A Well-Stocked Turkish Kitchen

My husband returned from Turkey yesterday from a 3-week visit (part of the reason I didn't blog as I was so busy with extra work), and brought me several goodies. Olives, feta (beyaz peynir), pastırma, dried apricots (unsulphured) -- lots of good, healthy stuff.

So, I thought I would create a list of the well-stocked Turkish kitchen, ingredients so common on the table, that a Turkish cook would almost always have them in the cupboard, or buy them fresh frequently.

Oils:

• olive oil (extra virgen, cold pressed best)
  
• butter (the real stuff, not that nasty margarine)

Dairy:

• milk (sometimes still sold fresh off the street)
  
• feta (beyaz peynir)
  
• yogurt (and lots of it, whole milk)

Meats (usually used sparingly because of cost):

• lamb
  
• pastırma
  
• ground beef

Fish
(This is just a small selection. As Turkey is surrounded by 3 seas (Mediterranean, Aegean, and Black) plus many rivers, there is a wide variety of fish, and it's eaten frequently. I've never eaten better fish than in Turkey.)

• lufer (a type of blue-fish, but a whole lot better)
  
• anchovy
  
• sardines
  
• trout

Fruits--all kinds, whatever's fresh in-season:
Turks love fruit, and use it as a common dessert

• quince
  
• apricots
  
• peaches (from Bursa are heavenly)
  
• grapes
  
• apples
  
• pears
  
• figs (another fruit divinity)
  
• lemons (used in almost anything, freshly-squeezed, not bottled)
  
• olives (most commonly served at breakfast, but really at any meal)

Dried Fruits:

• dates
  
• apricots
  
• figs
  
• raisins

Nuts (I'll blog about kuru yemiş one day):

• almonds
  
• pistachios
  
• walnuts
  
• hazelnuts
  
• peanuts

Vegetables (again, what is fresh and in-season):

• eggplant
  
• leeks
  
• tomatoes
  
• okra
  
• celeriac
  
• squash
  
• carrots
  
• onions
  
• cabbage
  
• garlic (used year-round in almost everything)

Beans, Legumes and Grains:

• white dry beans (canneli)
  
• chick peas
  
• lentils
  
• bulgur
  
• rice (Turks usually use white, but I always use brown)

Greens:

• arugula
  
• purslane
  
• lettuce (usually Romaine)
  
• parsley (used as a salad, too)
  
• tere
  
• green onions

Herbs & Spices:

• dill
  
• parsley
  
• mint
• pepper paste

Drinks:

• tea (loose leaf, black)
  
• coffee (Turkish ground)
  
• dried ihlamur/ linden flowers (makes a great tea)
  
• rakı (a type of Turkish alcohol)

Misc:

• eggs
  
• honey
  
• tarhana (a base used to make a delicious soup)

I'm sure this list will grow as I remember certain items, or someone reminds me. Plus Turkey is a huge country and I did not experience all the various regional cuisines, unfortunately.