What to Eat and Where to Eat in Hatay?

"Where is the gastronomy capital of Turkey??” If you ask, my answer is "Definitely Hatay." It is possible. In Hatay, where different cultures and different civilizations live together, the culinary culture has had its share of these associations. Hatay cuisine offers options where you can find hundreds of delicious dishes, from meat dishes to appetizers, from desserts to pastries, where different tastes come together. There are many alternative places where you can eat delicious meals in Hatay. “What to eat in Hatay, where to eat?” you will find my experiences in this article, do not read on an empty stomach!

Moving on to Hatay dishes Things to do in Hatay Be sure to check out my post.

1. The first thing that comes to mind when Hatay is mentioned: Kunefe

“What to eat in Hatay?” Kunefe is undoubtedly one of the first desserts that come to mind. Kunefe; A sherbet dessert made with kadayif, butter and cheese. I'm not normally someone who likes viscous desserts, but when I go to Hatay, I don't leave without eating künefe.

Almost every restaurant in Hatay serves künefe, there are many künefe sellers. My favorite künefe is that I tried and loved when I first went to Hatay. Cinaralti Kunefeci Yusuf Usta. You go to Uzun Çarşı to find Yusuf Usta, when you enter the inn next to Kurşunlu Han, you find the künefe maker as if you had it in your hand. in google maps app click for location. The künefe you eat at Yusuf Usta does not come in small pans like you eat in restaurants in Istanbul, it is cooked on large trays and served in slices. Although the view is not spectacular, the taste is amazing.

If you want to learn how to make künefe when you come to Hatay, you can participate in künefe making activities at Hatay Gastronomy Academy, an initiative of Hatay Municipality. For detailed information, you can contact us on the instagram pages: @htygastronomicacademy

2. Good enough to Fall in Love: Paper Kebab and Tray Kebab

Does anyone ever fall in love with a kebab? I'm dead. I fell in love with tray kebab in Hatay! “What to eat in Hatay?” Two of the famous flavors are tray kebab and paper kebab. Since they are similar to each other, I combined them under the same title. Traditionally, butchers make tray or paper kebab in Hatay. You go to town and choose your own meat, the butcher prepares the meat for you and arranges it on the tray. The kebab sent to the nearby oven is cooked and comes. You eat kebab at the butcher shop.

traditionally doing this Sağıroğlu Butcher. However, it may not be suitable for everyone because the events take place in the butcher's with the smell of uncooked meat.

The tray kebab I ate in Hatay is one of the best kebabs I've had. When I first came to Hatay, I went to Sağıroğlu Butcher and fell in love with tray kebab. On my second visit, Vedat Milör made famous Böç ButcherI ate in and I passed out again. Do not leave Antakya without eating tray kebab. I think what I ate at both places was very good. You can choose Sağıroğlu for the more traditional version, and Pöç Butcher for the more touristy version.

Do not think that these kebabs are only available in butchers. You can find trays or kebabs in almost every restaurant in Hatay. Hatay Gastronomy House, Petek Restaurant, Anadolu Restaurant (closed) that serve traditional Hatay dishes were the other places I tried tespi or paper kebab and they were all good.

3. A Hatay Classic: Haytali

If you are in the city center of Hatay, namely Antakya, one of the delicacies you should try is Haytali. Haytali; It is made by pouring rose water on the pudding and served with ice cream made from goat's milk. Since I do not like the taste of rose water, it is not a dessert that appeals to me, but there are many people who love it, don't look at me.

inventor of Haytali Affan coffee or alias İnci Coffee House. Affan Kahvesi, the oldest coffee house in Antakya, preserves its traditional form. On the one hand, the uncles of Antakya are playing okey, on the other hand, those who come to explore the city get a taste of Haytali. I love the environment, you should definitely stop by here.

Another place where you can eat Haytali is the Habibi Neccar Social Facilities, which is operated by Hatay Municipality and overlooks Hatay. You can stop by here to watch the sunset over Antakya, eat traditional Hatay dishes or just eat Haytali.

4. The Beauty of Hatay Cuisine: A Thousand Varieties of Hatay Meze

“What to eat in Hatay?” When I think of kebabs and desserts, various appetizers come to mind. Hummus, babagannuş, pepper and walnut are the first ones that come to my mind and I eat the most, but there are many varieties. The appetizers, hummus and broad bean shops on the streets are as good as the ones we eat at the restaurants. In Hatay, you can only fill up with appetizers.

