [R] [S] [S] [T] [U] [Ü] [V] [Y] [Z]
Turkish	Definition/Comments
A
Adet (2k bytes)	'unit of' something...as in, 3 or 4 [units of] potatoes
Ançüvez (3k bytes)	Anchovies
AyIklamak (4k bytes)	[to] clean, pick, sort [rice, vegetables]; to shell [peas, beans]; to bone meat
Ayran (3k bytes)	Turkish drink made with yogurt, water and a pinch of salt -- serve ice cooold, if poss. Really lip-smacking on a hot day...
AzIcIk (2k bytes)	Just a little, a small amount, for a moment
B
Badem (Bademler) (Only on CD)	Almond(s)
Bakla (Only on CD)	Broad bean, horse bean
BalIk (balIgI) (Only on CD)	Fish...While the following is not strictly a list of fish, it's a good place to bring all these fresh seafoods into one place... Ahtapot -- octopus Akya (Kuzu BalIgI) -- leer fish AlabalIk -- speckled trout Barbunya -- red mullet Çinekop -- blue fish or young lüfer Çiroz -- salted dried mackerel Derepisisi -- flounder Dil balIgI -- sole Fener balIgI -- angler fish Gelincik -- rockling Hamsi -- anchovy istakoz -- lobster istavrit -- horse mackerel, scad istiridye -- oyster izmarit -- pickerel Kalkan -- turbut Karagöz -- spottail Karides -- shrimp Kaya balIgI -- goby Keler -- monkfish, skate, angel shark Kerevit -- crawfish KIlIç -- swordfish Kofana -- large bluefish (lüfer) Köpek balIgI -- shark Lâkerda -- salted tunny Levrek -- sea bass Lüfer -- blue fish Mercan -- Red Sea bream Mersin balIgI -- sturgeon Midye -- mussel
Barbunya (Only on CD)	Small red colored bean, similar in size and flavor to a British/American "bake" bean -- also, a red mullet fish
Bardak (bardagI) (Only on CD)	Glass
Basmati pirinç (Only on CD)	A flavorful rice.
bas (Only on CD)	beginning, young
Beyaz Peynir (Only on CD)	A soft white cheese referred to as Feta in most countries, but in Turkey they call it like they see it...'white cheese'. A breakfast staple...
BIçak (Only on CD)	knife
Bira (Only on CD)	beer
Biraz (Only on CD)	a small amount [of an ingredient]
Börek (Only on CD)	Various types of pastry dishes, either non-sweet (tüzlü) or sweet (tatlI). The crust is thin and usually quite crispy, made from yufka, aka millefoy
Börülce (Only on CD)	Black-eyed pea, cowpea
Bulgur (Only on CD)	Cracked wheat, often served in place of rice. It's also the main ingredient in kIsIr
Büyük (Only on CD)	Big
Bugday (Only on CD)	Wheat
C
CacIk (Only on CD)	a kind of cold soup, made with yogurt, cucumber, and garlic [and, if cucumber is not available, then lettuce] -- served as a side dish with spicy foods, in particular.
Ç
Çagla badem(ler) (Only on CD)	Un-ripe, green, "fresh" almond(s).
Çatal (Only on CD)	Fork
Çay (Only on CD)	Tea
Çevirmek (Only on CD)	[to] Blend. Ex. Yumusak olana kadar çevriniz; Blend until smooth.
ÇIrpmak (Only on CD)	[to] whisk, whip, or beat (a food) -- like, eggs.
Çocuk mamasI (Only on CD)	Baby food -- included for you moms out there...:-)
D
Daire (Only on CD)	Circle, circular
Demet (Only on CD)	Bunch of [greens -- parsley, dill, mint...]
Dirilik (Only on CD)	Vigor, energy
Dereotu (Only on CD)	Dill
Dogramak (Only on CD)	[to] cut into slices/pieces, to carve or chop
Domates (Only on CD)	Tomato
Domates püresi (Only on CD)	Tomato puree, tomato sauce
Dökmek (Only on CD)	[to] Pour
Düzeltmek (Only on CD)	[to] smooth, repair, fix
E
Ekmek (Only on CD)	Bread
Elma (Only on CD)	Apple
Eksi Elma (Only on CD)	Sour Apple
Enginar (Only on CD)	Artichoke
Esmer Seker (Only on CD)	Brown Sugar
Et suyu (Only on CD)	Beef broth
F
Fasulye (Only on CD)	Bean (s)
FIncan (Only on CD)	Cup
FIndIk (Only on CD)	Hazelnut, shape of a hazelnut
FIrIn (Only on CD)	Oven, Bakery
FIrInda pisirmek (Only on CD)	[to] Bake....Kurabiyeyi fIrInda pisirdim; I baked the cookies [in the oven].
Fiyat (Only on CD)	[food] Price
G
Galeta (Only on CD)	Breadstick
Gereçler (Only on CD)	necessary items, ingredients
H
Hafifçe (Only on CD)	Lightly, gently
Hamsi (Only on CD)	Anchovies
Haslamak (Only on CD)	[to] Boil [something other than water, like vegetables]
HaslanmIs katI yumurta (Only on CD)	Hard boiled egg
Helva (Only on CD)	Dry Turkish sweet made from flour, milk, honey, seseme, and nuts (especially almonds, which dominates the sweet's flavor)
I
IlIk (Only on CD)	warm
i
ince (Only on CD)	thin
ince ince (Only on CD)	very thin, very fine(ly)
incelik (Only on CD)	thinness
içindekiler (Only on CD)	ingredients, contents
iri (Only on CD)	large
islem BasamaklarI (Only on CD)	Step-by-step Procedure
iyice karIstIrIn (Only on CD)	Mix well
iyice temizleyin (Only on CD)	Clean well
J
Jambon	Ham...Although you won't find ham products everywhere [due to religion and tradition], they are available in upscale city markets. And poultry, flavored as ham, is found frequently, even in some more rural areas.
Jelatin	Gelatin
K
Kabartma tozu (Only on CD)	Baking powder
Kabartmak (Only on CD)	[to] make something swell
Kabuk, kabuklar (Only on CD)	skin, skins, outer covering
KalInlIk (Only on CD)	thickness
Kara biber (Only on CD)	Black pepper
KarIstIrmak (Only on CD)	[to] Mix, mix together
Kasap (Only on CD)	Butcher
Kasar peyniri (Only on CD)	Firm pale cheese made from sheep's milk, easily mistaken for a mild cheddar...
KasIk (Only on CD)	[table]Spoon
KayIsI (Only on CD)	Apricot
Kaymak (Only on CD)	Thick clotted cream. There's a Turkish ice cream flavor named after it, KaymaklI -- which closely resembles rich vanilla ice cream in the US and Europe.
Kaynatmak (Only on CD)	[to] boil [water].
Kek (Only on CD)	Cake
Kesmek (Only on CD)	[to] cut or carve
KIvIrcIk (Only on CD)	A type of crinkly lettuce.
Kimyon (Only on CD)	Cumin
KIymak (Only on CD)	[to] Chop
Kisnis	Coriander
Kuru (Only on CD)	Dry
Kuru fasulye (Only on CD)	Dry beans
KusbasI (Only on CD)	Something cut into small pieces
Küçük (Only on CD)	little, small
Küp (Only on CD)	cube
L
Lahana (Only on CD)	cabbage
Limon (Only on CD)	lemon
M
Makarna (Only on CD)	Macaroni, spaghetti, and the like...
Malzeme (Only on CD)	Materials, supplies, necessary items, ingredients
Manav (Only on CD)	Vegetable market
Mantar (Only on CD)	Mushroom
Margarin (Only on CD)	Margarine
Marul (Only on CD)	Lettuce
Maydonoz (Only on CD)	Parsley
Mercimek (Only on CD)	Lentil(s)
Miktar (Only on CD)	Portion
Mum (Only on CD)	Candle
Muz (Only on CD)	Banana
N
Nane (Only on CD)	Mint
Nohut (Only on CD)	Chickpea, garbanzo
O
Orkinos (Only on CD)	Tuna
Orta (Only on CD)	Middle
Ovmak (Only on CD)	[to] knead
Ö
Ölçü (ölçüler) (Only on CD)	Measurement(s)
P
Pasta (Only on CD)	Cake...Don't confuse this word with the Italian word -- with the same spelling.
PastIrma (Only on CD)	Spicy pressed beef along the same idea as Italian Pastrami...tender and mouthwatering when made with good quality meat.
PatlIcan (Only on CD)	Egg Plant, Aubergine
Pekmez (Only on CD)	A thick sweet sauce made from boiled grapes that looks like dark treacle. In a pinch, it can be used as a maple syrup substitute on pancakes -- but ya gotta suspend your disbelief.
Pilav (Only on CD)	Rice that has been cooked/prepared -- and is ready to eat.
Pirinç (Only on CD)	[uncooked] Rice
Portakal (Only on CD)	Orange
Portakal suyu (Only on CD)	Orange juice
pudra (Only on CD)	Powder(ed)
R
RakI (Only on CD)	The Turkish National Adults-only Drink -- similar to Pastis, Ricard, and Ouzzo.
Robot (Only on CD)	Food Processor
S
Salata	Salad
SalatalIk	Cucumber
SarImsak	Garlic
Sermek	[to] Spread [on]... as when you spread our homemade crunchy peanut butter on bread. oh yeah.
Sert	firm, hard
SIcak	Hot
Sirke	Vinegar
SIvI yag	Liquid vegetable oil
Su	Water
Sogan	Onion
Soguk	Cold
Soymak	[to] Peel
Sucuk	Spiced Turkish garlic sausage. Often sliced and fried -- and served for breakfast. It nicely complements the flavors of other breakfast staples like white cheese, olives, and buttered toast -- with Turkish fruit preserves. Strawberry is our favorite.
Süslemek için	as/for ornament
Süsleyin	Decorate with...
süt (Only on CD)	Milk
S
Seker	Sugar
Sise	Bottle
T
Tabak [tabagI]	plate
Tane	a piece, one unit of something...
Taze	fresh
Tavuk suyu	Chicken broth
Tereyag	Butter
Tekrar	Again...
Ton balIgI	Tuna fish
Toz	Granulated
Tutam	[a] Pinch [of an ingredient]
Tuz	Salt
U
Uç	End, extremity, tip
Un	Flour
Ü
Ürün (Only on CD)	Product
Üzüm	Grape
Üzerinde	[on] top, the upper surface
V
Vurmak	[to] beat
Y
Yaprak (yapraklar, yapragI)	Leaf, leaves
yarIm	one-half
Yesil biber	Green pepper
Yesil sogan	Green onion, spring onion
Yesillikler	[mixed] Greens
Yiyecek ParçalayIcIsI	Food Processor
YIkamak	[to] clean.
Yogurt	Yogurt
Yumurta	Egg
Yumurta sarIsI	Egg yolk
Z
Zencefil	Ginger
Zeytinyag	Olive Oil

