Bodrum cuisine is healthy and non-fattening, as long as you don’t overindulge in good Turkish bread, pastries, or rich sweet desserts!
Bodrum cuisine is well known for its traditional Aegean and Mediterranean flavours. Vegetable dishes prepared with wild plants such as:
Chicory, radish leaves,
Bull mallow,
Bodrum’s special pastry baked with cheese (su böreği),
Stuffed pumpkin flower (kabak çiçeği dolması),
Smoked aubergine mixed with yoghurt (köpoğlu mezesi),
Gypsy salad (çingene salatası),
Purslane salad with yoghurt,
Bitter orange marmalade,
Pickled cucumbers are just a few examples.
Dishes (meze) cooked or prepared with olive oil are served cold, and even though they are only supposed to be appetizers but you can easily make them your whole meal!
You'll find various restaurants to choose from on the Bodrum peninsula that offer all kinds of cuisine. A romantic and peaceful meal in Bodrum can be enjoyed at the numerous Bodrum restaurants whilst watching the sunset and enjoying the splendid setting.
Rows and rows of cafés and restaurants at the Bodrum harbour, marina area, and on the shorelines of the many famous resorts around Bodrum offer great dining opportunities for visitors.
A holiday in Bodrum isn’t complete without having a meal of fresh fish, grilled or fried accompanied by a glass of rakı.
Rakı is a local alcoholic spirit that is popular as an apéritif. It is often flavoured with anise and is often served with seafood or meze. Naturally clear it turns a milky white when mixed with water. It is similar to several other alcoholic beverages from around the Mediterranean and the Middle East, e.g. pastis, ouzo, and arak.
You have some great opportunities to try dishes and drinks you've never tasted before. Alongside fish, another Bodrum speciality is a dish of steak or chicken served with potato, garlic, and a special yoghurt sauce.
Famous Dishes of the Bodrum peninsula
Here are some popular dishes specific to the Bodrum peninsula; traditional dishes include:
Keşkek (a traditional dish made with lamb or chicken meat combined with wheat or barley stew)
Okra with olive oil,
Radish herb salad,
Mustard herb salad,
Ot kavurması (roasted spicy herb),
Seafood mezes,
Köpoğlu mezesi (smoked aubergine mixed with yoghurt),
Stuffed zucchini flowers,
Octopus stew with onions,
Çökertme kebab (marinated strips of meat served with fried potatoes, garlic yoghurt, tomato sauce, fried tomatoes and green peppers),
Bodrum style boiled pastry,
Bergamot jelly,
Sage oil and
Lokma dessert
are all worth a try.
