Tourism Ministry picks 10 popular Turkish street food

Turkey's Culture and Tourism Ministry has prepared a list of the country's most popular street food anyone can find in all 81 provinces across the nation, with "simit," which is Turkish bagel, fish sandwiches and chestnuts taking the lead.

"Tantuni," which is a wrap with small cubes of meat seasoned with hot peppers and onions, stuffed mussels, baked potatoes, chicken with rice, çiğ köfte, fresh almond on ice and şalgam follow suit on the list.

Although Istanbul is Turkey's gastronomical center with plenty of local and international restaurants, street food is also worth trying for tourists, according to goturkey.com, a website set up by the ministry to promote the country's tourist hotspots.

According to the ministry, the country's street food culture goes back to the history of Turks.

"Turkish people come from a nomadic background, and this is one of the main reasons why street food culture is extremely rich and popular all across the country," the website said.

"The culture of street food is like a gold mine in Turkey. In each city, you can encounter street flavors that are unique to the region and that can appeal to everyone's plate," it said, while placing simit atop the list.

Describing simit as "a round-shaped bagel-like bread covered with sesame seeds," the ministry recommends people to eat simit "on its own or with cheese and a cup of tea."

"In Istanbul, many people share this delicious snack with seagulls as they cross the Bosphorus on the ferry," it added.

Following simit, "affordable, nutritional fresh fish sandwiches" come second on the ministry's list.

"Its taste lingers in your mouth," it said.

Then come chestnuts, the street delight that, according to the ministry, heralds the...