Çoban SalatasI (Shepherd Salad, best when tomatoes are at their best) Gereçler : 2 iri sert domates -- l/2 demet maydanoz 1 küçük bas sogan -- 1/2 demet Dereotu 3-4 yesilbiber -- ZeytinyagI, limon, sirke 2 salatalIk -- 1 çorba kasIk kuru nane Tuz islem BasamaklarI 1. SoganIn kabuklarInI soyup, yIkayIp, yarIm cm kalInlIkta yarIm halkalara dograyInIz. 2. içersine biraz tuz koyup hafifçe ovup diriligini ve acIsInI azIcIk gideriniz, 3. Soguk suyla yIkayIp salata tabagIna koyunuz. 4. Domatesleri yIkayIp istediginiz büyüklükte kusbasI dograyIp soganlarIn üzerine koyunuz. 5. SalatalIklarI da yIkayIp, kabuklarInI soyup yarIm ya da daire seklinde kIyIp istediginiz incelikte kesip salata tabagIna koyunuz. 6. Biberleri de yIkayIp orta incelikte kIyIp salata tabagIna koyunuz. 7. Maydanozu da yIkayIp salata tabagIna dograyInIz. 8. Salata tabagIndaki karIsIma azIcIk tuz koyup hepsini karIsItIrInIz. 9. Üzerlerini düzeltip limonlu sosu döküp servis yapInIz.

