When you’re invited to a Turkish dinner, you can expect bold flavors, vibrant dishes, and the chance to taste something truly unique. So when we received our invitation to this year’s Turkish Cuisine Week celebration at the Turkish Embassy in Athens, one thing was clear from the start: we were completely confident that whatever was on the menu, it was going to be delicious. And we were right.

Held on May 27, this year’s celebration featured a special twist: instead of highlighting the dishes of a specific region—as is tradition—the spotlight was on “Classic Dishes of Turkish Cuisine.”

“Every year, we pick the dishes of a certain region or city from Turkey for the main theme of the event,” said the Turkish Ambassador to Greece Çağatay Erciyes during his welcoming speech of the event and moved on to explain that “This year, we have taken a different approach. Rather than focusing on a specific city or region, we have chosen to showcase the Classic Dishes of Turkish Cuisine.”

The richness of the cuisine from Turkey’s 81 provinces was on full display. In the embassy’s main hall, a long dining table was transformed into a showcase of Turkish gastronomy, lined with sweet and savory specialties prepared by resident chef Erdem Erbil.

Ancient Recipes, Contemporary Table

Turkish cuisine is shaped by centuries of cultural convergence—from Central Asia and the Middle East to the Mediterranean and the Balkans. This diversity was clear not just in the flavors, but in the stories behind the dishes.

 “You may find that some of the dishes look familiar, especially if you’re from Greece or other neighboring countries. That is no surprise. Our shared geography and history have resulted in many culinary parallels” explained the Ambassador, highlighting that recipes, preparation methods, and ingredients often differ from place to place bringing the examples of moussaka, and kuru köfte (dry meatballs).

Credit: TGA

Indeed, while names sounded familiar, the Turkish interpretations often involve distinct ingredients, techniques, or seasonings—offering a fresh take on otherwise known flavors.

So, What Did We Taste?

Traditional dishes in Turkey are more than just food; they’re a cultural ritual, a way of bringing people together. This year’s menu offered a flavorful snapshot of this rich culinary heritage—simple, hearty, and deeply comforting.

Some dishes felt like home: Piyaz (a white bean salad), Zeytinyağlı Yaprak Sarma (stuffed vine leaves), Karnıyarık (eggplant stuffed with minced meat), and the ever-loved kuru köfte (meatballs). Others surprised us with their unique ingredients and flavors.

Among our highlights were:

  • Tepsi Böreği – A baked cheese pie with fresh parsley and thin, flaky pastry.
  • Çoban Salad – A refreshing “Shepherd’s Salad” made with tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, and peppers.
  • Zeytinyağlı Taze Fasulye – Tender green beans cooked in olive oil and tomato sauce.
  • Mercimek Çorbası – A smooth, velvety lentil soup that warmed the soul.

And then came dessert—arguably a highlight of its own. Despite already having indulged in several courses, we somehow found room for:

  • Muhallebi – A creamy milk pudding.
  • Trileçe – A sponge cake soaked in three kinds of milk, popular in the Balkans.
  • Baklava – The golden, syrupy classic that needs no introduction.
  • Aşure (Noah’s Ark Pudding) – A legendary dessert believed to be one of the oldest in the world, made with grains, dried fruits, and nuts.

If there’s such a thing as a “dessert stomach,” this was the perfect time to test the theory.

Time to Roll Up Your Sleeves—and Fill Your Stomach

After such a rich and flavorful celebration of Turkish cuisine, we can confidently say this is one of the most inspiring, wholesome, and sustainable culinary traditions in the world. Turkish cooking brings together fresh ingredients, time-honored techniques, and a philosophy of sharing that resonates deeply with Mediterranean values.

Its affinity with the Mediterranean diet, and its shared culinary DNA with Greek and other regional cuisines, make Turkish food a perfect gateway to both the familiar and the new. Whether you’re exploring bold new flavors or rediscovering classic ones with a twist, there’s something for every curious cook and adventurous palate.

To bring a little of that magic to your own kitchen, we’ve picked three favorite recipes from the official Turkish Cuisine Week website—hearty, comforting, and packed with flavor.

 Spicy Red Lentil Soup (Ezogelin)

Credit: TGA

A beloved staple across Turkey, Ezogelin soup hails from the Gaziantep region and is known for its rich, tangy character and satisfying texture. Originally called ekşili malhıta, this dish is both nutritious and comforting—perfect for any season.

Pro tip: Swap the butter for olive oil to make a vegan version rich in plant-based proteins.

Ingredients( serves 6)

  • 120 g red lentils
  • 60 g rice
  • 4 l water
  • 1 medium onion, grated
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 60 g butter or clarified butter
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 ½ tablespoons dried mint
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 30 ml lemon juice

Preparation

  1. Thoroughly rinse the lentils and place in a saucepan. Add the rice and water and bring to the boil. Add the onion, then season with salt and simmer for about 30 minutes.
  2. Melt the butter in a pan, add the tomato paste, dried mint, red pepper flakes and black pepper. Mix in a few tablespoons of the soup then add this mixture to the soup.
  3. Bring to the boil while continuously stirring and remove from the heat.
  4. Serve hot with lemon juice.

