Halal Food in Turkey: A Practical Guide for Pakistani Travellers

Turkey is one of the most popular destinations for Pakistani travellers, and food is a big part of the appeal. Most visitors find eating halal there easy, but it isn’t automatic everywhere, especially in tourist areas. Here’s a practical guide to what to expect and what to check.

The general picture

Turkey is a Muslim-majority country, and the meat sold in ordinary butchers, supermarkets and local restaurants generally comes from animals slaughtered in the Islamic way. Pork is rare: it isn’t sold in normal shops and you’d have to look hard to find it. Turkey also has an official halal accreditation system, and many packaged foods carry a “helal” logo.

The main things to watch for are alcohol, which is legal and served in many restaurants, and ingredients like gelatine in some sweets and packaged foods. Tourist-heavy areas and international hotel buffets need more care than neighbourhood restaurants.

Where to eat

• Esnaf lokantası: simple “tradesmen’s restaurants” that serve home-style stews, soups, rice and vegetables from steam trays. They’re cheap, quick and very rarely serve alcohol. This is where you’ll find dishes like kuru fasulye and mercimek çorbası.
• Kebapçı and köfteci: kebab and meatball restaurants. Most are family places. Some larger ones serve alcohol, so check the menu or ask.
• Pide and lahmacun bakeries: good for a quick, cheap meal. Lahmacun and pide are made fresh in a wood oven.
• Breakfast places: a Turkish breakfast (kahvaltı) is almost always a safe, delicious choice. Try menemen, eggs cooked with tomatoes and peppers.

Some restaurants advertise themselves as “alkolsüz” (alcohol-free). Many conservative families choose these, and they’re common in neighbourhoods like Fatih and Üsküdar in Istanbul and throughout central and eastern Anatolia.

Things to check

• Alcohol in dishes: most Turkish home-style food is cooked without alcohol, but upscale and international restaurants sometimes use wine in sauces. If unsure, ask.
• Gelatine: check labels on gummy sweets, some puddings and cream cakes for “jelatin”. Turkish delight (lokum) is usually made with starch, not gelatine, but it’s still worth checking the label on packaged sweets.
• Hotel buffets: international buffets may include pork products for foreign guests, usually labelled. Read the labels.
• Sucuk and salami: Turkish sucuk is usually made from beef, but imported cold cuts in supermarkets aren’t always. Check the packaging.

Useful Turkish words

• Helal: halal
• Domuz / domuz eti: pork
• Alkol, şarap, bira, rakı: alcohol, wine, beer, rakı (an aniseed spirit)
• Alkolsüz: alcohol-free
• Jelatin: gelatine
• Et: meat; kuzu: lamb; dana: beef or veal; tavuk: chicken; balık: fish
• Bunda alkol var mı?: Is there alcohol in this?
• Bunda domuz eti var mı?: Is there pork in this?

Most staff in tourist areas speak some English, but a few Turkish words go a long way and are appreciated.

What to order on your first trip

• İskender kebab in Bursa or Istanbul.
• Adana kebab with a cold glass of ayran.
• A bowl of lentil soup at an esnaf lokantası.
• Künefe or baklava with Turkish tea.
• A full Turkish breakfast on a weekend morning.

Prayer times and Ramadan

Mosques are everywhere and many restaurants are close to one, which makes planning meals around prayer easy. During Ramadan, many restaurants offer special iftar menus, and the atmosphere in cities like Istanbul is beautiful. Our guide to Ramadan in Turkey explains what’s on a Turkish iftar table.

Bringing the taste home

Once you’re back, our Turkish recipes and the Turkish pantry guide will help you cook the dishes you loved with ingredients from Pakistani shops.