Eat a traditional kebab in Turkey
Sit down somewhere in Turkey and eat kebab as part of the cuisine it actually comes from, rather than treating the word as shorthand for one takeaway dish. Turkish kebabs cover a wide range of styles, from minced-meat Adana and Urfa kebabs to skewered şiş kebab, döner cooked on a vertical spit, and regional dishes served with bread, rice, grilled vegetables, yoghurt or sauces. Different parts of Turkey have their own strong traditions. Adana is famous for its spicy minced-lamb kebab, Gaziantep is known for rich southeastern cooking, and Istanbul gives you access to regional styles from across the country in one city. The meat is usually only part of the meal, with salads, flatbreads, mezze and grilled vegetables helping make the experience much broader than simply ordering a wrap. Choose a busy local kebab restaurant or ocakbaşı, ideally somewhere cooking over charcoal and specialising in one or two regional styles rather than offering an enormous generic menu. Ask what the house speciality is, order something you would not normally get at home, and eat it as it is traditionally served. Add this to your list and discover how varied Turkish kebab really is.