When you think of pizza, you probably imagine a round, cheesy slice with toppings like pepperoni or mushrooms. But in Türkiye, there's a special dish that’s sometimes called "Turkish pizza"—lahmacun (pronounced lah-mah-joon)! Unlike the pizza you might know, lahmacun is thin, crispy and doesn’t have any cheese.
The food I tried was lahmacun, a popular street food in Türkiye. It’s a large, round flatbread that’s covered with a spiced meat mixture and baked until crispy. Even though it looks a little like pizza, it tastes very different! Instead of being thick and cheesy, it’s light, crunchy and full of savory spices. It’s usually served with fresh vegetables like lettuce and parsley, and people squeeze lemon juice on top before rolling it up to eat. To make the meal even better, many people drink ayran (pronounced eye-rahn), a salty yogurt drink that pairs perfectly with the dish.
