When it comes to Ottoman cuisine, Istanbul comes to mind directly. Istanbul, which was the capital of the Ottoman Empire for centuries, still hosts the best representatives of Ottoman cuisine today. The recipes made in the palace cuisine during the Ottoman period were generally influenced by the eastern and western cuisines. Especially the use of spices is one of the common features of oriental cuisine. There are influences from Western cuisines, such as cooking style and table culture.

You can find the most popular recipes of Ottoman cuisine from past to present in this content.

Special Recipes from History to Today

Mutancana

One of the most delicious dishes of the palace cuisine, mutancana is a meat dish. Today, it can be made with lamb, cow meat, or chicken meat. In the original, lamb meat is used.

Buryan Kebab

It is a delicious kebab in which tender lamb meat that melts in the mouth is served with roasted peppers and roasted onions in a pita. The cooking time of this dish, which is very easy to prepare, is quite long.

Mahmudiye

Besides being one of the favorite dishes of Sultan Mahmut, it was also named after the sultan. Another name for the dish is chicken with honey. The recipe of the dish includes chicken, honey, mustard, and dried apricots.

Cherry Leaf Wrap

Leaf wrap is one of today’s most popular dishes. While lemon sour is used today, sour cherry was used in Ottoman cuisine to give it a sour taste and to add aroma. It is also considered one of the delicious dishes in which fresh fruit is used.

Keşkül

Although sherbet desserts were famous in the Ottoman period, they were often consumed in milk desserts. The most important example of this is keşkul. Although it is very similar to rice pudding in terms of content, it differs from the classic rice pudding with the use of almond flour and almonds. The use of almonds is very common in main dishes as well as in desserts.

Stuffed Melon

Stuffed melon, which is one of the most preferred recipes in the palace cuisine, was also the choice of many sultans. In Ottoman cuisine, fresh and dried fruits were included in the recipes. In stuffing melons, the inside of the melon was cleaned and a stuffed meat filling was prepared, and nuts such as currants and almonds were added to it.

Hünkar Beğendi

It is a recipe that dates back to the past years and is very popular. Especially in crowded table preparations, this recipe is definitely included in the menu. Today, this dish finds a place for itself, thanks to its nutritiveness and the combination of delicious flavors. Thanks to the complementary harmony of eggplant and meat, a wonderful feast of taste emerges.

Vezir Parmağı

It is prepared by keeping the sweet dough cooked in hot oil in syrup. Prepared with a method similar to the Lokma dessert, this dessert was a very popular dessert in the Ottoman period.

Sherbets

Sherbets prepared by boiling fresh fruits and aromatic spices together are very common today. Sherbets, which are prepared as a source of healing and vitamins, are served as drinks alongside meals. It is also distributed at gatherings such as celebrations or funerals.

An Ottoman Restaurant in Istanbul: Deraliye Restaurant

Located in Sultanahmet, one of the historical districts of Istanbul, Deraliye Restaurant keeps the unique recipes of the Ottoman palace cuisine alive today. It has been giving place to Ottoman period recipes in the restaurant for more than 25 years. You can make reservations on the website to visit Deraliye Restaurant, which adds special recipes of Ottoman cuisine to its menu and opens its doors to everyone who comes to Sultanahmet.

You can have mutancana, stuffed melon, stuffed cherry leaves, vezir parmağı, hünkar beğendi, mahmudiye, and delicious palace cuisine in a place like a palace. You can find starters, appetizers, main course, delicious drinks, and much more at Deraliye Restaurant.