In Türkiye, despite Islam’s prohibition against alcohol, there is a rich and long-standing tradition associated with drinking. Sharing alcoholic beverages in the company of family and friends—both at home and in taverns and restaurants—is a cherished part of special occasions.
Much like Spanish tapas, meze is the broad category of small dishes served at the start of a meal. These are enjoyed over the course of several hours, accompanied by wine or, more commonly, rakı—the anise-flavored national spirit of Türkiye, sometimes called “lion’s milk” for the milky-white color it takes on when mixed with water. The meze course continues until the main dish is served.
The simplest meze for rakı is slices of honeydew melon and creamy white cheese (beyaz peynir) with freshly baked bread. Beyond this bare minimum, a typical seafood meze spread might include dried or marinated mackerel, fresh greens in a thick garlic-yogurt sauce, an assortment of cold vegetable dishes cooked or fried in olive oil, crispy savory pastries (börek), deep-fried mussels and calamari with dipping sauce, a simple tomato-and-cucumber salad, and fish roe spread (tarama). The main course that follows such a spread is usually grilled fish or seafood.
When the main course is kebap, the meze spread changes character. In this case, you are likely to see several plates of finely chopped salad greens and tomatoes dressed in spicy olive oil, some mixed with yogurt or cheese. There may also be hummus (chickpeas blended with tahini), kısır (bulgur and red lentil balls), çiğ köfte (spiced raw bulgur patties traditionally made with raw meat, though modern versions are often vegan), marinated stuffed eggplant, peppers filled with spices and nuts, and a selection of pickles.