Page "Turkish cuisine" Paragraph 15

In some regions, meat, which was mostly eaten only at wedding ceremonies or during the Kurban Bayramı ( Eid ul-Adha ) as etli pilav ( pilaf with meat ), has become part of the daily diet since the introduction of industrial production.

Veal, formerly shunned, is now widely consumed.

The main use of meat in cooking remains the combination of ground meat and vegetable, with names such as kıymalı fasulye ( beans with ground meat ) or kıymalı ıspanak ( spinach with ground meat, which is almost always served with yogurt ).

Alternatively, in coastal towns cheap fish such as sardines ( sardalya ) or hamsi ( anchovies ) are widely available, as well as many others with seasonal availability.

Poultry consumption, almost exclusively of chicken and eggs, is common.

Milk-fed lambs, once the most popular source of meat in Turkey, comprise a small part of contemporary consumption.

Kuzu çevirme, cooking milk-fed lamb on a spit, once an important ceremony, is rarely seen.

Because it is a predominantly Islamic country, pork plays no role in Turkish cuisine.