A well-stocked beginning
The Turkish pantry.
Start small. Cook well.
You do not need a cupboard full of unfamiliar ingredients to begin. Olive oil, onions, tomatoes, yogurt and a few useful pantry staples will take you a long way.
Meet the ingredients
Turkish and Middle Eastern grocers are useful places to look. Supermarket international aisles and online food stores may also carry these ingredients. Product names, salt levels and heat vary, so read the labels and taste as you cook.
| Ingredient | What to look for | A practical alternative |
|---|---|---|
| Pul biber | Turkish red pepper flakes; warmth and a fruity pepper flavor. Heat varies by brand. | Try mild paprika with a small pinch of chili flakes. Add gradually. |
| Domates salçası | Concentrated tomato paste for soups, sauces and bulgur dishes. | Plain double-concentrated tomato paste is a useful supermarket alternative. |
| Biber salçası | Red pepper paste sold as mild (tatlı) or hot (acı). Check the label before adding. | Use tomato paste with mild paprika, expecting a different flavor. |
| İnce bulgur | Fine wheat bulgur, also labeled köftelik or #1. Used in kısır. | Buy the correct grade. Coarse bulgur needs a different cooking method. |
| Nar ekşisi | Tangy pomegranate molasses. A small amount brings acidity and depth. | For kısır, extra lemon can give sourness without the same fruity flavor. |
| Beyaz peynir | Turkish brined white cheese. Texture and saltiness vary. | Firm block feta can work in the börek on this site; drain it well. |
| Yufka | Thin Turkish dough sheets for börek, often available as ready-cut triangles. | Filo can be adapted, but it is usually thinner. Follow the recipe’s folding notes. |
| Kuru nane | Dried mint used in yogurt sides, soups and other savory dishes. | Use plain dried mint. A fresh-herb substitution changes the flavor and quantity. |
A note on measures
Our recipe cards let you switch between metric and US measures. A US cup is treated as 240 ml, a tablespoon as 15 ml and a teaspoon as 5 ml. Weight-to-cup amounts are approximate: the same cup holds different weights of flour, rice, lentils or chopped herbs.
Australian cooks should use a 15 ml measuring tablespoon for these recipes; a standard Australian tablespoon is often 20 ml. For the closest repeatable result, choose the metric weights where they are supplied.
Read the name, choose the version
Mild and hot pepper paste are different products. Fine and coarse bulgur are different grades. Thick strained yogurt needs a different amount of water than regular yogurt. Small label checks can make a bigger difference than adding another spice.
Your first shopping list
Enough to get started with lentil soup, menemen and cacık. Check individual recipe quantities before shopping.
Put the pantry to workLooking for a place to start? Try mercimek çorbası for a simple soup, or menemen for breakfast.