Turkish cuisine is one of the world's great food cultures: the kebab traditions of the southeast, the olive-oil cooking of the Aegean, the palace sweets of Istanbul, and breakfasts that are a meal in themselves. Above it all sits the çay glass: tea is offered everywhere, all day.
The lokanta is the everyday restaurant: trays of ready dishes behind glass, point at what you want. The ocakbaşı is the fireside grill house for kebabs. The meyhane is the tavern for meze and rakı, and the meal is never hurried.
Etiquette: tip around 10 percent in restaurants. Bread is treated with respect: do not waste it visibly. In a meyhane, order meze in rounds and let the table set its own pace.
Nine dishes that define Turkish cooking, from Adana to Istanbul.
What to drink, and when: the çay glass that never empties, coffee with its grounds, and the anise spirit of the meyhane table.
