Modern Turkish cuisine finds its roots in the old Ottoman Empire, which expanded well beyond the country's current borders. The Empire stretched into eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and the Near East, which spanned an area of two million square miles (nearly seven times the size of Turkey today). As a result, the cuisines of the peoples the Ottomans conquered influenced Ottoman cuisine, and Ottoman cuisine influenced it, as seen by the spread of dishes such as baklava (filo dough with honey and nuts), dolma (grape leaves stuffed with meats and rice), köfte (lamb meatballs), the use of rose water (gül suyu) as a sweetener, and the popularity of the apéritif raki.

Much of the cuisine of western Turkey derives from the cuisine of the old Ottoman court, while eastern Turkey's cuisine is influenced by neighboring countries in the Caucasus and the Near East. Since the establishment of the Turkish Republic in 1923, government designation of Turkish cuisine deems the western Turkish style "classical", while other regions have "regional folk cuisines".

Even though Turkey is an overwhelmingly Islamic nation, alcohol consumption has been recorded since the early Ottoman Empire and the country is known for a number of beers, wines, and of course raki. Approximately one in five Turks drink alcohol, and for a Muslim country there are many chances for you to have alcohol while on your trip, whether it is with a meal or at a bar or nightclub.

Must-Savor Specialties: Baklava, dolma, köfte, gül suyu, raki, Turkish wines and beers

Istanbul and Bursa

Istanbul is the epicenter of Turkish culture, and it stands to sense that it is also the center of Turkish cuisine. Since the Ottomans held court in what was then called Constantinople, Ottoman court cuisine has influenced Istanbul in particular quite heavily. Börek (filo dough baked with fillings of meat, cheeses, herbs, etc.) was believed to have been invented for the Ottoman court, and there are dozens of regional variations. The ones Istanbul are best known for are Sariyer böregi, rolled filo dough stuffed with cheeses and meats, native to Istanbul's Sariyer district, and paçanga böregi, created by the Sephardic Jewish community and filled with cured beef (pastirma), kasar cheese, and green peppers.

Istanbul is also well-known for sweets such as lokum, better known as Turkish delight, which are gelatinized squares of starch and sugar, flavored with various flavors like mint, rose water, orange, and pistachio. They are best enjoyed with a hot cup of Turkish coffee (Türk kahvesi). Istanbul is also the place to enjoy such native dishes as hünkar begendi and beyti kebab (ground lamb served on skewers and lavas bread, topped with tomato sauce and yogurt). The following sweet shops are renowned for their lokum: Hafiz Mustafa (Divan Yolu Caddesi in Sultanahmet and Hamidiye Caddesi in Fatih), Ali Muhiddin Haci Bekir (the oldest lokum shop, open since 1777, has branches in Beyoglu, Fatih, and Kadiköy), and Altan Sekerleme (Kible Çesme Caddesi 68). You can try delicious börek in many varieties at Tarihi Yeniköy Börekçisi (Köybasi Caddesi 80).

Among the Turkish dishes you can try in Istanbul that are the best of the best, you will never go wrong trying çig köfte (a meze starter featuring raw lamb and spices, similar to a steak tartare), mercimek köfte (a vegetarian variety made primarily of bulghur and lentils), kuru fasulye (a dried-bean stew cooked with vegetables, tomatoes, and tomato paste), kokoreç (street food of lamb intestine and sweetmeats served with bread), perde pilavi and hamsili pilav (the former served with a pastry crust of almonds and pine nuts, the latter with an anchovy crust!). For dessert, you can enjoy asure (a pudding of fruit, beans, and nuts, also called Noah's pudding), ayva tatlisi (candied quinces), söbiyet (baklava with a clotted cream filling), sekerpare (lemon-flavored semolina cookies), and dondurma (Turkish ice cream, with a chewier texture than American ice cream). For delicious lunches and dinners featuring the aforementioned entrées, sample what is on offer from the following restaurants: Develi Kebap (Gümüsyüzük Sokak 7), Kral Kokoreç (multiple locations including Hasircilar Caddesi, one minute from the Spice Bazaar), Siirt Seref Buryan (Ömer Efendi Caddesi 34), Hayvore (Turnacibasi Sokak 4), and Karaköy Lokantasi (Kemankes Caddesi 57). Mini Dondurma (Cevdet Pasa Caddesi 38A) and Karaköy Güllüoglu (Katli Otopark Alti 3-4) are wonderful places for sweet treats in addition to the lokum spots highlighted above.

