Bringing the Magic of Turkish Street Food to Your Restaurant

Do you feel your restaurant is lacking flavor? Do you feel your restaurant is in need of something new? If you detect this is your restaurant’s situation right now, fret not. Maybe all it needs is some Turkish flare added into the mix. Here you can see how you can add Turkish street foods to your repertoire to keep things fresh!

Simple Turkish Food Ideas to Revamp Your Restaurant

Misir 

Ideal for summer, though it can also be served all year round, misir is a Turkish staple food you can add to your cuisine right away.

Misir literally stands for ‘corn’. You can find two versions of misir: köz misir, which is corn that is roasted on its cob, and süt misir, which is simply boiled corn kernels that are seasoned with salt.

If you believe the second option is rather bland, you can add toppings such as red pepper flakes or mayonnaise to spark things up.

Fun fact: Misir—when capitalized—also stands for Egypt.

Simit 

Everybody loves bread. Now, imagine it made with molasses and sesame on its crust. Congratulations! Now you have Simit. Simit is a great food to be offered as breakfast, since you can spread it with chocolate or cream cheese at will. 

Its outer crispiness, which sharply contrasts its mushy inside, offers both a sweet and salty flavor that will definitely get you new customers!

Balik Ekmek

Balik Ekmek is a fish sandwich whose fish can either be fried or grilled, and is usually accompanied with onions and salad dressings.

If you want the full Turkish experience for your customers, make sure to offer them some Turşu suyu to drink. Turşu suyu is a pickle juice that includes small bits of pickles as well, and can either be made with vinegar or lemon as bases.

Dürüm 

In short, dürüm involves wrapping ingredients such as beef, chicken, vegetables, or even cheese. It usually comes in two varieties: döner dürüm, and çiğ köfte dürüm.

The first one involves mixing kebab and spices in a rotisserie, where the outer layer of meat is cut into slices as it gets roasted. This döner is sometimes used as a topping for pilaf, but you can put it into a roll with other vegetables and transform it into a delicious döner dürüm.

The second one is a variation that comes from the southeastern part of Turkey, and includes ingredients like pomegranate sauce, lemon, pickles, greens, and meat. However, you can also prepare it with bulgur, making it a great variation for vegetarian clients.

Tavuklu Pilav 

If the word ‘pilav’ somehow rings a bell it is because Tavuklu Pilav is a variation of pilaf. It is rice coupled with shredded bits of boiled chicken atop. Hot, satisfying, and very easy to prepare, Tavuklu Pilav is a must-have in your arsenal if you are considering incorporating Turkish dishes into your menu.

Pro tip: Serve your customers with a glass of cold ayran—salted yogurt—to make them feel as if they were in Turkey.

Your Turkish Ally for Your Restaurant

Putting some Turkish flavor into your cuisine doesn’t have to mean buying outlandish ingredients, or mastering super secret cooking methods. With a couple of tweaks, and some tasty Mediterranean products delivered by a trusted distributor, you can be serving delicious Turkish food in no time!