Cuisine

Greek cuisine has a noticeable Turkish influence and relies heavily on fresh fruits and vegetables. Salads are topped with aromatic olive oil, feta cheese, and olives. Specialties include grilled fish, souvlaki (shish kebab), spanakopita (spinach and cheese pie), barbecued lamb, squid, octopus, and cucumber yogurt dips.

For breakfast, Turks favor sourdough bread with sheep’s milk cheese and olives, jam and honey. Meals often start with a meze (vegetable appetizer), with eggplant serving as the staple vegetable. Salads served with eggplant dip; beans or red caviar are also very common. Tuna, turbot, and sardines are readily available along the coast, and lamb kebabs originated inland. The national drink is tea, which is served in little glasses and comes in many flavors. Turkish coffee is very strong and thick.