The Most Favorite Dishes of Antalya

Antalya, one of the first locations that come to mind when it comes to sea, sun and sand in Turkey, maintains its feature of being a "heavenly place" with its natural beauties. Beside its historical and natural beauties, Antalya, the pearl of our southern coasts, is a popular spot for gastronomy lovers with its cuisine and local dishes. This cozy Mediterranean city reflects a fusion culinary culture through its local cuisine, interactions from Cretan and other cuisines and recipes from the world cuisine.

Taste hunters can find recipes from Arabic and African cuisines and local dishes specific to the yoruk (nomadian) culture in this cuisine… Although the trio of shish meatballs-piyaz-pumpkin dessert comes to mind when it comes to dishes of Antalya, this city amazes those with taste buds with its rich and delicious food archives. Let's take a loot at the cuisine of Antalya, the most beautiful city in the Mediterranean Region, and get to know the dishes of this city.

Famous Shish-Meatball and Piyaz

Meatball is one of the dishes made with unique recipes in almost every region of our country and have become a symbol specific to that region. When you visit Antalya, the first dish you will eat is the famous shish-meatball and piyaz. Being made without any additives, shish-meatball mixture consists of only minced meat and salt. The key point is to knead it well and let it rest. The meatballs are skewered and cooked on charcoal grill.

The cooked meatballs are put on pita bread. It is served with chopped parsley, cumin, roasted small onions, green peppers and tomatoes. Piyaz is a must for shish-meatball. Special piyaz of Antalya is served with egg and tahini. This duo is followed by pumpkin dessert with walnuts, cream and tahini, which appeals to taste buds and turns the meal into a feast.

Hibes

Mostly consumed as a mezze and being a very popular dish, Hibes is an appetizer and a very delicious recipe containing tahini, lemon juice and spices. Whether you spread it on bread in the breakfast or serve it beside meat dishes, hibes is referred to as one of the favorite dishes of Antalya cuisine as a mezze and sauce.

Alanya Bohcasi

A good example of delicious and inspiring dishes made with crepes, Alanya bohcasi is a creative dish in which you can put any kind of mixture you want. Whether stuffing mixture, breakfast materials, or lamb. Turning into a fantastic dish with almost all kinds of mixtures, Alanya bohcasi is made and served mostly as a dish for breakfast in Antalya. It is available in many of the restaurants in the city.

Goleviz

Goleviz is a kind of hidden flavor that is not well known outside the city, and remained as a dish unique to Antalya region. You can find goleviz, a local dish made with Goleviz plant, chickpeas, meat cubes, tomatoes and onions, in the menus of the restaurants in the city.

Toros Salad

Toros salad, a salad unique to Antalya, is like a greenery bomb consisting of the combination of arugula, parsley, green onion, mint and sumac. Toros salad, which is complementary or even detoxifying dish on its own, is also a good alternative for those who are bored with the same type of salads.

Arap Kadayifi

Let's talk about the desserts. Arap kadayifi is a flavor ranking top when it comes to desserts of Antalya. Although it is mostly known as yassi (flat) kadayif outside Antalya, this fantastic dessert is known as the famous Arap kadayifi by the people of Antalya. Arap kadayifi, a dessert with plenty of walnuts and sherbet, is included in the category of desserts with sherbet and makes you almost addictive once you taste it. You can try Arap kadayifi, a dessert that can be easily found in many patisseries and desserts in Antalya, together with burnt ice cream, which is also unique to Antalya and makes you enjoy a feast of palate.

Finike Banana Dessert

Finike banana dessert, a flavor that can draw the attention of those who love fruity desserts, is a flavor that can be consumed with mind at peace by those who are sensitive to gluten as it is made with only banana, orange juice, butter and sugar. You can try to make this flavor enriched with cinnamon and coconut at home and send your love to Antalya.