Bursa is also known for its Ottoman cuisine, as it was the first capital of the Empire. Bursa is known the world over for two popular dishes: döner kebab, in which lamb or beef is carved from a rotating skewer is served with pide (pita) bread; and Iskender kebap, in which the meat is served on pide and topped with tomato sauce. To try these specialties, go to Uludag Kebapçisi Cemal & Cemil Usta (Evliyaçelebi Mahallesi Istasyon Caddesi 58) and Bursa Kebapçisi (Osman Gazi Caddesi 32). Other popular meals from Bursa include Inegöl köfte (meatballs grilled with breadcrumbs and onions) and Kemalpasa (cow's milk cheese with flour and eggs boiled in sherbet). Orhan Inegöl Köfte (at As Merkez Banklar shopping mall) is the best place in Bursa to try this köfte variant.

Must-Savor Specialties: Börek, Sariyer böregi, paçanga böregi, pastirma, kasar cheese, lokum, Turkish coffee, hünkar begendi, beyti kebab, çig köfte, mercimek köfte, kuru fasulye, kokoreç, perde pilavi, hamsili pilav, asure, ayva tatlisi, söbiyet, sekerpare, dondurma (Turkish ice cream), döner kebab, Iskender kebap, pide bread, lavas bread, Inegöl köfte, Kemalpasa

Izmir and the Cesme Peninsula

Izmir is arguably the best city in the country when it comes to grabbing delicious street food. There are hundreds of boyoz (pastry served with baked eggs and tea, pictured in a larger brunch spread) and gevrek (a variation on simit bagels where the bagels soaked in molasses before baking) restaurants and food carts in the city, so it will not be difficult to try these street food delights. Izmir's street food scene is also known for such delicacies as sögüs (sheep's cheek, tongue, and brain served on lavas bread), kumru (meat and vegetable sandwich served on poppy seed simit bread, second picture), bomb (dough balls filled with chocolate hazelnut spread), and lokma (sweet dough balls soaked in simple syrup or honey, and dusted with cinnamon). Izmir's variation on köfte involves spicy meatballs cooked with cumin and garlic and tomato sauce. If you'd like to try some of these delicious dishes in a sit-down restaurant, you have a few high-quality options: Topçu Restaurant (Vali Kazim Dirik Caddesi 3B), Alsancak Dostlar Firini (Kibris Sehitleri Caddesi 120), and Kumrucu Ömür (Cemal Gürsel Caddesi 476).

The Cesme Peninsula, in particular the resort town of Alacati and the village of Germiyan, is a renowned foodie region. The Cesme Peninsula is a national epicenter for the "slow food" movement, which emphasizes traditional cooking techniques, farm-to-table cuisine, and repurposing ingredients as to not encourage waste. Germiyan was named the first "slow food village" in Turkey in 2016, and Alacati restaurants are adopting the slow food principles more and more. The intimate restaurant Asma Yapragi (7152. Sokak 141) in Alacati and the restaurants along the main drag in Germiyan (Germiyan Köyü Iç Yolu) adhere to the slow-food standard, with many restaurants in these towns offering intimate indoor and outdoor seating options. Aegean mezes are very popular on the Cesme Peninsula, with many small plates featuring the local cash crop artichoke (enginar). Sinkonta (roast pumpkin baked casserole-style with garlic and onions) is another popular Aegean favorite, as are dishes that involve mastic (damla sakizi), a dry tree sap, such as sakizli dondurma (mastic-flavored ice cream) and sakizli muhallebi (mastic and vanilla-flavored milk pudding).

Must-Savor Specialties: Boyoz, gevrek, simit, sögüs, kumru, bomb, lokma, Izmir köfte, Aegean mezes with artichoke, sinkonta, mastic ice cream, mastic and vanilla milk pudding

Turkey's Southwestern Coast (Bodrum, Akyaka, and Marmaris)

The Bodrum Peninsula is well-known for delicious food from the start of the meal to the finish. As a beginning course, you might have a radish herb salad (turp salatasi) that you'll find is ubiquitous in Bodrum restaurants. Mezes routinely feature seafood or eggplant (köpoglu). A popular side dish at dinner tables in Bodrum is zeytinyagli bamya (okra in olive oil cooked with garlic and red peppers). The kebab variety popular in Bodrum is Çökertme kebabi, marinated veal served over tiny fried tomatoes and topped with yogurt sauce. Additional Bodrum delicacies include green apples dipped in mint liqueur (nane likörlü elma), the spicy roasted herb Ot Kavurmasi used in many Bodrum dishes, and bergamot jam (bergamot reçeli).

