Turkish foodies' top picks in 2025: doner, lahmacun and simit
Nationwide ordering data highlights the enduring popularity of traditional Turkish flavours.
Doner, lahmacun, and simit topped the list of Türkiye’s most popular food choices in 2025, according to an analysis of nationwide ordering data that mapped consumers’ preferences across days, months, and product categories.
Data from the online food delivery app Yemeksepeti, compiled from millions of orders placed throughout the year, showed that doner, thinly sliced meat cooked on a vertical rotisserie, retained its leading position among the country’s most preferred cuisines.
Lahmacun is a thin flatbread topped with minced meat and spices, and simit is a sesame-coated circular bread commonly eaten as a street snack in Türkiye.
Global options such as burgers and pizza, along with kebab, also ranked among the most frequently chosen foods, reflecting a balance between traditional tastes and international flavours.
While Turkish cuisine continued to maintain a strong presence with classic dishes, global flavours accounted for a significant share of daily consumption habits.
Data from major metropolitan areas indicated that in Istanbul and the western city of Izmir, classics such as lahmacun were often accompanied by complementary items, including lentil soup and ayran.
According to the data, the first food order placed in Türkiye in 2025 came from the southern province of Adana, featuring Adana kebab, the city’s signature dish.
In the market category, simit, mineral water, and chocolate emerged as the most preferred items. Drinking water, bakery products, and carbonated beverages were also frequently added to shopping baskets.
In 2025, consumers also gravitated towards unconventional choices, with gourmet items like pear pizza and sun-dried sweet pepper paste standing out in food orders, while non-food picks such as silicone chocolate moulds and purple shampoo were among the most popular market basket items.
The data showed that Saturdays were the busiest day for orders across Türkiye in 2025, with May recording the highest volume, highlighting the strong impact of weekends and spring months on consumption patterns.