9 of the Most Popular Turkish Snacks You Need to Try

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Spanning Europe and Asia, there’s every reason Türkiye should be on your 2025 travel bucket list. From history-rich Istanbul to Cappadocia’s mythical landscape and the beaches of the Turkish Riviera which never fail to amaze, whatever your interests, Türkiye has something for you.

As varied as this enchanting country’s landscape and culture may be, one thing remains constant from the far edges of Europe in Istanbul to Gaziantep on the Syrian border. That thing is the food. Turkish cuisine might just be one of the most underrated in the world.

Outside Türkiye, true Turkish restaurants are few and far between. Sure, every town has a “Turkish” kebab house but Türkiye has a whole lot more to offer than doner kebabs. In fact, the doner kebabs we eat in Western Europe, at least, were invented by Turkish immigrants in West Berlin in the 1970s.

Whatever you do with your time in Türkiye, don’t pass on the chance to try authentic Turkish cuisine. You’ll discover a whole new meaning to the word “kebab” and a bucket load of culinary delights which aren’t rivalled anywhere. To keep you going between these feasts, we’ve brought together some of our favorite popular Turkish snacks.

1. Simit

If you’ve ever wondered where bakery chain Simit Sarayi got its name, wonder no more. As much as we much prefer characterful independent spots, this Turkish chain have done a wonderful job of spreading the country’s love of baked goods to over a million customers every day. Their name is taken from one of the most popular Turkish snacks.

Loved nationwide, a simit is, at first glance, a giant pretzel. A large circular bread coated in sesame seeds with a hole in the center, this is Türkiye’s original street food staple. Popular right across the former Ottoman Empire, you’ll find regional variations even within Türkiye. Istanbul’s simits tend to be the largest and fluffiest, whilst those in Ankara are smaller with a crispier exterior.

2. Borek

This popular Turkish snack comes in all shapes and sizes. The name borek refers to the pastry. All borek are made with thin, flaky filo pastry and contain a variety of fillings. The borek most popular as a Turkish snack is the Sigara Boregi. Named because they look just like a Cuban cigar, they’re often referred to as “cigarette rolls”.

Most commonly filled with feta cheese, a ground meat version of Sigara Boregi is also popular. The best place to find traditional borek is at any local bakery. They always taste best when they’ve been freshly baked.

3. Kumpir

Jacket potatoes are a snack without borders. Thanks to the power of social media, a couple of British street food vendors have sent the internet into overdrive with their lavishly topped jackets in recent years.

But long before these gigantic potatoes were dropping into your social feeds, Kumpir were being devoured on the streets of Istanbul.

Always stuffed to the point of bursting, kumpir come with a wide range of choices. Kumpir vendors’ stalls look a little like a Subway sandwich shop, with containers of meat, vegetables and salad for you to choose from. Some of the most popular toppings are sweetcorn, olives and carrots.

If you want to add some protein to the mix, throw on some sausage slices or tuna mayonnaise. To complete the kumpir, and make sure there’s not a single space to add anything else, finish off with pickles, salad and a generous dollop of sauce.

4. Pide

Just like jacket potatoes, pizza isn’t just a popular Turkish snack. Loved the world over, so many countries have added their own unique touch to this Italian classic. You only have to look at the difference between New York’s mammoth pizza slices and Chicago’s deep filled pies to see just how much can be done with a bit of dough, tomato sauce and mozzarella.

Türkiye’s take on pizza, however, is a little different from the rest. Whilst most recipes have at least some bearing on the Neapolitan original, Turkish pide is a dish of its own. Invented in the Black Sea region way back in the 15th century, pide may share the same dough as pizza (albeit a little more buttery), but the taste couldn’t be more different.

Notable for its oval, boat-like shape, pide is based on a far thinner crust than pizza. The differences continue when it comes to topping the pide. In place of the classic cheese and tomato, pide often uses a much creamier sauce but doesn’t always come with cheese. When cheese is used, it’s often added far more sparingly than it is on pizza.

One attribute pide and pizza share unanimously is the amazing range of varieties available. The simplest and most popular pide are Kiymali, made with minced meat, and peynir pide, which is simply finished with unpasteurised Turkish cheese. More adventurous options come with the addition of egg (yurmartali), which is often paired with peynir, sausage (sucuk) or beef (elti).

