Turkish cuisine is largely the heritage of Ottoman cuisine and can be described as a fusion and refinement of Mediterranean, Central Asian, Middle Eastern and Balkan cuisines. It is extremely healthy cuisine providing many vegetarian dishes (cooked in olive oil) and salads as well as fish, chicken and of course meats especially lamb.

Mezes are a fundamental element of Turkish cuisine. Mezes, in general,  are very healthy vegetarian dishes. Eggplant, Chickpeas, Zucchini, and Yogurt are some of the main ingredients in the preparation of mezes.  Salads (the cuisine has variety of them) play a significant role in Turkish cuisine. As for the main dishes, lamb is considered a major ingredient and it could be cooked on the grill or used in traditional dishes such as stuffed cabbage or Sultans delight, which is smoked eggplant purred topped with specially prepared lamb. Since Turkey is surrounded on 3 sides by water, Fish is an important part of the cuisine. The region of the Black sea (northern part of Turkey) and the Mediterranean and Aegean sea regions (Southern and South Western Turkey) contribute to the variety of the cuisine and provide important main dishes. Also very popular in Turkish cuisine are Turkish Pizzas (pide); Turkish pizza is a thin flat dough with different toppings such as lamb, vegetable, cheese etc..  Pides are especially popular in the southeastern Anatolia.

Of course the joy of the meal will be more when the atmosphere is authentic; here at Turkuaz we try to provide a very authentic Turkish atmosphere.

 A Turkish meal usually starts with a thin soup. Soups are usually named after their main ingredient such red lentil soup; then, it progresses with a salad such as shepherd salad which is a very tasty and healthy mixed salad made with chopped tomato, cucumber, onion and parsley with a touch of lemon juice and olive oil. Then we have the different types of mezes mentioned above that are mainly cold and hot appetizers. Then, depending on individual taste, one can progress to grilled lamb or chicken, a traditional dish or fish. Lastly, of course one can finish a meal with a Turkish dessert such as baklava or pudding with pistachios or almond along with a Turkish coffee or a Turkish tea.

One of the misconceptions about the Turkish cuisine, especially in NY is known as consisting solely of kebabs. While Kebabs are important dishes of Turkish cuisine, they are not the only or even the main dishes of Turkish cuisine; as mentioned, fish is an important part of the cuisine and many people might be surprised to learn this.; Turkish cuisine is a very rich, varied, and comprehensive cuisine that includes many traditional dishes which appeal to contemporary American tastes... It is also a complex cuisine and the preparation of the many dishes really needs a lot of work and attention to detail. The various regions of Turkey each have their own varieties and dishes which give Turkish cuisine a wide range of choices for the diner.