Boards Around the World Turkish Meze Charcuterie Board
Around the World
Turkish Meze Charcuterie Board
A meyhane-style spread: warm sucuk and pide, a ring of dips and plenty of white cheese. Generous portions are the point.
- Serves
- 8–10
- Board
- 18–20 inch
- Prep
- 22–28 min
- Cost
- $50–$80
- Level
- Beginner
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What's on the board
Cheese
- Beyaz peynir (Turkish white cheese)
- Aged kaşar
Meat
- Sucuk (Turkish beef sausage)
- Pastırma
- Turkish beef salami
Bread
- Pide
- Simit
- Lavash crackers
Extras
- Stuffed grape leaves (yaprak sarma)
- Roasted red peppers
- Cucumber
- Black and green olives
Garnish
- Fresh mint
- Fresh parsley
- Pomegranate seeds
Amounts and prices for each item are in the book, or open the board in the Board Builder for amounts sized to your guest count.
Why it works
Two cured beef meats set the tone. Sucuk is a garlicky, cumin-spiced sausage that crisps in a pan, and pastırma is air-dried beef in a fenugreek and pepper crust. Mild beef salami gives cautious guests somewhere to start, and brined beyaz peynir, with its clean saltiness, resets the palate between rich bites.
The dips do the balancing. Earthy hummus, cooling haydari, sweet-smoky muhammara and hot ezme each pair with something different, while cucumber, mint, parsley and pomegranate add fresh, tart crunch. Warm pide and sesame-crusted simit carry it all.
Timeline
- 20 min beforeGrill the sucuk slices and warm the pide briefly.
- 15 min beforeFill the dip bowls and drizzle olive oil over each.
- 10 min beforeArrange the cheeses and slice the pastırma thin.
- 5 min beforeAdd the olives, grape leaves, breads and produce.
- At servingAdd the warm meats and scatter pomegranate seeds.
The seven-step placement plan (what goes where, and why) is in the book.
New book
Build it exactly, with the new book
This board's exact shopping list with amounts and prices, the prep countdown, all seven placement steps, five swaps and five upgrades are in Charcuterie Lab: Around the World in 16 Boards, with 15 more international boards.
Questions
Where can I buy sucuk and pastırma?
Turkish, Middle Eastern and Armenian markets carry both, often spelled sujuk and basturma. Some halal butchers and online specialty shops sell them too.
What can I use instead of beyaz peynir?
Bulgarian white brined cheese is the closest match. A mild feta also works; soak it in cold water for 10 minutes if it's very salty.
What do you drink with Turkish meze?
Rakı, the anise spirit, mixed with cold water is the traditional choice. For no alcohol, serve cold ayran, a salty yogurt drink.
Can I prepare it ahead?
The dips, cheeses and grape leaves can be set out ahead. Grill the sucuk and warm the pide just before serving, since both are best warm.
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