Mezze, Explained: How to Share a Table the Turkish Way

In Turkey, a meal doesn’t begin with a starter. It begins with the table filling up.

Mezze are the small plates that arrive first: a dozen little bowls of colour, meant to be passed around, scooped up with bread and argued over. Nobody orders “their own.” Everything belongs to everyone. That is the whole point.

Cold first, then hot

Cold mezze come out as soon as you sit down. These are the olive oil dishes: hummus, haydari (thick yoghurt with garlic and dill), babaganoush made from aubergines we char over the coals, and ezme, a finely chopped tomato and pepper salad with a little kick.

Hot mezze follow a few minutes later, when the first round has slowed you down. Sigara böreği, crisp filo rolls filled with cheese, are the ones that disappear fastest. Halloumi off the grill, calamari with garlic yoghurt, and içli köfte, bulgur shells stuffed with spiced lamb, round out the table.

How to order

A good rule for a table of four: three cold, two hot, and a basket of bread. If you’re unsure, ask for the mezze platter and let the kitchen choose.

Then take your time. In Istanbul, mezze can last an hour before anyone thinks about the grill. There’s no rush here either.

What to drink

Ayran, the chilled salted yoghurt drink, is the classic pairing and cuts through the richness. Turkish tea works just as well. Order it in the small tulip glass and keep it coming.

“Mezze is not a course. It’s a conversation with food in the middle.”

Come hungry, bring friends, and let the table fill up.