Spanish and Turkish cuisine: Two countries, similar tastes

Spanish and Turkish cuisine: Two countries, similar tastes

If you decide to travel to Turkey you’ll most probably gain weight. Not because the food is unhealthy, quite the contrary, but because Turkish food is delicious and there is always something new to try. You’ll try dishes you would never have imagined that they existed and you’ll fall in love with Turkish sweets such as Kunefe and ….. But If you come from a Mediterranean country you’ll also be surprised to realize that Turkey shares some national meals with your home country’s cuisine. 

Turkey is one of the main world destinations, and it is growing year by year. In 2019 45.1 million international tourists visited Turkey, many from European countries. The same year 257 Spanish travellers landed in Turkey. If you come from Spain, you’ll find many unknown foods, but If you miss your local foods don’t worry, many ingredients are the same in both countries. You’ll also be dazzled to find some dishes that you already know from Spain, but with some variations and different names. 

Mediterranean cuisine is considered one of the best in the world. No wonder, since it includes all types of vegetables, meats and fishes. But each Mediterranean country has its own food; no one would think that Italian, Spanish, Moroccan, Tunisian and Turkish cuisines are the same. But close geographical location, climate and intercultural exchanges make it possible to have similar traditions. 

Ingredients in Spanish and Turkish foods are very similar: olive oil, onions, olives, tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplants, squash, peppers, cheese, meats and fishes are some of the many food choices you’ll find to try and cook at home. Both in Spain as in Turkey most dishes are made with olive oil, tomato, garlic, onions and vegetables. Fruits are also the same, and since both grow grapes, local wines taste similar.

Shared national dishes

If you know Spanish “Pisto” try Turkish “Türlü” it is made with the same vegetables but while in Spain it is usually eaten with egg in Turkey it is cooked with thin sliced lamb meat. 

“Gazpacho”, a southern Spanish tomato drink and soup made with tomato, cucumbers, peppers, garlic and olive oil has a close taste to Turkish tomato soup; “Domates Çorbası”.

And have you ever tried stuffed vegetables with meat, rice and tomato sauce? 

Well, Turkish “dolma” (peppers) is also eaten in Spanish houses and called “pimientos rellenos”. Appart of peppers you can also prepare it with squash, tomatos or eggplant. Another similar Turkish variation that is not found in Spain is “sarma”, which has the same filling but made with leaves. 

If you come from Spain, probably one of the traditions that you’ll miss the most is eating “tapas”: a variety of small meals accompanied with bread and eaten with friends and family, usually in outdoor spaces. But don’t worry, in Turkey we have “meze”, which is the same concept: enjoying food and socializing, and you’ll try some different dishes.

Sephardic ,Turkish and Spanish cuisine

Sephardic dishes are also very popular in Turkey and, curiously, some of them come from Spain. In the 16th century Spain was proclaimed a Catholic country under the rule of Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabel the Catholic. The Spanish Inquisition expelled non-catholic populations, and Sephardic jews travelled from Spain to the Ottoman Empire, where they were welcomed by Sultan Bayezid II. 

Sephardic jews brought Jewish, Spanish and Portuguese cuisine from the 15th century to the Ottoman Empire. In the Ottoman Empire, foods, the same as people and cultures, mixed and created new multicultural traditions. 
Some famous Sephardic dishes are “börekas orbörekitas” (Balkan and Turkish “Börek”), “Kaşar” (a type of cheese which name is comes from the Spanish; “queso”), and “bimbrigo” (quince paste), in Spanish called “membrillo”.

Turkey is an amazing food destination, we recommed you to try all dishes, you may be surprised by the similarities of with your local foods, but you’ll also be enchanted by unknown tastes.


Did you like our article? If you want more, check out our previous article about Ebru art: Discover traditional turkish “cloud art”