We were pretty excited to get out there and try the restaurant food, and for the most part we weren’t disappointed.
Tourism has steadily grown in Turkey, especially in the bigger towns like Fethiye and Kalkan, so a lot of restaurants have started to adapt to please the westerners. It’s a little sad to see, but can’t be helped really. You’ll find plenty of places that serve lots of meat, all day breakfasts, chips, and kebabs. There are still some vegan friendly dishes in most touristy places, but we found that the small, home-cooking restaurants (Ev Yemekleri) were the way to go.
As the name suggests, the home-cooking restaurants are family run, and generally serve the more authentic Turkish food. And it tastes great. There’s still plenty of meat around if you’re into that, but lots of veggies too. They’re usually found in the smaller villages, or randomly dotted along the side of the road in the middle of nowhere.
The home-cooking restaurants are often way cheaper than the places in touristy areas, and give more generous portion sizes, which is handy. Most of the ingredients are usually home-grown and organic, and the food is freshly prepared on site.
On of our favourite restaurants was Bolulu Osman’s in Patara. With a big smile and funny voice, he served us up a giant mixed mezze with bread, hummus, vine leaves, stuffed peppers, aubergines, and beans, along with a Turkish pizza and fruit salad. All this came to around 38 lira for the two of us, which is about £10, or $18. Not bad for a feast. We could hardly move afterwards…
One word of note – I ditched being being gluten free during our trip. Partly to see how it made me feel, but mainly so I could experience all the different foods without having to worry about avoiding gluten all the time. Fresh bread is everywhere, and comes free with most meals. It tastes pretty good too.
I’ve actually just had blood test results that have given me the all clear when it comes to Coeliac disease, so I think I’m gonna start incorporating gluten a little more now.
As Luke said, salad is pretty scarce, apart from at the markets and more tourist-y areas. If you’re staying in a village like we did, it’s worth finding out if they have a market. Kadikoy had a small one every Monday that had a couple of fruit and veg stands where you can pick up salad without straying far. They also sell really comfy Turkish trousers (great for the heat) for 15 lira each, about £4/$7!
The Turkish people love haggling. They actually want you to at the markets. I was chief haggler and it paid off. Set a price in your mind and go lower, and you’ll most likely pay what you want. Just be persistent! Some places, like local grocers or the village restaurants with unclear price lists, will try and charge you more because you’re foreign. Don’t let them! Always confirm a price before you buy. We did this once after realising we’d paid way more for our gozleme than we should have, the next time we agreed on a price before we ordered.
Consider how you are going to get around before you arrive. The Lycian Coast spans far, with many places to visit, and if you’re like us you’re going to want to explore as much as possible.
You can book with tour operators which will take you by coach or by safari, but these run from the main towns and not from the villages. They can also be a bit restrictive with set times. You could get the dolmus, which is a small bus service. These are cheap and regular, but can take a while due to stopping through different villages. Where we stayed the dolmus ran roughly every half hour towards Fethiye and Saklikent. It took around an hour and a half to reach Fethiye, which is normally a 50 minute journey. It also would take us around half an hour to walk from our villa to the village to get on the bus. Not fun in the searing heat.
I’d recommend hiring a car like we did. You can pre-book or sort one out whilst you’re there. Normally pre-booking means collecting them from the airport, but if you’re staying in the middle of nowhere and will be arriving late, I would suggest organising a transfer and getting the dolmus into a town to hire a car. We did this and sorted out a deal for £20 a day and then we were allowed to upgrade to a small diesel car for an extra £20, bargain! If you don’t want this added expense, stay nearer the towns such as in Fethiye or Calis beach, where the dolmus service are much better and widely served!
If you’re anything like us, you’ll not bee too fond of tacky touristy places. Whilst Luke has painted a lovely picture of mountains, ruins and beaches, Turkey still has it’s fair share of Magaluf-esque towns.
North of Dalaman airport is where you’ll find most of them, such as Bodrum and Marmaris. There aren’t loads in the Lycian coast, but the ones you’d want to steer clear of are Hisaronu, Ovacik and Olu Deniz. Whilst Olu Deniz is home to the world famous blue lagoon blue flagged beach, the actual town is a bit tacky.
But, if places advertising all day hangover breakfasts are your kind of thing, these may be the choice of location for you! If being in the middle of nowhere also isn’t your thing then check out places such as Kalkan and Fethiye. Kalkan is expensive, but caters well to tourists whilst still retaining it’s authentic fishing village feel. Fethiye is busier and has everything you need, but definitely still has that Turkish town atmosphere.