Lahmacun

A close relative of pide, which at first glance looks more like pizza than pide, lahmacun is a Middle Eastern style flatbread. Topped with minced meat, vegetables and herbs before being fragrantly spiced with chili and paprika, they’re also popular in Lebanon and Syria.

Even thinner than pide, despite its plethora of toppings, lahmucan is a very light dish. A popular Turkish snack, when eating it as a meal, you’ll want to get it as a side or order more than one.

5. Baklava

Turkish cuisine delivers some delicious savory snacks, but the most popular Turkish snacks are the sweet ones. As soon as you set foot in Türkiye, you’ll be blown away by the lavish displays in bakery windows. From multi-layered cakes to sickly sweet pastries, the Turks know a thing or two about satisfying our sweet tooths.

Whilst baklava is a popular sweet treat in Greece and all over the Middle East, its origins lay with the Ottoman Empire. There are several regional variations, but you can’t beat traditional Turkish baklava. The basis is always the same. Layer upon layer of filo pastry, bound by melted butter and oil, are stuffed with chopped nuts. Pistachio is the most popular, but walnuts, almonds and hazelnuts can also be used.

6. Turkish Delight

No discussion about popular Turkish snacks would be complete without at least a fleeting mention of the country’s de-facto national dish. Before I visited Türkiye for the first time, I, in my ignorance, believed the little purple packets of “Turkish Delight” found on the chocolate shelf of every British supermarket were, in fact, Turkish Delight. The truth is, it bears no resemblance at all to the real thing.

Most commonly flavored with rosewater, mastic, lemon and orange, today the list of varieties is endless. Some of the best Turkish Delight come stuffed with nuts, dates and coconut.

You’ll find Turkish Delight in every supermarket, corner shop and sweet shop you come to in Türkiye. If you want to try the true original, head to a Haci Bekir, a popular chain of sweet shops. There are several locations in Istanbul, including on bustling Isitkal Street, the main thoroughfare between Taksim Square and the Galata Tower. Haci Bekir is often credited with inventing Turkish Delight in his confectionary shop in 1777 in what was then Constantinople.

7. Popkek

A favorite with Turkish children, Popkeks are one of the most popular Turkish snacks to eat on the move. Available in most grocery stores and gas stations, these small pre-packaged cakes are the perfect on-the-go snack.

The most popular flavor Popkek is the original chocolate. Other variations include cocount cream, cherry, lemon and dark chocolate. Although they’re rarely available in stores outside of Türkiye, the good news, for when you inevitably become hooked, is they’re easy to purchase online almost anywhere in the world

8. Izmir Bombasi

Quite literally the “Izmir bomb”, Bombasi are true to their name. The taste explosion is phenomenal. The ultimate melt-in-your-mouth dessert, Izmir Bombasi are cookies with a twist. Their thin dough is stuffed with warm, gooey chocolate which oozes out as soon as you take a bite.

Hailing from the coastal city of Izmir, Bombasi have become a popular Turkish snack countrywide. They’re frequently served as a dessert, but you’ll often find them in bakeries and cafes. If you get the chance to visit Izmir, which you certainly won’t regret, make sure you stop off at Bombaci Zeydan. Their bombs come in everything from the original chocolate to pistachio, orange and strawberry flavors.

9. Ice Cream

Ice cream may be a universal favorite, but Turkish ice cream hits differently. Known as dondurma, this simple, yet delicious dessert is one of the most popular Turkish snacks. Characterized by its hard texture thanks to the addition of mastic resin, Turkish ice cream is another level of creamy. Particularly helpful when you’re enjoying the sun on the Mediterranean coast, the mastic also means Turkish ice cream takes a lot longer to melt than classic gelato.

Aside from its unique texture, Turkish ice cream has a rather unique way of being served. Vendors, often wearing traditional Ottoman garments, turn scooping an ice cream into a magic show. Rather than your usual ice cream scoop, they use long-handled sticks to put the ice cream into the cornet before playing tricks on you.

As much as dangling an ice cream within your reach and, just as you think you’re about to get it, performing a disappearing act with it is likely enough to enrage even the calmest soul, don’t panic. You will get your ice cream. Eventually.

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