Turkey Dining

Turkish food combines culinary traditions of a pastoral people originating from Central Asia and the influences of the Mediterranean regions. Lamb is a basic meat featured on all menus, often as shish kebab (pieces of meat threaded on a skewer and grilled) or doner kebab (pieces of lamb packed tightly round a revolving spit). Fish and shellfish are very fresh and barbunya (red mullet) and kiliç baligi (swordfish) are delicious. Dolma (vine leaves stuffed with nuts and currants) and karniyarik (aubergine stuffed with minced meat) are other popular dishes. Guests are usually able to go into a kitchen and choose from the pots if they cannot understand the names of the dishes. There are also a wide range of Turkish sweets and pastries including the famous Turkish Delight (originally made from dates, honey, roses and jasmine bound by Arabic gum and designed to sweeten the breath after coffee). Table service is common. Ayran (a refreshing yogurt drink), tea, and strong black Turkish coffee are widely available. Turkey is a secular state and alcohol is permitted, although during Ramadan it is considered polite for the visitor to avoid drinking alcohol. Turkish beer, red and white wines are reasonable. The national drink is raki (anisette), known as 'lion's milk', which clouds when water is added. Drinking raki is a ritual and is traditionally accompanied by a variety of meze (hors d'oeuvres).

Nightlife

There are nightclubs in most main centers, either Western or Oriental, with music and dancing. There are theaters with concerts in Ankara, Istanbul and Izmir and most towns have cinemas. Turkish baths (hamam) are popular.