Best Turkish Desserts & Sweets in Turkey
Most popular Turkish desserts, Turkish desserts wiki, all about Turkish desserts.
There is a nice saying in Turkish language: "Tatlı yiyelim, tatlı konuşalım" meaning "(Let’s) Eat sweet, talk sweet."
Turkish desserts and sweets are not only part of the meal, but also an offering to the guests, celebration food at «bayram» or even a farewell food after a person passes away. The most popular Turkish desserts in Turkey are …
TURKISH DESSERTS IN TURKEY
Types of Turkish Desserts
- Pastry cooked in the oven and dressed with syrup and crunched dried fruits
- Thin layers of dough stuffed with dried fruits and cooked in the oven and dressed with syrup
- Desserts made by cooking milk and cereal
- Fruit desserts cooked and served with syrup and clotted cream
- Desserts cooked with flour and sugar like helva desserts
Let’s talk sweet now and start with the list of most popular Turkish desserts you will find on the menus in all over Turkey.
Most Popular Turkish Desserts and Sweets in Turkey
Aşure Noah's Pudding
A kind of pudding that is both associated with a religious holiday and eaten as an everday dessert. It is made with water, sugar, grains such as wheat, chickpeas, beans and rice, and also contains various fresh and dried fruits.
Badem Ezmesi Marzpan
Marzipan, a kind of sweet made from crushed almonds, sugar and lemon juice. One of the best places to try badem ezmesi in Istanbul is Meşhur Bebek Badem Ezmesi, which was founded in Bebek in 1904.
Baklava
Baklava is one of the oldest known Turkish flaky pastry cut into diamond-shape and poured syrup.
Güllaç
One of the most popular Turkish desserts made with starch, milk, rose water and dried fruits. It was called güllü aş (food with rose) during the Ottoman period because the chefs used to add rose water to the dough made with corn starch. The name was mutated as güllaç in time. Güllüoğlu, Saray Muhallebicisi, Sütiş are the best to try güllac.
Helva
Helva, halvah is a very simple but delicious dessert made from sugar, oil, flour or semolina. Helva is not only a delicious dessert, but it is also a ceremonial food cooked for special occasions such as birth, death, army service, pilgrimage to Mecca etc.
Common types of helva are balli helva halvah with honey irmik helvası semolina halvah kasik helvasi spoon helvah pekmezli helva halvah with molasses peynirli helva halvah with cheese saray helvasi palace halvah su helvasi water halvah süt helvasi halvah with milk tahin pekmez helvasi halvah with tahini and molasses un helvasi flour halvah
Kazandibi
A kind of milk pudding slightly burnt on the bottom. Literally it means “bottom of the kettle”.
Künefe
A kind of dessert with cheese and served with syrup. It is usually served after kebab.
Lokma
A small, round, friedcake in the shape of small balls served with crunched walnut and syrup.
Muhallebi
Milk pudding, a very simple dessert made of milk, sugar and rice starch. It is cooked plain or with cacao and sakız (mustic).
Profiterol
A kind of sweet made from cookies with cream topped with chocolate sauce. The best place to try profiterol is Inci Pastanesi in Istiklal Street and Baylan in Kadıköy on the Asian side.
Su Muhallebisi
Water puding, a kind of very simple dessert made from starch, milk and water. After it is cooked, it is cooled in the fridge. Then the mixture is cut in square and served with rose water and nuts.
Sütlaç
A rice pudding made from rice, milk and sugar. It is served with cinnamon. There is also fırında sütlaç (rice pudding cooked in the oven).
Sütlü Nuriye
Sütlü Nuriye (Nuriye is a female name) is a kind of baklava dressed with milk instead of sugar syrup. It is believed that it is called Nuriye because it was made by a woman called Nuriye. It is also called ihtilal baklavası (coup baklava) because it was made after 1980 military coup. Therefore, people used milk instead of sugar as it is cheaper considering the economical situation then.
Tavuk Göğsü
Chicken breast pudding is a kind of dessert made of milk, sugar, cracked rice, and chicken breast served with cinnamon.
Lokum
Lokum, Turkish delight, is no doubt the most famous Turkish delight.
Common types of lokum are sade lokum plain lokum güllü lokum lokum with rose water cevizli lokum lokum with walnut findikli lokum lokum with hazel nut Antep fistikli lokum lokum with pistachio bademli lokum lokum wih almond limonlu lokum lokum with lemon
Zerde
Zerde is a kind of rice pudding coloured with saffron and dressed with currant, pistachio or rose water.
Afiyet olsun Good appetite!