Language/Turkish/Vocabulary/Food-and-Drink

Turkish Vocabulary → Everyday Phrases → Food and Drink

As a Turkish language teacher with 20 years of experience, I am excited to introduce you to the Turkish food and drink vocabulary. In this lesson, you will learn how to order in a restaurant, common Turkish dishes, and some cultural information related to the Turkish cuisine.

Turkish Cuisine

Turkish cuisine is renowned for its variety and unique taste. It is a blend of Central Asian, Middle Eastern, and Balkan flavors. Turkish cuisine has been enriched by the empire that had Turkey as its center for centuries. Some typical Turkish dishes are:

• **Kebab:** This dish consists of grilled meat served with vegetables, rice, and bread.
• **Manti:** A dish composed of small pasta pockets filled with meat, served with a yogurt sauce.
• **Baklava:** Thin layers of pastry with nuts, syrup, and honey.
• **Pide:** Traditionally, it is a boat-shaped Turkish pizza made of pide dough topped with cheese and lamb meat.

One of the most popular street foods in Turkey is dürüm. It is a wrap made of lavash bread filled with grilled meat, salad, and sauce.

Ordering Food and Drink

When you go to a restaurant, you can start by saying "Merhaba" (Hello) to the waiter. Then, you can ask for the menu by saying "Menü, lütfen" (Menu, please). Once you are ready to order, you can use the following phrases:

Turkish	Pronunciation	English
Ben...	Ben...	I...
...istediğimi alacağım	...istediim alacakam	will have...
...şöylemek istiyorum	...shylemek istiyorum	would like to order...
...su istiyorum	...su istiyorum	I would like water (this is a very common phrase in Turkey)
...kola istiyorum	...kola istiyorum	I would like a cola
...bir bira istiyorum	...bir bira istiyorum	I would like a beer

Here are some of the most common Turkish foods and drink:

Turkish	Pronunciation	English
Döner	Döner	Doner Kebab
Adana Kebabı	Adana kebabı	Spicy kebab from Adana
Künefe	Künefe	Sweet cheese pastry
Raki	Rakı	National Turkish alcohol drink served with ice and water
Ayran	Ayran	Turkish yogurt drink

You can end your meal by saying "Afiyet olsun!" which means "Bon appétit!" in Turkish. If you want to tip, you can leave around 10% of the total bill as a tip.

Cultural Information

Turkish cuisine is not only popular in Turkey, but it has also gained a lot of popularity abroad. The UNESCO Cultural Heritage List includes Turkish cuisine as one of the world's cultural treasures. Some Turkish dishes have even become a part of the world cuisine, such as döner kebab.

In Turkey, meals are considered sacred and eaten with family and friends. The custom of sharing food is a sign of hospitality and generosity. Hospitality is one of the essential values in Turkish culture, and guests are treated with great respect and generosity.

Sources

• 90 Turkish Food/Drink Words And Phrases - Food Republic
• How To Talk About Food And Drink In Turkish
• Food vocabulary in Turkish | Turkish Basics

Table of Contents - Turkish Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

  ---

Turkish Alphabet

• Vowels and Consonants
• Pronunciation

  ---

Basic Grammar

• Nouns
• Verbs
• Adjectives
• Pronouns

  ---

Complex Grammar

• Cases
• Participles
• Conditional Sentences

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Everyday Phrases

• Greeting
• Asking for Directions
• Food and Drink
• Shopping

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Numbers and Time

• Cardinal Numbers
• Ordinal Numbers
• Time

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Turkish Culture

• History and Geography
• Traditions and Customs
• Cuisine
• Arts and Festivals

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Daily Life

• Housing
• Family and Relationships
• Religion
• Transportation and Travel

Related Lessons

• Family
• Beverages
• Election
• Months of the Year
• Insects and Bugs
• Classroom
• Desserts
• Camping
• Numbers
• Useful Sentenses