Turkish cuisine has a very long history. It's influenced by the nomadic cooking traditions of Turkic peoples as well as by Persian, Kurdish, Arabic, and Armenian cuisine and the cuisines of the Mediterranean and the Caucasus.

For a long time, Turkish cuisine was known only by the famous döner. It's not limited to kebabs, but instead is characterized by its almost infinite variety.

Antalya's cuisine is a melting pot of regional Turkish cuisine with locally grown food from farms throughout the province. Here we will present the peculiarities of Turkish cuisine.

On this page, find all a complete guide to food culture in Antalya, so you can become a culinary expert.

"Afiyet olsun" as they say in Turkey.

Antalya's Fruits and Vegetables

In 1750, the first banana plant was brought to Turkey. Since then, bananas have been grown along the coastline between Alanya and Gazipaşa on the hills facing the sea, because bananas love the humid winds. Locals say "bananas love the sea". The fruits are smaller and much sweeter than their big sisters from Africa and South America. They are also called donkey bananas.

Citrus fruits are also grown around here, especially oranges and lemon. Carob trees can grow up to 20 meters high, and their fruit is processed into syrup or used dried as a substitute for cocoa powder. Even avocados, native to tropical rainforests, thrive in Alanya.

Syrian juniper also thrives in the Antalya province. The trees can grow up to 20 meters high.

Turkey ranks third in the world for tomato production. A large part of it is cultivated in Antalya. There are more than 32 hectares of greenhouses, where tomatoes are grown.

Antalya's Local Herbs

Especially when you walk through ancient ruins, such as Xanthos, the smell of thyme and oregano is immediately apparent. The smell rises from the surrounding fields and spreads throughout the area. Antalya can also be recognized by its smell...

In addition, basil, sage, rosemary, coriander, mint, cumin, and chili are popular spices in Turkish cuisine. Sumac is a spice obtained from the red drupe of the evergreen dyer tree. The taste is fresh, sour, and slightly fruity. Sumak is used, among other things, in salads as an alternative to lemon juice or vinegar.