Neither kebab nor baklava! The first place in the list of the world's best Turkish dishes surprises everyone.

Neither kebab nor baklava! The first place in the list of the world's best Turkish dishes surprises everyone.

13.05.2026 11:41

TasteAtlas announced its 'Top 100 Turkish Dishes in the World' list for 2026. The dish that took the top spot in the list, which features famous flavors of Turkish cuisine, caused surprise. The top spot went to fried calamari, followed by Cap Kebab and Antalya Künefe.

TasteAtlas, one of the world's most popular gastronomy platforms, has published its list of "The 100 Best Turkish Dishes in the World" for 2026. The list, reflecting the richness of Turkish cuisine, includes a wide variety of dishes from kebabs to soups, desserts to breakfast delicacies.

The flavor at the top of the list attracted attention.

FRIED CALAMARI TAKES THE TOP SPOT

In the list prepared by TasteAtlas, fried calamari ranked first. Typically consumed as a meze, fried calamari is prepared by coating cleaned calamari rings in a special mixture and frying them in hot oil.

A staple flavor of fish restaurants, fried calamari thus surpassed many world-famous Turkish dishes to sit at the top of the list.

KEBABS AND DESSERTS DOMINATE THE TOP 10

In second place on the list is Erzurum's famous flavor, cağ kebabı. Third place went to Antakya künefesi, a symbol of Hatay cuisine.

The other flavors in the top 10 are listed as follows:

1- Fried calamari



2- Cağ kebabı



3- Antakya künefesi



4- Beyran soup



5- Afyon sucuğu



6- Pistachio sarma



7- Hünkar beğendi



8- Chicken Topkapı



9- Lentil soup



10- Honey and kaymak

THE RICHNESS OF TURKISH CUISINE STANDS OUT

TasteAtlas's list once again revealed that Turkish cuisine is not limited to kebabs and desserts. The ranking, featuring flavors from different cities of Anatolia, also garnered widespread attention on social media.

In particular, fried calamari taking the top spot came as a surprise to many users.

THE FLAVORS IN THE TOP 20 ARE AS FOLLOWS:

11- Paçanga böreği

12- Maraş ice cream

13- Islama köfte

14- Mantı

15- Lahmacun

16- Tantuni

17- Meat bread

18- Baked rice pudding

19- Meat sarma

20- Tulum cheese

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