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The Art of Traditional Turkish Meze

Appetizers, sliders, starters, hors d’oeuvres – pre-meal small dishes are served in every country in the world, regardless of the title. Intended to satisfy the palate and kick start the appetite, these perfectly-portioned smaller servings are a special part of any dining experience. In Turkey, the equivalent to an appetizer is a meze; the only different between this starting meal in Turkey and a starting meal in America is that the Turks put just as much effort into perfecting the art of a meze as the Spanish do in crafting the perfect tamale!

The Turks know how to enjoy a meal with style and elegance; sipping on alcohol and snacking on a delicious meze is a favorite pastime to share with friends and family. Mezes are served to the entire table rather than to just an individual and typically a variety of mezes are served along with a large portion of freshly-baked bread. Turkish mezes only have fresh produce in the ingredients and the cooking process is quite time consuming.Turkish meze often consist of some common ingredients, including white cheese, sliced ripe melon, hot pepper paste, thick strained yogurt, cold aubergine salad, seafood such as calamari or squid, artichokes, cucumber and garlic-based yogurt, meatballs and vine leaves that are stuffed with rice and vegetables. The blending of ingredients and spices together is a true art form that the Turks have mastered when creating a meze; this level of culinary expertise allows a meze to contain rather simple ingredients while still having surprising bursts of flavor that will satisfy any palate.

Some of the most famous meze plates served in Turkey include:

Haydari: blended yogurt that features hints of garlic and dill
Ezme: Mixed tomato paste with chili flaked featuring finely chopped onions, herbs, spices and peppers
Humus: A famous chickpea spread that is served all over the world and can be garnished with a variety of additives such as garlic or herbs
Sigara Borek: A delicious pastry that is traditionally in the shape of a cigar and stuffed with white cheese
Patlican Salatasi: Mashed, cooked eggplant that is drizzled in olive oil
Calamari: Fresh, battered calamari
Fava: Broad beans that have been mashed and blended with a variety of herbs and olive oil

The typical dining experience in Turkey usually involves the server bringing out a very large platter and setting it in front of the table; the tray features a variety of mezes that the party can choose from. The selected meze is then brought to the table and served one by one so that plenty of time is given for the enjoyment of the individual flavors. Meze is always eaten slowly and good conversation, laughter and pure enjoyment of the meal is the staple of the entire dining experience. It is truly a spectacular experience that is enjoyed by the entire table.