The Regional Tradition
Central Anatolian cuisine is meat-centred, bread-based, and rooted in the agricultural reality of the plateau: lamb and beef from the high pastures, lentils and chickpeas grown in the valleys, wheat bread baked in wood-fired ovens, dairy from the surrounding herds. It's not the delicate cuisine of the coastal regions — it's sustaining food developed for a place where winters are cold and physical work is hard.
What distinguishes Cappadocia's version is partly the cooking technique — specifically the use of clay pots sealed and cooked in wood-fired ovens, which produces dishes with a particular depth of flavour — and partly the local wine tradition, which gives the region a gastronomic pairing that most of Central Anatolia lacks.
Testi Kebab: The Signature Dish
Testi kebab is Cappadocia's most photographed dish, partly because of its preparation method. Meat and vegetables are placed inside a sealed clay pot (testi = clay jug), which is cooked for several hours in a wood-fired oven and then broken open at the table with a small hammer or tap from a knife. The sealed cooking method concentrates the flavours and keeps the contents moist in a way that other cooking methods don't achieve.
It's theatrical but also genuinely good — the best versions use slow-cooked lamb or beef with local vegetables and herbs, sealed with bread dough. Quality varies significantly between restaurants; the better versions are worth the 10-15% premium over cheaper imitations.
Cappadocian Wine
The Cappadocia wine region centred on Ürgüp and Avanos produces wines from indigenous Turkish grape varieties — Emir for whites (light, crisp, high-acid, particularly good with local cheese and fish from the region's trout farms), and Öküzgözü and Boğazkere for reds (full-bodied, tannic, suited to the meat-forward local cuisine). The major producers are Turasan, Kocabağ, Vinolus, and a handful of smaller wineries.
Local wine is available by the glass in most Göreme and Ürgüp restaurants that have alcohol licenses. Prices are reasonable by European standards; quality is consistent at the mid and upper range of producers.
Breakfast: A Cappadocia Speciality
Turkish breakfast (kahvaltı) is a meal in its own right, and cave hotels in Cappadocia tend to take it seriously: local honey (the plateau honey, particularly from the Niğde area, is excellent), multiple varieties of white and semi-aged cheese, olives, fresh tomatoes and cucumbers, eggs prepared to order, and fresh bread baked that morning. This is a proper meal that requires time.
The terrace setting at most cave hotels adds to the experience — breakfast with a balloon-over-the-valley view is the specific Cappadocia version of what good food in good surroundings means.