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CİYAA quick note on Turkish pronunciation: There are a few letters that are unique to the Turkish alphabet. The letter ‘Ç’ is pronounced ‘ch.’ The same principle applies to ‘Ş’, which is pronounced like ‘sh’. There is only one silent letter in the alphabet, which is ‘ğ.’ The Turkish word for yogurt is ‘yoğurt’ pronounced ‘yo-urt.’ You will also see ‘Ü’ which sounds like ‘ew’ (as in few), and ‘Ö’, pronounced like ‘eh’. There are also two variations of the letter ‘i’, the second of which looks like this: ‘ı’, and sound like ‘euh’.
Rakı, the national Turkish spirit is pronounced rak-euh.

Yes Evet
No Hayır
Hello Merhaba
Okay Tamam
Please Lütfen
Thank you Teşekkür ederim
Thanks very much Çok teşekkürler
You’re welcome Rica ederim
Welcome Hoşgeldiniz
Pardon me Afedersiniz
I’m fine İyiyim
Friend Arkadaş
What? Ne?
How? Nasıl?
Who? Kim?
Why? Neden?
When? Ne zaman?
What’s this? Bu nedir?
Good morning Günaydın
Good evening İyi Akşamlar
Good night İyi geceler
Good Bye Güle güle
See you Gorushuruz
Good day İyi günler
Left Sol
Right Sağ
Straight on Doğru
Here Burada
There Şurada
Over there Orada
Near Yakın
Far Uzak
Forward İleri
The bill please Hesap Lütfen

EXPRESSIONS

“Afiyet Olsun”! is an expression used to wish that a meal be enjoyed. Unlike other cultures the expression is used both before and after a meal.

When anybody wants to express appreciation about food prepared by somebody else he says “Elinize Saglik”! which means” May God give health to your hands”. When proposing a toast, the expression “Sherefe” is used which literally means “to your honor”.

Drinks

Rakı: The national spirit of Turkey — an unsweetened, anise-flavored alcoholic drink
Ayran: A cold drink of yogurt with water seasoned with salt
Çay: Tea
Süt: Milk
Bira: Beer
Kahve: Turkish Coffee
Sade: No sugar (Turkish coffee comes either with our without sugar which
you need to specify when ordering)
Az şekerli: A little sugar
Orta şekerli: A moderate amount of sugar
Çok şekerli: With lots of sugar
Kırmızı şarap: Red wine
Beyaz şarap: White wine
Su: Water
Maden suyu: Sparkling water
Meyve suyu: Fruit juice

Breakfast specials

Kahvaltı: Breakfast
Menemen: Scrambled eggs with vegetables, similar to shakshuka
Börek: Baked pastry made with phyllo dough stuffed with meat or vegetable
Ispanaklı börek: Spinach börek
Peynirli börek: Cheese börek
Kıymalı börek: Ground beef börek
Açma: a ring-shaped savory bun
Poğaça: A flaky, savory pastry, served sade (plain) or peynirli (with cheese), kıymalı (minced meat) or zeytinli (black olives).
Beyaz peynir: Salty white cheese
Kaşar: A moderately fatty sheep’s cheese similar to the Spanish Manchego
Hellim: Halloumi
Sucuk: Dry, spicy beef sausage
Ekmek: Bread

Street food

Nohutlu pilav: Rice cooked with chickpeas in a chicken broth
Döner: A sandwich of stuffed with meat (lamb or veal) cooked on a vertical rotisserie
Simit: Turkish bagel
Pide: Flatbread, often with meat or cheese
Lahmacun: Flatbread with ground lamb
Kestane: Chestnuts
Mısır: Corn
Gözleme: Sweet or savory pancake topped with various of toppings
Kumpir: Baked potato with stuffing

Meat

Et: Meat
Kebap: Grilled meat
Sish kebap: Meat grilled on a skewer
Iskender kebap: Döner kebab prepared from thinly cut grilled lamb basted with hot tomato sauce over pieces of pita bread, slathered with melted butter and yogurt.
Yogurtlu kebap: Döner kebab prepared from thinly cut grilled lamb topped with yogurt
Adana kebap: Minced meat kebab mounted on a wide iron skewer and grilled
Urfa kebap: Spicy Minced meat kebab mounted on a wide iron skewer and grilled
Tavuk: Chicken
Pirzola: Lamb chops
Köfte: Meatballs

Fish

Balık: Fish
Lüfer: Bluefish
Midye dolma: Mussels stuffed with rice
Midye Tava: Fried mussels
Levrek: Seabass
Barbunya: Red mullet
Kalkan: Turbot
Sardalya: Sardines
Karides: Shrimp
Ahtapot: Octopus
Izgara: Grilled
Kızarmış: Fried

Popular dishes

Meze: Appetizers
Pilav: Pilaf
Salata: Salad
Bulgur Pilavı: Bulgur pilaf
Mercimek corbasi: Lentil soup
Piyaz: White bean salad
Dolma: Stuffed grape leaves
Cacik: Yogurt with cucumber, dill and garlic (Tzatziki)
Manti: Turkish dumplings filled with minced meat and topped with garlic yogurt, melted butter, dried mint, ground sumac and red pepper powder.
İç pilav: Rice with liver, currants, pinenuts, chestnut, cinnamon and herbs
Zeytinyağlı: Vegetables cooked in olive oil
Yoğurt: Yogurt

Dessert

Tatlı: Dessert
Sütlü tatlılar: Milk-based desserts
Kaymak: Clotted cream
Yufka: Thin sheets of unleavened flour dough (phyllo)
Tavuk göğsü: Pudding made with milk and chicken breast (local speciality). It does not taste chicken at all!!
Baklava: Layered phyllo with nuts or pistachio nuts and syrup
Sütlaç: Rice pudding
Muhallebi: Milk pudding
Lokum: Turkish delight
Maraş Dondurması: Turkish ice cream made of goat milk and salep
Salep: Flour made of orchids, used in ice cream or prepared as a hot drink
Künefe: Shredded phylo pastry ( Kadayıf)with cheese soaked in syrup
Kabak tatlısı: Pumpkin dessert

Vegetables

vegetable: sebze
artichokes: enginar
asparagus: kuşkonmaz
bean: fasulye
brussels sprout: Brüksel lahanası
cabbage: lahana
carrot: havuç
cauliflower: karnıbahar
corn: mısır
cucumber: salatalık
eggplant: patlıcan
garlic: sarımsak
string bean: çalı fasulye
green pepper: yeşil biber
leek: pırasa
lettuce: marul, yeşil salata
mushroom: mantar
okra: bamya
onion: soğan
pea: bezelye
potato: patates
radish: turp
red pepper: kırmızı biber
tomato: domates
zucchini: kabak

Fruits

fruit: meyva
apple: elma
apricot: kayısı
banana: muz
cherry: kiraz
sour or black cherry: vişne (sour and darker, used for jam and juice)
grapefruit: greyfurt
melon: kavun
orange: portakal
peach: şeftali
pear: armut
pineapple: ananas
pomegranate: nar
strawberry: çilek
tangerine: mandalina
watermelon: karpuz