PerihanIn Patates SalatasI (Perihan's Turkish Potato Salad) Içindekiler : 2 domates -- 1/2 kg patates (3-4 adet) 1/2 demet dereotu -- 2 limon, tuz 3-4 yesil sogan -- 1/2 su bardagI zeytinyagI 5-10 zeytin tanesi islem BasamaklarI 1. Patatesleri haslayInIz. 2. Patatesleri ve domatesleri küp küp dograyInIz. Sogan ve derotunu ince ince kIyInIz. 3. Hepsini karIstIrIp servis tabagI ya da salata tabagIna koyup. 4. ZeytinyagI limonu ve tuzunu ilave ediniz. 5. Tekrar karIstIrInIz. 6. Zeytinle süsleyiniz. Soguk servis yapInIz.

Ok. that's enough exquisite torture. The rest of the recipes will be in English... Sucuk -- Spicy Turkish Sausage This recipe comes from our local butcher, Musa Bey, who makes his own. He doesn't have much equipment to automate the process and the recipe reflects that... Ingredients: 15 kilograms of medium fat ground beef (if possible include some ground beef from the shoulder of the animal, for flavor) 3 kg of animal fat 250 grams ground sweet red pepper (paprika?) 150 grams ground hot red pepper (cayenne pepper?) 350 grams ground cumin 400 grams salt 120 grams ground garlic 120 grams ground black pepper sufficient animal intestine sausage casing Preparation Steps: 1. Knead the mixture very thoroughly by hand. 2. After kneading, let it rest for 2-3 hours in open air. 3. Use the mixture to fill sausage casing made from animal intestines (pack tightly, avoid air bubbles in the casing -- otherwise the casing may later pop open). 4. Stack the cased sausages in a suitably large container and cover it tightly. Let the container stand in the open air for 5-6 hours to allow the sausage to 'sweat'. 5. Remove the sausage from the container and hang it out to dry in fresh air for 7-8 hours. 6. Place the dried sausage in refrigerator (not in freezer) and allow to rest for 5 or 6 days. 7. Sausage is now ready for eating/selling -- or giving (and remember that this is our butcher's recipe, so it makes 'a bunch' of sucuk!) Sounds pretty good to us...Whaddya think?

