A traditional Turkish lunch at Urla.

We arrive at the village of Urla and start walking down the narrow winding cobble stone pavements headed towards Beğendik Abi where a traditional Turkish lunch has been planned for us by our hosts.

As we walk down the street, we pass by many quaint shops and restaurants, people sit out on the sidewalk smoking their Hookah’s; a group of men sit in the corner playing Tavla which is a traditional board game (of course there’s gambling involved), stores selling olive oil and natural products are in plenty.

It’s a warm sunny day which makes the bell peppers seem an even brighter red than usual and then we reach the restaurant. We walk right through to the back sit out where there’s a neatly laid out table with several appetizers and bread baskets.

Let me start with the crockery; terracotta type plates with porcelain coating.  And not just the plates, all of the dishes being used had the same style.


Which brings me to the food on those plates… the appetizers, totally vegetarian and cooked in olive oil; included many of the classics like stuffed pumpkin blossoms (kabak çiçeği dolması), stuffed vine leaves (sarma), and stuffed artichoke (enginar dolması).


I suppose I could have chosen to drink something traditional like Ayran, which is a yogurt based drink, similar to what we call Lassi back home; or one of the fresh fruit juices like Nar (Pomegranate) or şeftali (Peach).. but o well I decided I needed a Diet coke.

And then there was the main course, lamb on a bed of mashed potatoes, beef and potatoes and more beef. This truly is a meat lovers country. Yes, they do have some chicken for people like me who prefer white meat, but it was on special request as chicken in this region isn’t really the preferred meat.

Next course, dessert…. Light and fluffy and not too sweet is the best way to describe both the desserts brought out for us. The deserts were the timeless ones and tasted much like a custard base with dry fruits and nuts.

No Turkish meal is ever complete without Turkish coffee. ‘Khave’ over here is not your regular coffee, it’s almost like drinking a dessert coffee liquor, rich and aromatic! Perfect.

I was truly overwhelmed and I have to say, çok teşekkür to our hosts at IZTEKGEB for the exotic meal as it was more than just a traditional Turkish meal, it was a wonderful Turkish experience.