Turkish street food is the fast, savory and affordable food you find everywhere in Turkey, sold from carts, food trucks and tiny shops. Think loaded baked potatoes, sesame-crusted bread rings, stuffed mussels and grilled meat wrapped in flatbread. It is food made for the move: prepared fresh, eaten by hand and meant to be enjoyed right away.
You do not need a flight to Istanbul to taste it. Demand for Turkish street food is growing fast in the Netherlands, and some classics are easy enough to make yourself. Below we walk through the best-known dishes with an honest description of what you actually get. Kumpir gets a place of honor here, because it is the dish we are built around at Potaé.
What counts as typical Turkish street food?
Typical Turkish street food shares three traits: it is quick to make, you eat it with your hands, and it delivers big flavor for little money. Turkish cooking leans on grilled meat, fresh vegetables, yogurt, spices and bread, and those same ingredients turn up in nearly every street dish. From a savory breakfast bread to a late-night bite, there is always something to grab.
Kumpir: the Turkish XXL baked potato
Kumpir is a large baked potato whose inside is mashed creamy with butter and cheese, then loaded with salads and toppings. It is comfort food and street food at once: filling, warm and fully built to your own taste.
In Turkey, the Ortaköy neighborhood in Istanbul is famous for its row of kumpir stalls. The base is always the same creamy potato; from there you choose toppings such as corn, beans, olives, pickles, red cabbage, couscous and sauces. Want the full background and flavor profile? Read our deep-dive on what kumpir is, or see how to make it at home in our kumpir recipe.
Simit: the Turkish sesame ring
Simit is a ring-shaped bread coated in toasted sesame seeds, crisp outside and soft inside. It may be the most beloved street breakfast in Turkey and is often sold from bright red carts. Add a glass of black tea and breakfast is complete.
Börek: savory layered pastry
Börek is a savory pastry made from thin sheets of dough (yufka), filled with feta and parsley, minced meat or spinach. It is rolled, folded or layered and baked until crisp. You buy it by the slice, which makes it ideal on the go.
Lahmacun: the thin Turkish flatbread
Lahmacun is a paper-thin round flatbread topped with a thin layer of spiced minced meat, tomato, onion and parsley. People often call it Turkish pizza, though it is far thinner. You squeeze lemon over it, roll it up and eat it by hand.
Döner and dürüm: grilled meat in bread or a wrap
Döner is seasoned meat slow-grilled on a vertical spit and shaved off in thin slices. You get it in bread, on a plate, or as dürüm, rolled in a thin wrap with lettuce, tomato, onion and sauce. It is probably the best-known Turkish street dish in the world.
Gözleme: savory flatbread from the griddle
Gözleme is thinly rolled dough filled with cheese, spinach or potato, then cooked on a domed griddle. You often see it made on the spot, fresh off the plate. The result is thin, warm and savory.
Midye dolma: stuffed mussels with rice
Midye dolma are mussels stuffed with seasoned rice, often with pine nuts and herbs. Vendors serve them one at a time with a squeeze of lemon. It is a popular snack along the coast and on busy nightlife streets.
Kokoreç and tantuni: for the adventurous
Kokoreç is seasoned, grilled lamb intestines, chopped fine and served in bread with herbs and pepper, a bold but much-loved classic. Tantuni is finely chopped beef or chicken cooked with chili pepper, cumin and onion, then served in thin bread. Both are street dishes with real character.
Baklava: the sweet finish
Baklava is a sweet pastry of layered dough, nuts (often pistachio or walnut) and sugar syrup. It is not a savory snack, but it is inseparable from Turkish food culture and the classic sweet finish after all that savory street fare.
Where to try kumpir in the Netherlands
The easiest place to taste fresh kumpir in the Netherlands is at Potaé, the first chain in the country dedicated entirely to the Turkish XXL baked potato. We have locations in Amsterdam and Almere, and we cater nationwide for festivals, company events and parties.
Our kumpir is vegetarian-friendly and fully customizable to your own taste. Take a look at our menu to see what is possible, or order now and taste for yourself why kumpir is such a beloved piece of Turkish street food.
Frequently asked questions about Turkish street food
What is the most famous Turkish street food?
Döner is the best-known Turkish street dish worldwide: seasoned meat from a vertical spit, served in bread or as a dürüm wrap. Inside Turkey, simit, lahmacun and kumpir are also hugely popular as a quick bite on the go.
Is Turkish street food good for vegetarians?
Yes, there is plenty of choice. Simit, börek with cheese or spinach, gözleme, kumpir and many mezes are vegetarian. Kumpir is especially flexible because you pick the toppings yourself, so you simply leave out the meat and still get a full meal.
What is the difference between lahmacun and pide?
Lahmacun is a paper-thin round flatbread with a thin layer of spiced minced meat that you roll up and eat by hand. Pide is thicker, boat-shaped with raised edges, often filled with cheese, meat or egg. Pide is more like an open sandwich, lahmacun more like a thin pizza.
What exactly is kumpir?
Kumpir is a Turkish XXL baked potato. The inside is mashed creamy with butter and cheese, then topped with salads, vegetables and sauces of your choice. It is both street food and comfort food, and every kumpir is built entirely to your own taste.
Can you make Turkish street food at home?
Definitely. Dishes like gözleme, lahmacun and kumpir are easy to make at home with simple ingredients. Kumpir is a great one to start with: bake a large potato, mash the inside with butter and cheese, and top to taste. Our kumpir recipe explains it step by step.
Turkish street food is about fresh, fast, generous food you enjoy straight from your hand. From a sesame ring at breakfast to a creamy kumpir loaded with toppings, there is something for everyone. And if you want that kumpir without the plane ticket, we at Potaé are ready for you in Amsterdam, Almere and on location across the Netherlands.