Only exchange a small amount of money before you go. The exchange rates in Turkey are usually much better. Just get enough to see you through. Also, if you will be hiring a car over there, take English cash as this is what they tend to prefer.
If you don’t like parsley, learn how to ask for your food without it. It’s used a lot in Turkish cooking, especially in potato gozleme. “Hayır maydanoz, teşekkür ederim!” is the translation for ‘No parsley, thank you!’. Might wanna add that one to your list…
It can be risky, but rewarding. We booked our holiday 2 days before jetting off. I’ve been organising villas for my family for quite a few years now, and have developed some good bargaining skills.
Not long before you, go check out villa letting sites. Search for your holiday dates and I guarantee that there will be villas or apartments (whichever you prefer) still available. Email and ask for a discount, the worse they can say is sorry, no. I emailed round asking if we could get 2 weeks for the price of 1, and in the end that’s what we had! Villa owners would nearly always prefer to be getting in some money than none at all, so they appreciate last minute bookings (as long as they wouldn’t be making a loss).
When booking flights consider your flight times. Will you be due a meal? If so I’d recommend booking an in-flight vegan meal, even if you’re not vegan,you won’t regret it! We flew with Thomas Cook and we paid for an extra bundle to get our baggage, seats and meals which worked out so our meals were essentially free! We were dubious, but it turned out great!
On the way out we had a veg biriyani with a bread roll, crackers, vegan spread, an apple, raisins, marmite (we’re not fans!) and orange juice. On our return it was a Moroccan Tagine with cous cous similar side snacks. They were delicious! Although, beware if you’re travelling with hungry people like I did, as the portions aren’t huge! But, these meals were invaluable on the way back from Turkey where the airport is full of fast food and the healthiest thing you’ll find is a Mcdonalds salad (yuk!).
On the way out it’s easier to stock up on additional food for the flight. If you’re flying from the UK see if there’s a Starbucks at the airports as they now sell vegan gluten free humous and roasted vegetable wraps, yum! Places like boots are great to stock up on drinks and fruit bags, and there may even be a Mi Casa Burrito or similar (like there was in Manchester where we flew from) for a pre flight meal!
The heat is Turkey is intense and the sun is out from around 7am until about 8:30pm in the summer! Be sure to protect your skin against the sun’s harmful rays by wearing at least SPF30 and check for a 5 star UVA protection. These stars are important! We used Boot’s soltan range which was on half price offer for £5 a bottle, which is very cheap compared to other brands! It offered this crucial 5* UVA protection at SPF30 and you could also get variations, such as ones that contained insect repellent!
This trip to Turkey was my 3rd time visiting the country and this region, therefore I knew the exact thing that me and Luke needed. Water shoes! Most beaches are pebbled and so these are great for protecting your feet in the sea, and if you plan on climbing the rocks around the bays. If you plan on visiting Saklikent gorge, or the nearby Gizlikent waterfall, then these are essential!
Whilst you can buy or hire shoes there, they are not nice and are really uncomfortable with little grip. Our water shoes actually made my third trip to Saklikent the most enjoyable! They were hot tuna ones purchased from Sports Direct, you will need a few sizes smaller so I’d recommend trying them on in the shops before you buy.
Also, a bonus tip for Saklikent is to take as little as possible, as your stuff will get wet! This is made easier if you have a hire care, as you can leave everything in there. We just took our car key, wrapped in lots of plastic bags, and the entrance fee with us. Also wear as little as possible, especially don’t wear denim as your clothes will get wet. I wore my bikini with just a vest top over and Luke wore just shorts (and our awesome shoes), and have spare clothes and a towel in the car just in case. Also take a waterproof camera or put it in waterproof casing if possible. The less stuff you have to carry the more enjoyable you’ll find it and the less you’ll have to worry about damaging your stuff!
There you have it, my top ten tips! I hope they are useful and encourage you to visit the beautiful country of Turkey for your next holiday or adventure. Thank you for taking the time to read through!
All in all, the whole experience was amazing, and I’d definitely recommend checking Turkey out if you haven’t already. And it wasn’t just the food, the scenery, the sun and the sea – it was the Turkish people who made it great too.
Most of those we came across were so generous. Like this guy, Ibrahim, the local village green grocer. What a hero. He kept inviting us to his feast at the end of Ramadan, and was always happy to help out any way he could. Maybe it was just because we were tourists, but it didn’t feel that way.
And despite the language barriers and cultural differences, almost all restaurants and cafes were happy to accommodate our weird dietary needs. They may not have understood why we ate like we did, but they were always respectful and willing to help.
