A second name I managed to keep in mind was the gözleme, a kind of pancake that is often the basis for the light dinners at home, and very often listed among the specialities in small eating spots. It is served freshly made, can be covered with butter while warm or simply serve as the support for spices, yoghurt, etc., for example as the appetizer for a meal. I also took one, wrapped around a nice mixture of vegetables so as to form a kind of crepe, while roaming the Izmir bazaar. Another simple pleasure, no doubt.
Turkish coffee? Well, the kahve was somewhat a disappointment. And might be strange, as historically it was the Ottoman Empire that brought the coffee habit from its possession, Yemen. It is served in a small cup, optionally with a glass of cold water. One should take tiny sips of this coffee, alternating with water, so that the expected delight develops little by little. Personally I got a mixed impression, because in spite of the rich taste of the az (kahve with little sugar, see vocabulary page) I felt it should be stronger, such as the coffee I took some years ago in Belgrade (Yugoslavia) which, as I remember it, was more satisfying. Apart from kahve one finds soluble coffee (nescafe), which resembles the world-famous British "coffee" very closely...
The ayram seems like liquid yoghurt and is excellent, for example for breakfast, with simit or one of their pastries (the gevret seems to be the one Turks choose to combine with the ayram). And the yoghurt itself is excellent -- I heard it matches that of Bulgaria, which is great.
Although Muslims should not drink alcohol, the fact is that one of the Turkish specialities is the 45-50º raki. Smelling like anisette, it is served as a table drink, to accompany the meze (see below) or, if it happens, fish. One glass has the booze, but a bottle of mineral water (or sometimes a second glass with water, I suppose, from the tap) and some ice (if the water is not cold enough) belong as well. After adding the water, the clear raki becomes cloudy (hence its "lion's milk" nickname). One should be careful on the proportion of water, because too much of it can spoil the taste (50% was my good rule of thumb).
Mineral water is good, easy to find and cheap. Water from the tap is generally regarded as unsafe for drinking. But in some localities (in the south-west at least), boxes with water containers and faucets, complete with one or two cups (of metal, plastic, whatever) are placed along the streets or in gas stations for public use. One is free to use this water, and it is common sense to give the cup a quick wash before using it, just in case. Did not notice any consequences of its use...
Turkey produces wine, mainly for export, most of it directed to Germany. Did not find it especially good, but did find it expensive at two restaurants (about 6 MTL a bottle was, to my Portuguese standards, simply too much!). Anyway, it does not fit in the Turkish meal, which is much better served by one of their teas (see above). For the record, the two main brand names are Doluca and Kalaklidere. Beer (lager type) is OK, but again it does not conform with the Turkish style.
Meat balls are called köfte and come in various stylings, both times I tried I loved them.
In Northern Cyprus we had excellent fish (though not at a cheap price).
The salads are very much in the Greek style. This means they are complete and good.
The pide (a very funny name for the Portuguese, by the way...) is flat baguette-type bread which is opened on one side, end to end, to leave a groove that is filled with whatever you like (if you are allowed to choose, and that is not infrequent), then baked in the firewood oven, to be served cut into thin sections.
The kumpir is a big potato, cooked and served with its peel still on, except for the opening on the back that is filled with your choice of salads, spices, meat and fish, etc..
Finally, the pizza is commonplace everywhere. Never tried.
The baklava is a national institution. It is a small rectangular pastry made of dozens of layers with either pistachio or walnut, imbibed in sugar syrup (eyes rolling). It is a must for any restaurant to have it available.
Other specialities are best found (and sold by weight) in specialized shops, some of them including a café service. The Turkish delights (lokums) are famous but they did not appeal to me, while the sultan, looking like a sausage slice covered with a coconut smear but tasting like a fruit (orange, peach, lemon...) and having a chewing gum texture, is very commendable -- even if the description does not sound so good. The shop where I bought those sultan, at the Antalya bus terminal, also had other related sweets the name of which I cannot recall, filled either with pistachio cuttings or walnuts. The shops with baklava should be visited the day before returning home, not only to buy that sweet but to delve further into other types, even a type of dolma with pistachio filling exists!
In Istanbul, be sure to go to Nevizade street at least once. It lies in the Beyog'lu district, close to Galatasaray (many buses leaving from Eminönü will drive to the Tarlabasi Bulvari, at the beginning of which one must step down, to walk for 2 minutes through a couple of narrow streets to the right). This 30-meter street is a continuous row of restaurants along the southern side, each one serving an outstanding variety of meze and good quality cooking. Once you sit and try to figure out in the menu what to eat, do not refrain from asking for a particular specialty even if it is not listed, because they might be able to get it from one of the neighbours. In our case, they even sent one of the employees to a pastry shop in the market around the corner (this market is an amazing visit, by the way) to get us baklava!