Turkish cuisine has millions of fans around the world. It has everything to satisfy the needs of a wide variety of people - from meat lovers and sweets to vegetarians and fans of the Mediterranean diet.

Turkish cuisine was formed at the junction of two parts of the world - Europe and Asia, and was able to absorb the culinary traditions of the nomadic Turkic tribes - the ancestors of modern Turks, and the recipes of the Mediterranean cuisine.

The basis of Turkish cuisine is meat (lamb, beef, chicken), vegetables (tomatoes, eggplant, sweet peppers, olives, zucchini, celery), herbs and spices (pepper, paprika, thyme, coriander, nutmeg), dairy products (brynza, cream cheese labne, ayran, yogurt), as well as various types of greens. Olive oil is very popular. Dough products are widely represented, including sweet pastries.

The most popular Turkish meat dish is kebab. There are several varieties of it, but, in fact, kebab is meat baked over an open fire. It can be made from meat, fish, chicken, often vegetables prepared in the same way are served with it. There are a lot of meat and flour dishes, the most famous and popular are pide and lahmanjun pizza varieties, tiny, about a centimeter wide Turkish dumpling, doner, kofte cutlets.

Soups are an important part of Turkish cuisine. Lentil soup, “ezogelin”, “yayla” yogurt soup, tomato soup, cold “jajik” made from yogurt, fresh cucumbers and herbs are all delicious and nutritious yet light, so they can be part of a diet meal.

Eggplant is very popular in Türkiye. It is stewed, fried, pasta is made from it, it is stuffed with other vegetables, and it is also often included in salads and snacks. A variety of vegetable and green salads are always served at the table: “mevsim salad” of several types of lettuce, “kysyr” - a salad of bulgur, tomatoes and herbs, “patlyjan salad” - a salad of baked eggplant, garlic and parsley, a regular cucumber salad, tomatoes, sweet peppers and cheese, seasoned with olive oil. As salad dressings, in addition to olive oil, lemon juice or yogurt is often used.

Pilav is one of the famous and popular Turkish dishes. In fact, this is a kind of pilav, but unlike traditional pilav, it can be made not only from rice, but also from vermicelli, bulgur. The technology of its preparation is also different.

In Turkish cuisine, there are several variants of dolma: from grape leaves, bell peppers, eggplants. Minced meat can be meat, vegetable, and even fish and seafood.

Olives, cheese, beans, lemons will definitely be on the Turkish table as appetizers.

Like many inhabitants of the countries of the East, the Turks are very fond of sweets and know how to cook various desserts that are popular all over the world. The most famous Turkish dessert is baklava made from many thin layers of dough stuffed with crushed pistachios, poured with honey syrup. No less famous are lokum, tahini halva, sesame bagels simit, sweet pies shekerpare, lokma - fried donuts drenched in sugar syrup, pishmaniye - sweet “strings” rolled into balls.

Turkish cuisine is very popular in Turkmenistan. They are tasty, satisfying and varied and are suitable both for fans of a balanced diet (due to the presence of a large number of vegetables, herbs and sour-milk products in the arsenal of products), and for those who like to eat tasty and plentiful meat cooked in a variety of ways. Turkish sweets are also loved in Ashgabat and other cities, especially pistachio baklava.

In the Turkmen capital, you can taste Turkish cuisine in all its diversity in restaurants of the Soltan chain. These establishments specialize in Turkish cuisine (despite the fact that their menu includes dishes from other countries). Pide and lahmanjun, various types of kebabs and vegetable salads and snacks, light and nutritious soups, as well as oriental desserts for every taste - all this is ready to offer guests by experienced chefs of Soltan restaurants.

Restaurants of the Soltan network are located in different parts of the city, so they are available to residents of almost any district of Ashgabat. The cozy atmosphere of the halls, decorated in loft style, oriental, classical and modern European styles, and a rich assortment of Turkish dishes make Soltan restaurants an ideal place to meet friends, celebrate any events and just have a nice evening with the family.

Addresses and contact details of Soltan restaurants:

• SEC "Berkarar", 3rd floor, D 17. Phones: (+993 65) 30 88 88, (+993 12) 46 84 44, (+993 12) 46 88 44;
• “Berkarar” shopping and entertainment center, 3rd floor, D 2. Phones: (+993 61) 60 60 60, (+993 12) 46 88 08, (+993 12) 46 88 09;
• “Berkarar” shopping and entertainment center, 3rd floor, K 1. Phones: (+993 60) 20 50 02, (+993 12) 46 84 80, (+993 12) 46 84 81;
• st. Andalib, 80 B, 2nd floor (Parahat-4). Phones: (+993 65) 69 16 16, (+993 12) 47 40 25, (+993 12) 47 40 26;
• Magtymguly avenue 217, Gül Zemin shopping and entertainment center, 3rd floor, D 09. Phones: (+993 63) 20 86 86, (+993 12) 90 33 70, (+993 12) 90 33 80;
• “Ashgabat” shopping and entertainment center, 3rd floor C-3.24. Phones: (+993 62) 21 86 86, (+993 12) 41 54 50, (+993 12) 41 54 51;
• st. G. Kuliyev (Bypass), 72, 2nd floor. Phones: (+993 65) 72 61 62, (+993 12) 75 48 44, (+993 12) 75 49 44, (+993 64) 69 44 44, (+993 12) 75 35 55, (+993 12) 75 36 66.

Resources: vetrom.ru; yenisey.co; traveltimes.ru