2. Happy Cow. A directory of veg friendly restaurants across the globe.
3. Trip advisor. Cool things to do and see in Turkey.
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Turkey is a popular centerpiece for holiday meals and family gatherings But for vegans who avoid all animal products, indulging in turkey dinner can be tricky So do vegans eat turkey?
The short answer is no. Vegans do not eat turkey or any other type of meat. But that doesn’t mean they can’t enjoy a delicious feast! With a few simple turkey alternatives vegans can recreate the flavors and experience of a traditional turkey dinner while staying true to their ethics.
What is Veganism?
Veganism is a lifestyle that seeks to avoid the use of animals for food, clothing, or any other purpose. Vegans do not consume meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, honey, or any other products derived from animals.
The vegan philosophy is based on a few key principles:
- Avoiding animal cruelty and exploitation
- Protecting the environment
- Promoting health and wellbeing
- Pursuing food justice
For these reasons, vegans avoid eating foods of animal origin, such as:
- Meat: Beef, lamb, pork, veal, horse, organ meat, wild meat, etc.
- Poultry: Chicken, turkey, goose, duck, quail, etc.
- Fish and seafood: All types of fish, anchovies, shrimp, squid, scallops, calamari, mussels, crab, lobster and fish sauce.
So it’s clear that turkey, as a type of poultry, is off the table for vegans. But that doesn’t mean they can’t craft amazing plant-based feasts!
Why Don’t Vegans Eat Turkey?
There are a few key reasons why vegans do not eat turkey
Ethics
The primary reason vegans avoid turkey is because of ethics. Raising and slaughtering turkeys for food involves cruelty and exploitative practices that vegans wish to avoid supporting.
Turkeys are often intensively confined on factory farms, unable to express their natural behaviors. Furthermore, the commercial turkey industry still regularly employs cruel practices such as de-snooding and de-beaking without pain relief.
Environment
Some vegans also wish to avoid turkey for environmental reasons. Animal agriculture generates high amounts of greenhouse gas emissions and water pollution. Producing turkey feeds, processing turkey meat, and the resulting food waste all have detrimental environmental impacts that vegans may want to avoid.
Health
While turkey can be part of a healthy diet, there are also potential downsides. Turkey contains saturated fats and cholesterol, and there have been foodborne illness outbreaks linked to contaminated turkey meat.
Many vegans feel they can meet all their nutritional needs through plant-based sources. So health reasons may also motivate vegans to skip turkey altogether.
Vegan Turkey Alternatives
Luckily for vegans, there are now endless options that replicate the flavors, textures and experience of eating turkey – no birds required! Here are some of the most popular turkey alternatives for vegans:
Tofurky
Tofurky is the classic vegan turkey option that has been around since 1995. Tofurky roasts consist of tofu and wheat protein formed into the shape of a turkey and stuffed with a savory, herb-filled interior.
Tofurky roasts are oven-roasted and sold pre-cooked. All you need to do is heat and serve for an easy plant-based centerpiece.
Seitan
Seitan is another popular choice, made from vital wheat gluten for a meaty, dense texture. It can be seasoned and shaped into vegan turkey roasts. When cooked properly, seitan pulls apart into tender, turkey-like fibers.
Jackfruit
Shredded, young jackfruit makes for a vegan turkey replacement when seasoned properly. It has a stringy texture similar to pulled turkey or pork. Try marinating jackfruit in vegan turkey broth then roasting until browned.
Lentils, Beans and Grains
Combining cooked lentils, mushrooms and a gluten-free grain like wild rice or quinoa can make a protein-rich, turkey-esque vegan main. Chopped walnuts add a crunch reminiscent of turkey skin.
Eggplant or Squash
Thick slices or halves of veggies like eggplant, pumpkin and winter squash can also substitute for turkey when roasted. Coat them in an umami seasoning blend for a meaty flavor.