Chef’s Note: If desired half of the tomato paste can be replaced with the same amount of hot red pepper paste. In which case, do not add red pepper flakes as it might make the soup too spicy

Split Eggplant Filled with Minced Meat (Karnıyarık)

Elegant yet homey, karnıyarık is a favorite among Turkish families. While similar to the Greek papoutsakia, this dish stands out for its deeply savory filling and traditional two-stage cooking technique that locks in flavor.

Chef’s note: Try baking it briefly after stovetop cooking for even richer taste. Serve with buttery rice pilaf and cool cacık (yogurt and cucumber dip) on the side.

Ingredients (serves 6)

  • 6 long eggplants
  • 40 g salt (to eliminate the bitterness of the eggplants)
  • 500 ml olive oil (for frying the eggplants)

For the meat filling 

  • 30 g butter or clarified butter
  • 2 medium onions, finely chopped
  • 250 g regular minced veal
  • 2 medium tomatoes, peeled and finely chopped or 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 400 ml water, boiling
  • ½ bunch parsley, chopped

To garnish 

  • 1 medium tomato, sliced into 6 pieces
  • 3 sweet long green peppers, cut lengthwise in half

Preparation

  1. Leaving 2 cm of the stems of the eggplants, cut off the remaining part and discard. Remove the rough leaves and peel the cone-shaped base. Then cut off 1 cm from the bottom of the eggplants. Leaving 2 cm of skin on both sides of the eggplants, carefully remove the remaining skin with a knife and slit the eggplants lengthwise down the middle.
  2. Place the eggplants in a bowl, sprinkle with salt and leave for 1 hour. Then rinse with water and transfer to a plate.
  3. Fry the eggplants on all sides for about 5-6 minutes in olive oil until golden. Place on a plate lined with a paper towel for 30 minutes to absorb any excess oil.
  4. Sauté the onions in butter for 4-5 minutes in a small pant, then add the minced veal and sauté for another 4-5 minutes.
  5. Add the tomatoes, salt and black pepper and sauté for another 1-2 minutes before adding the water. Simmer over low heat for 15 minutes, then add the parsley and stir.
  6. Place the eggplants in a wide saucepan. Then using the back of a spoon, open up the slit of the eggplant and stuff with the meat filling. Top each eggplant with a slice of tomato and a piece of green pepper.
  7. Pour the meat’s juices over the eggplants. Cover and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes and serve.

Aşure (Noah’s Ark Pudding)

Aşure is more than a dessert—it’s a story. Often made in large batches and shared with friends and neighbors, this legendary pudding combines a variety of grains, legumes, fruits, and nuts in one bowl. Known as  it’s a symbol of unity, abundance, and community.

Fun fact: The ingredients vary by region and belief, with some versions boasting up to 41 different components!

Ingredients (Serves 6)

  • 400 g wheat berries
  • 100 g white beans
  • 100 g chickpeas
  • 50 g raisins, picked over and rinsed
  • 4 l water
  • 3 slices orange peel, finely chopped
  • 100 g dried apricot, finely chopped
  • 800 g sugar
  • 6 dried figs, finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon rose water, optional

To garnish

  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 100 g hazelnuts or walnuts, shelled and coarsely chopped
  • 30 g pine nuts
  • 30 g currants
  • 60 g pomegranate seeds

Preparation

  1. Rinse the wheat berries, white beans and chickpeas and soak in water in separate bowls overnight.
  2. The following day, drain and rinse the chickpeas and white beans. Boil them in separate saucepans until tender and drain. Remove the skins from the chickpeas. Rinse and drain the wheat berries.
  3. Boil the raisins for 10 minutes in a separate saucepan and drain.
  4. Boil the wheat berries in 4 l water in a large saucepan. Leave to simmer over low heat covered with a lid.
  5. Once the wheat berries are completely tender, remove the lid and add the boiled raisins. Stirring occasionally, boil for about 5 minutes over medium heat.
  6. Add the orange peels, then the boiled chickpeas and white beans and boil for about another 5 minutes stirring continuously. Add the dried apricots and the sugar and continue stirring until it comes back to the boil.
  7. When cooking, the consistency of the ashure should not be thick. If it is not runny and watery at this stage, add a small amount of hot water. The type of the wheat berries used determines the amount of liquid absorbed and the amount of water you need to add.
  8. Lastly, add dried figs and boil for about 5 minutes while stirring. Remove from the heat and add the rose water.
  9. Leave to cool in the pot half covered with a lid and stir occasionally to ensure skin does not form on the surface.
  10. Ladle the dessert into serving bowls. Once it cools and skin has formed on the surface, garnish with cinnamon, walnuts or hazelnuts, pine nuts, currants and pomegranate seeds and serve.

Chef’s Note: Boiled and peeled chestnuts can also be added to the mixture before distributing the ashure into cups. Do not add the dried figs too early or the color of the ashure will darken.

 

Afiyet olsun! (Bon appétit!)