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An unexpected surprise in Konya was the food. I came to see Rumi’s tomb, but in the end it was the incredible food in Konya that stole the show.
Etli Ekmek
First of all, my students from Konya always told me to try etli ekmek if I ever visited their city. I wasn’t impressed. It’s basically a less spicy version of lahmacun (a very thin Turkish pizza). You can find it all over town.
Dağlının Yeri
Now onto the good stuff. I visited Dağlının Yeri for one meal and had büryan kebabı. I had no idea what it was but the waiter recommended it. When it arrived, it didn’t look all that special, but it sure tasted great. It was slow roasted fatty chunks of tender lamb served on a pita. Amazing.
Tiritçi Mithat
I had another meal at a place that’s mostly known only to locals, Tiritçi Mithat. It’s hidden in the backstreets off Mevlânâ Street (Mevlânâ Caddesi). They only serve one dish – tirit – and they do it extremely well. Tirit is chunks of lamb, yogurt, butter, and vegetables sitting on pita bread. It’s one of the tastiest Turkish dishes I’ve ever eaten.
For dessert, they serve just one thing – zerde. I still don’t know exactly what it is, other than a special type of rice pudding, but it tasted good and had cinnamon on top. That’s enough for me.
The one thing you should know about Mithat is that they close once they run out of tirit. It is best to go early for lunch because they aren’t guaranteed to be open for dinner.