SarImsaklI Yogurtlu Havuç Sote Grated Carrot Sauté with Garlic Yogurt From our favorite chef's secret recipe stash -- a very tasty, simple and elegant side-dish... Ingredients: 6 carrots half cup of olive oil half cup of yogurt two garlic cloves half teaspoon of salt Preparation Steps: 1. Mash the garlic cloves, mix thoroughly with the yogurt. 2. Grate the carrots, sauté them in olive oil. 3. Add the salt and garlic yogurt to the sautéed carrots, mix thoroughly and serve cold -- garnished with minced parsley on top. Serves four.

Traditional Turkish Measures --
comparison to Standard American measures
along with a few everyday ingredients
from the typical Turkish household food cupboard...
We say measuring cup; they say measuring glass...So what's the difference, eh?

The Turkish su bardagI (the Traditional Turkish measuring glass that holds 200 ml or 6.4 oz of liquid) holds four-fifths of an American cup (250 ml, 8 oz. liquid) So if a Turkish recipe calls for 1 su bardagI of some liquid ingredient, then in American measurement terms, that's eighty percent of an American 'cup' ...

The Turkish çay bardagI (also a Traditional Turkish measuring glass that holds 125 ml or 4 oz of liquid) holds one-half of an American cup (250 ml, 8 oz. liquid) So if a Turkish recipe calls for 1 çay bardagI of some liquid ingredient, then in American measurement terms, that's fifty percent of an American 'cup' ...

A Turkish çorba kasIgI (aka yemek kasIgI aka, just plain kasIk) is about the same measurement as an American tablespoon

A Turkish tatlI kasIgI is about the same measurement as an American teaspoon

A Turkish çay kasIgI is an actual Turkish teaspoon, which is about half the size of an American teaspoon, for measuring purposes.

1 Turkish su bardagI süt and 1 American cup of milk are not equivalent. Running 200 ml and 250 ml respectively, the Turkish portion is four-fifths the American portion. And the same is exactly true of the next two items in this table...

1 Turkish su bardagI sIvIyag and 1 American cup vegetable oil are not equivalent. ...ditto above...

1 Turkish çay bardagI zeytinyagI and 1 American cup olive oil are not equivalent. Running 125 ml and 250 ml respectively, the Turkish portion is one-half the American portion...

1 Turkish su bardagI un and 1 American cup of flour are not equivalent. Running 100 ml and 125 grams respectively, the Turkish portion is four-fifths the American portion...

1 Turkish su bardagI pudra sekeri and 1 American cup of powdered sugar are not equivalent. ...ditto above...

1 Turkish su bardagI toz seker and 1 American cup of granulated sugar are not equivalent. Running 200 grams and 225 grams respectively, the Turkish portion is almost [but not quite] 90% the American portion...

1 Turkish su bardagI irmik and 1 American cup semolina are not equivalent. Running 165 grams and 185 grams respectively, the Turkish portion is about 90% of the American portion...

1 Turkish su bardagI bugday and 1 American cup whole wheat are not equivalent. Running 180 grams and 225 grams respectively, the Turkish portion is four-fifths the American portion...

1 Turkish su bardagI nohut and 1 American cup chickpeas are not equivalent. ...ditto above...

1 Turkish su bardagI bugday nisastasI and 1 American cup wheat starch are not equivalent. Running 120 grams and 150 grams respectively, the Turkish portion is four-fifths the American portion...

1Turkish su bardagI pirinç and 1 American cup rice are not equivalent. Running 200 grams and 250 grams respectively, the Turkish portion is four-fifths the American portion...

1 Turkish su bardagI kIrmIzI mercimek and 1 American cup red lentils are not equivalent. ...ditto above...

1 Turkish su bardagI pilavlIk bulgur and 1 American cup coarse bulgar are not equivalent. Running 175 grams and 220 grams respectively, the Turkish portion is four-fifths the American portion...

1 Turkish su bardagI yesil mercimek and 1 American cup green lentils are not equivalent. ...ditto above...

1 Turkish su bardagI kurufasulye and 1 American cup dried beans are not equivalent. ...ditto above...

1 Turkish su bardagI kuru bakla and 1 American cup butter beans are not equivalent. Running 150 grams and 175 grams respectively, the Turkish portion is abot 85% of the American portion...

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