Travel Blogger Lists Turkish Dishes With Embarrassing Names and Looks

A Russian travel blogger, Sasha Konovalova, has shared a selection of Turkish dishes that often make tourists uncomfortable because of their names or appearance. She posted the list on her personal blog on the Dzen platform.

First on her list is Şıllık tatlısı, a dessert whose name translates as "prostitute's sweetness." Thin pancakes filled with a milk-and-nut mixture are soaked in sweet syrup and topped with pistachios or other nuts. According to the blogger, it is very tasty and a must-try in Turkey.

Next is Kadınbudu, which translates from Turkish as "woman's thigh." These are patties made from minced meat, usually beef and lamb, with rice or bulgur, onion and spices added. "When served, two patties are usually placed so they resemble a woman's bottom. So the dish is named and looks not quite decent. But it's delicious!" the traveler noted.

Third in the selection is Hanımgöbeği, meaning "lady's navel" or "the lady's belly." The sweet is fried in oil, then soaked in syrup, sometimes with nuts added on top.

Among other desserts with indecent names and appearances, Konovalova named "beauty's lips," "dessert from a brothel," "a young girl's dream," and "offal cabbage rolls" that resemble male genitalia.

Earlier, the same travel blogger described several buffet dishes at Turkish hotels with the phrase "they look bad but are worth trying." In particular, she included meze pastes, which are usually found in the cold appetizer and salad section.