AYRAN


Ayran is a mixture of yogurt, water, and sometimes salt. It is thought to hve originated as a way of preserving yogurt by adding salt.

Ayran is usually served chilled, and is common accompaniment to doner, kebab, gozleme, or pastry.

Minced cucumber may be added to ayran (pr, more commonly, diluted yogurt) with garlic to make cacik.



BAKLAVA


Baklava is a rich, sweet pastry made of layers of phyllo dough filled with chopped nuts and sweetend with syrup or honey. It is characteristic of the cuisines of the former Ottoman Empire and much of central and southwest Asia.

In Turkey, Gaziantep is famous for its baklava and rregarded there as its native city, though it only appears to have been introduced to Gaziantep from Damascus in 1871. In 2008, the Turkish patent office registred a geographical indication certificate for Antep Baklva.



ISLENDER KEBAP


Islender kebap is one of the most famous meat foods of Northwestern Turkey and takes its name from its inventor, Iskender Efendi, who lived in Bursa it the late 19th century. It can be assumed to be derived from a verticalized version of Cag Kebab, from Erzurum.

It is kind of doner kebab prepared from thinly cut grilled lamb or beef basted with tomato sauce over pieces of pide bread and gennerously slathered wilt melted butter and yogurt. Additionally, one cylindrical meatball can be placed on top. Ot is commonly consumed with shira as a drink to aid digestion. Tomato sauce and boiling butter are sometimes poured over the dish, at the table.