How to Make Vegan Turkey
While store-bought options are convenient, it can be even more rewarding to DIY your own vegan turkey. Here are a few options to try:
Simple Seitan Turk’y
- Make a basic seitan dough from vital wheat gluten and vegetable broth
- Form into a log shape, wrap in foil then steam
- Braise with vegan turkey broth to impart flavor
- Roast until browned
Tofu Turk’y Roast
- Press and marinate a block of extra firm tofu
- Layer thin tofu slices in a loaf pan
- Pour a savory sauce over top made from broth, miso and herbs
- Bake until set, then chill until firm enough to slice
Jackfruit Carnitas Turk’y
- Shred green jackfruit and marinate in a taco spice mixture
- Spread on a baking sheet and roast until browned
- Pile into tortillas for Turkey enchiladas or tacos
Root Veggie Roast
- Toss cubed sweet potatoes, beets, parsnips and carrots with olive oil and seasoning
- Roast in the oven until browned and tender
- Slice and serve as the main with all your favorite sides
Final Thoughts on Vegans and Turkey
So do vegans eat turkey? Generally, no – but they definitely don’t need to miss out on the best parts of a turkey dinner! With so many innovative alternatives available, vegans can recreate the experience of a succulent, flavorful and nostalgic turkey meal in compassionate, creative ways.
From whole roast substitutes to vegan turkey cutlets, deli slices, sausages and more, the options are limitless. Home chefs and food companies alike are coming up with new ways to please vegan palates and prove that turkey-less feasts can be just as satisfying.
So while turkey itself is off the table for vegans and vegetarians, they find creative ways to enjoy the spirit of the holidays and celebrate with friends and family. At the end of the day, it’s not about the turkey itself – it’s about gathering with loved ones and enjoying comfort food. And those cherished rituals can live on, turkey or no turkey.
Do it Yourself Turkish Vegan Recipes
Sure, the restaurants and cafes are great, but somedays you might just wanna do your own thing. Again, there are plenty of options. Big tagine we cooked up after doing ramadan for a day. Complete with avocado on bread, of course.
We were lucky to have a decent kitchen at the villa we stayed in, so we did a lot of our own cooking. We whipped up a few tagines, rice curries and Mexican beans during our stay, and even had a go at making our own Ciğ Köfte Durum (which didn’t quite live up to the Turkish made ones).
Staples like beans and rice are easy to find in most small shops, as well as in the big supermarkets, and they’re cheap. Bulgar wheat is big in Turkey if you’re into that, and oats are easy to find too.
As I said, the fresh fruits and veggies are so good. Aubergines, courgettes, peppers, onions, cucumbers and potatoes are easy to find. There’s a huge variety of spices at the markets and most small shops too. We picked up a bag of Turkish saffron for pennies.
Just as a heads up, there are a few things you won’t find as much, but that’s to be expected. Brown rice, hummus, tofu, and soy milk aren’t all that common, but it would probably be boring if they were. Bananas aren’t everywhere, and fresh lettuce isn’t big in the small villages we visited, but there was loads at the markets in the bigger towns.
Ciğ Köfte Durum: Perfect for on the run Ciğ Köfte Durum with some stuffed vine leaves on the side. Just to make sure.
These are big-ass wraps filled with a spicy paste made out of mashed up bulgar wheat, pepper puree, and spices. Back in the day, the paste used to be made from raw meat, but that practice got outlawed a few years ago. Still, it’s probably best to check beforehand, using that good old phrase sheet.
Served cool, the wraps usually come with a pomegranate molasses sauce, salad, and lemon juice, and they taste really good. We found some for 3.50 lira in a small cafe in Fethiye, which comes to about £1 or $1.70.
How do vegans have a turkey for dinner?
FAQ
What meat can vegans eat?
Do vegans eat chicken or turkey?
What is the vegan name for turkey?
Can you eat a vegan Turkey?
Thanksgiving might bring to mind whole turkeys doused in thick gravy, plated over buttery potatoes with all the fixins. But you can have just as much deliciousness with vegan alternatives—even vegan turkey—it’s just about knowing what goes into the best options. Every year, more people are incorporating plant-based foods into their diets.
Can one have turkey and carrots?
Eating turkey and carrots is part of healthy habits. The turkey has meat like chicken and is another healthy poultry option. Carrots are rich in carotenoids, it is a source of vitamin A, fiber, potassium and vitamin B3.
Are there vegan resaraunts in Turkey?
If that’s the case, here are some local vegan resaraunts in Turkey. Türkali, Mısırlı Bahçe Sk. No: 8/A, 34357 Beşiktaş/İstanbul Located in a cozy neighborhood with vegan stores and restaurants around the corner, Vegan Masa offers its customers an extraordinary trip to Turkish cuisine with tasty vegan-made local dishes.
Can vegans eat turkey on Thanksgiving?
Being able to eat turkey on Thanksgiving is not only traditional, but it saves any new vegan from feeling mad FOMO. Of course, be sure to serve this turkey with my favorite creamy vegan cranberry sauce, this cornbread stuffing, and this easy vegan southern gravy for the perfect feast.