Lunch on a blue cruise often looks like a painting: bowls of creamy meze, colourful salads, vegetables slow-cooked in olive oil and plates of foraged Aegean greens dressed with lemon. Light, fresh and naturally healthy, these dishes are the soul of Aegean cooking – and a highlight of every private gulet, yacht or motorsailer charter in Turkey.
A Turkish table of meze and shared platesClassic Turkish meze on board
Haydari
Thick, garlicky strained yogurt with herbs.
Fava
A silky broad-bean purée drizzled with olive oil.
Acılı ezme
Finely chopped tomato, pepper and onion with a kick.
Patlıcan şakşuka
Fried aubergine in a rich tomato sauce.
Humus
Creamy chickpea and tahini dip.
Girit ezmesi
White cheese whipped with olive oil, herbs and pistachio.
Vegetables slow-cooked in olive oil
| Dish | What it is |
|---|---|
| Zeytinyağlı taze fasulye | Green beans cooked with tomato and onion, served cold |
| Zeytinyağlı enginar | Artichokes with carrot, peas and potato |
| Taze bakla | Fresh broad beans with yogurt and dill |
| Yaprak sarma | Vine leaves stuffed with herbed rice |
| Barbunya pilaki | Borlotti beans with onion and tomato |
| İmam bayıldı | Stuffed aubergine, served at room temperature |
Turkey is one of the world’s largest olive oil producers, and the Aegean coast around Bodrum, Milas and Ayvalık is famous for its oils – Milas olive oil even holds a geographical indication.
Olive groves line the Aegean coastForaged Aegean greens
- Deniz börülcesi (samphire) – dressed with garlic, lemon and olive oil.
- Cibez – boiled and served with olive oil and lemon.
- Arapsaçı – fennel-like greens for salads and cooking.
- Şevketibostan – a prized Aegean green, boiled or cooked with lamb.
- Ebegümeci (mallow) and turp otu (radish greens) – cooked in olive oil or with eggs.
- Hindiba, ısırgan, kuzukulağı – chicory, nettle and sorrel.
Wild greens are seasonal – most are found in spring and early summer. Your chef will use what is fresh at the local market.
Fresh salads every day
No meal on board is complete without salad: the classic çoban salatası (shepherd’s salad) of tomato, cucumber, pepper and onion, rocket and purslane salads, and salads topped with white cheese and olives.
Lunch at anchor in a turquoise coveFrequently asked questions
What are zeytinyağlı dishes?
Zeytinyağlılar are vegetables slowly cooked in olive oil and usually served cold or at room temperature – for example green beans, artichokes, fresh broad beans and stuffed vine leaves. They are perfect for lunch on a hot day at sea.
What are Aegean wild greens?
The Aegean is famous for its foraged greens (otlar) such as samphire (deniz börülcesi), cibez, arapsaçı, şevketibostan, mallow and radish greens – usually boiled or sautéed and dressed with olive oil and lemon.
Is a gulet charter good for vegetarians?
Very much so. Meze, salads and olive-oil dishes are naturally vegetarian, and many are vegan. Tell us your diet in advance.
Discover Aegean flavours at sea
Tell us your tastes and diets – your chef will prepare fresh meze and olive-oil dishes every day.