Turkey is a crossroad between Europe, Asia and the Orient. This unique location combined with the migration of Turks over the centuries from Central Asia to Europe has shaped the identity of its cuisine.
Turkish cuisine has a long and deep-rooted legacy that goes way beyond kebab. A colourful country with differing climates and terrains, food lovers are spoilt for choice.
Food Explorers’ Dinner Expedition “Ottoman Heritage”
Food Explorers got acquainted with a few popular dishes from a few geographical regions of Turkey, prepared by Ibrahim Yesilkaya and his family in their restaurant Marmaris Kebaphaus in Ludwigshafen. Mr Yesilkaya hails from Kahramanmaraş in Southeastern Anatolia, a region famous for its meaty fare, spices, pistachio nuts and “baklava“.
We had a fun evening with delicious food, and got the chance to experience famous Turkish hospitality – Mr Yesilkaya and his family immediately made us feel right at home!
Our 8-dish+ Menu
Our Dinner Expedition kicked off with “Meze” (appetisers). Turkish meals are usually a social event that can last for several hours especially at dinners, so it’s a tradition to serve and eat rounds of hot and cold starters before the main dish. We enjoyed a diversity of flavours and textures with “Sarma”, “Ezme”, “Pastirma”, “Sigara Böreği”, Marmara olives, along with a variety of “Pide“ and “Yumurta Salatasi“, a special egg salad from Kahramanmaraş.
Soups are indispensable in Turkish cuisine – “Mercimek Çorbasi” (red lentils soup) was heartwarmingly delicious. With “Hamsi Balığı” we found out why the locals of the Black Sea region have an emotional attachment to “Hamsi” (anchovy).
Our main course was made up of a trio of meat dishes. First up was “Beyti Döner“, a house-special made with döner meat wrapped in crispy thin flatbread, topped with a special tomato and yogurt sauces. The second dish, “Saç Kavurma“ (literally fried on an iron plate) was a sautéed spiced lamb especially popular during the Eid holiday, served with a thin, homemade flatbread. “Patlıcan musakka” – a combination of minced meat, aubergine and tomato – completed the trio.
As Turkey is synonymous with “baklava“, our Expedition ended with a selection of several types of this delectable sweet treat, served with hot Turkish “çay“.
Several of the dishes listed above are available à la carte at Marmaris Kebaphaus. Go check them out!
Marmaris Kebaphaus, Kurze Straße 9, 67063 Ludwigshafen
Looking for more ideas on where to dine in the Rhein-Neckar region?
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