Turkish readers will castigate me for this, but it’s always been difficult for me to tell the difference between Greek, Turkish, Syrian, Tunisian, Armenian, and Georgian food, and now I know why. It is because the nomadic Turks migrated from Central Asia and stretched from the Balkans to North Africa. Over the centuries and process of expansion, the Turks encountered different domestic animals, preparations and combinations that were eventually assimilated into their own cuisine albeit with different names. You have probably eaten or heard of all these food. For example:

- Doner Kebap. Slices of marinated lamb are placed on a tall, vertical spit and grilled. The cooked parts of the cone of meat are cut in very thin slices and arranged on a plate with rice or flat bread (pita). A kebap is just cubes of plain or marinated meat. And then this is sis kebap, known to us as Shish Kebab, where the same aforementioned cubes are skewered and grilled over charcoal.This dish may be of Persian origin and called a kebab, kebap, kabob or kibob, but wherever it originated and whatever it is called, I love it!

- Kofte. “Meatballs” to me. Kofte is made with minced meat, mixed with spices, onions and other ingredients, shaped by hand and grilled, fried, boiled or baked. Meatballs…

- Dolmas. Big “Meatballs”? The only between difference between Kofte and Dolmas is that cabbage and vine leaves are wrapped around the filling.

- Pilaf/Pilav. Pilaf is usually made of rice but can also be prepared with bulgur (cracked wheat). One of the mainstays of the Turkish table.

delicious melons for sale in a Turkish market
- Scrumptious flat breads called Pide that look identical to “Pita.” Turkish bakers will fight you tooth and nail on this but I can’t tell the difference. Whatever you want to call this bread, buy it throughout Turkey and eat as a snack while sightseeing. Totally addictive and talk about commonality in food, look at the photo below of a bread seller in Kashgar, China.

Pide bread in Eastern Turkey 

bread on the Silk Road in China
- A Meze is a selection of appetizers. A big example is the infamous stuffed green peppers eaten in Ankara that I will never eat again.

- Borek also known as Spanakopita spinach pie in Greece. Made with a thin dough and stuffed with cheese, minced meat, cheese, spinach that is fried, baked or cooked on a griddle.

- Don’t forget about Turkey’s luscious and flavorful melons, naval oranges and cherries. But who wants fruit when you can finish a meal with –

- Oh-so-sweet Turkish desserts like: Baklava, layers of phyllo dough filled with honey, walnuts and pistachios; Halvah, a sweet made from semolina (Would you believe this is a dessert that I can’t stand?); Kadayif, made from shredded pastry baked in syrup and filled with pistachio nuts and walnuts – think extremely sweet Shredded Wheat; and Lokma, deep-fried dough served in syrup.

These yummies are so cloyingly sweet that they make my teeth hurt and as long as you are on the Sheila’s “throwing calories to the wind” diet, add a scoop of Vanilla ice cream. Cuts a little of the sweetness and adds a finishing touch. Enjoy!