Let me write you the names of the restaurants that I tried and liked in Antakya, you can taste the appetizers here;

• Sveyka Restaurant; An old mansion on Kurtuluş Caddesi, the world's first illuminated street, was restored and turned into a restaurant. The environment is beautiful and the food is delicious. The service was also very good when I went, probably still is. You can find not only appetizers but also kebabs here. It is also an advantage that the place is alcoholic. Click for location.
• Konak Restaurant: Located in the area of ​​old Antakya houses, Konak Restaurant is a place where you can find all kinds of Hatay flavors together. The courtyard and environment of the restaurant, which has been converted from an old mansion, is very beautiful. You can also find alcoholic wines unique to Hatay here. Click for location.
• Hatay Sultan Table: Hatay Sultan Sofrası, located on the banks of the Orontes River, is again a conversion from an old mansion. It is a place like an artisan restaurant where you can find the flavors of Hatay in beer. Its garden/courtyard is also pleasant, you can also choose it for breakfast. Click for location.
• Honeycomb Restaurant: Iskenderun's famous Petek Patisserie also has a branch in Antakya. An old mansion on the banks of the Orontes River right next to the Parliament Building has been restored and converted into a restaurant, its name is Antakya Mansion. In the evening, you can taste local dishes and the famous desserts of Petek Patisserie in its large garden. The place is alcohol free. Click for location.
• Ozlem Restaurant: Towards the outskirts of Antakya at Güzel Burç location Ozlem Restaurant It was a restaurant where a friend of ours from Antakya took us. The abagannuş is particularly excellent. Click for location.
• Unesco Hatay Gastronomy House: It is an establishment of Hatay Metropolitan Municipality. Unesco Hatay Gastronomy Homei It is located in the area where the old Antakya houses are. The restaurant, where you can try traditional Hatay dishes, has been converted from an old mansion. It is worth seeing with its large courtyard and traditionally furnished rooms. The place is alcohol free. Click for location.

5. It Would Be A Shame To Say Jam: Walnut, Pumpkin, Citrus Desserts

Although Hatay is famous for its künefe, and Haytali is unique here, my favorite flavors in Hatay are walnut jam, crispy zucchini and orange jam. These jams come almost everywhere on the meal and it makes me go away. Let's not say jam, let's surrender their rights.

You can buy these jams and pumpkin dessert from Uzun Çarşı. You can find crispy zucchini at Künefeci Yusuf Usta and take home packages/gifts.

6. Not Turkish Breakfast, Hatay Breakfast!

As with every meal in Hatay, breakfast is also very rich. Various cheeses, olives, some of the appetizers at dinner are also served for breakfast, then the menu goes on and on. You can find breakfast in most of the restaurants and hotels in Antakya, but if you have a car, there are two places that I would definitely say go for breakfast.

The first one is located a few kilometers from Harbiye Waterfalls. Dover Village. This place is famous for its breakfast. There are many venues. One of these Hammus Place. They decorate the table with their own production of zahter, ürk cheese, melted cheese, jams and appetizers, first your eyes and then your stomach are full. Click for location. One of the recommended places in the same region was Uncle Yusuf's Place, we did not try it.

The second place I would suggest is the Hatay Metropolitan Municipality's enterprise located in Hıdırbey Village. Hidirbey Gastronomy House. They restored an old village house. You can have breakfast both indoors and outdoors. The breakfast was rich and everything we ate was delicious. Since it is a municipal enterprise, the prices are also quite affordable. Click for location.

7. This Isn't One Of The Kombes You Know!

There is a food called kömbe almost everywhere in our country, but they are all different from each other. Kömbe made in Hatay is a kind of cookie, with dates, pistachio, plain. It is eaten with tea and coffee. Although I'm not normally a cookie lover, I loved the kombie made in Hatay. One of the best places to buy Kömbe is Dalgaç Künefe, located in Uzun Çarşı. Don't be fooled by the fact that it's called künefe, they make trays of meatballs and it's delicious. Click for location.

8. Hatay Pizza Added Bread

I met him in Hıdırbey Village when I first went to Hatay. Added Bread with. The mortar of the bread with additives includes Antakya curd, zahter, pepper paste, olive oil, sesame, cumin and onion. You can vary the spices according to your own taste. The dough of the additive bread is made from wholemeal flour. It is cooked in a tandoor oven or wood oven. Quite an explosion of flavor. You can find it in most of the restaurants, in the bakeries in Uzun Çarşı and in the cafeterias around the stream in Hıdırbey Village. You say bread, I say Hatay Pizza.

9. What Will We Take Home From Hatay?

We wandered around Hatay, but we want to take home some of the flavors we tasted here, what should we do? We will go to Uzun Çarşı, we will find a shop called Hatay Organic, located at the exit of Kurşunlu Han. We will buy pepper paste, salty yoghurt, ürk cheese, crushed olives, pomegranate syrup, olive oil, spices and everything else I have not thought of, they will ship it to our house, we will not have to deal with transporting it.

We will stop by the help Selcuk Gıda shop in Uzun Çarşı to buy other cheeses unique to Hatay. We will also have the cheeses shipped, no carrying!

Hatay cuisine does not end with writing here, it becomes a book. As a matter of fact, Hatay Gastronomy House prepared this book. You can get it there when you go.

Hatay cuisine, with its various soups, delicious appetizers, kebabs, desserts and delicious breads, is the gastronomic capital of Turkey, as I said at the beginning. You can go to Hatay even just to eat, go, everyone should go! “What to eat in Hatay?” Now you know the answer to the question, bon appetit!