The Bozburun Peninsula, in particular the town of Akyaka at the top of the peninsula and the city of Marmaris halfway down, is noteworthy for their regional cuisine foodstuffs that include multiple kinds of honey, such as flower honey (çiçek bali) and Marmaris pine honey (Marmaris çam bali), as well as eggplant jam (patlican reçeli). Popular dishes in Akyaka include stuffed pumpkin and zucchini flowers (kabak çiçegi dolmasi), pickled sea beans (deniz börülcesi), and dishes featuring the sea bream fish (çipura). Marmaris is known for dessert treats like rice soup with mint (yayla) and quince pudding (pudingli ayva tatlisi).

Must-Savor Specialties: Turp salatasi, köpoglu mezes, zeytinyagli bamya, Çökertme kebabi, nane likörlü elma, Ot Kavurmasi roasted herb, bergamot jam, flower honey, Marmaris pine honey, eggplant jam, kabak çiçegi dolmasi, deniz börülcesi, çipura, yayla, pudingli ayva tatlisi

Konya

Konya, in the heart of Anatolia, is well-known for two popular dishes: Etli ekmek (flatbread pizza with ground beef, cheese, onions, tomatoes, and peppers, pictured), and zerde (a sweet rice pudding flavored with saffron and turmeric, also pictured). Other popular dishes from this region of the country include keskek (lamb or chicken cooked in a barley stew) and bulgur pilavi (a pilaf made with bulghur, tomatoes, and green peppers). The regional version of kebab is patlican közleme kebabi, lamb served with eggplant, peppers, and tomatoes. All of these dishes can be enjoyed with Cappadocian wine; the most widely-consumed wines use either Emir or Kalecik Karasi grapes. Popular restaurants in Konya where you can try some of the dishes described include Havzan Etliekmek 1 (Merasim Sokak 8B), Lokmahane (Mengüc Caddesi 49), Sifa Lokantasi (Mevlâna Caddesi 29), and Konya Mutfagi (Mevlâna Caddesi 71).

Must-Savor Specialties: Etli ekmek, zerde, keskek, bulgur pilavi, patlican közleme kebabi, Cappadocian wine, Emir and Kalecik Karasi grapes

Southeastern Turkey (Hatay Province, Adana, Mersin, and Gaziantep)

The cuisine of southeastern Turkey is considered the top regional cuisine in the country, and is sometimes called "Hatay cuisine", named after the province where a lot of legendary and mouth-watering dishes originated. Hatay includes the city of Antakya, the epicenter of this regional cuisine. The best-known dishes in Antakya, which can be bought on the street or in a sit-down restaurant, include kagit kebabi, kebabs in parchment paper; tuzda tavuk, chicken stuffed with rice and spices, seasoned with salt and baked; sisperek, a hearty stew made of yogurt, bread, rice, meat and onions; fellah köftesi, the local köfte variety that is made from bulghur and semolina and flavored with chili and tomato pastes; and biberli ekmek, a flatbread topped with curd cheese and red peppers (pictured).

Adana, Mersin, and Gaziantep are the largest cities that are adjacent to Hatay Province, and they are known for their own dishes, such as Adana kebap (highly-seasoned beef or lamb skewers served either on pita or on a salad) and salgam (a cold bulghur beverage made from turnips and carrots) in Adana; tantuni (beef, onions and vegetables served in a thin durum wrap) and cezerye (a dessert of caramelized carrots, sugar, and nuts) in Mersin; and yuvarlama çorbasi (a soup made of meatballs, yogurt, chickpeas, and olive oil), burma kadayif (baklava with shredded kadayif dough), and Gaziantep-style baklava (Gaziantep baklavasi, second picture) with an emphasis on pistachios (antep fistigi) in Gaziantep.

You can try these dishes and much more at these highly-acclaimed restaurants: Birbicer Kebap Salonu (Bakimyurdu Caddesi 39) in Adana; Memos Tantuni (Silifke Caddesi, Çavusoglu Apt. 154A) in Mersin; and Asina (Prof. Dr. Muammer Aksoy Bulvari Anadolu Is Merkezi 4-5-7-8) and Imam Çagdas Kebap ve Baklava Salonu (Gümrük Caddesi Uzun Çarsi 49A) in Gaziantep.

Must-Savor Specialties: Kagit kebabi, tuzda tavuk, sisperek, fellah köftesi, biberli ekmek, Adana kebap, salgam, tantuni, cezerye, yuvarlama çorbasi, burma kadayif, Gaziantep-style baklava