Fish in Turkey: Turkish Fish Names, Seasons, Prices and How to Choose Fresh Fish
Fish in Turkey, explained at the market stall. Turkish fish names on the price label: palamut is bonito, hamsi is anchovy, lüfer is bluefish, levrek is sea bass and çipura is gilthead sea bream. Seasons: autumn brings bonito, bluefish and horse mackerel; November to February, anchovy and mackerel; turbot in spring until 15 April; sardine in summer; farmed sea bass and sea bream all year. A myth: there's no fresh fish in summer. In fact, from 15 April to 31 August only purse-seine and trawl fishing stops, and other gear still fishes. Prices: on 7 October 2026 anchovy cost 150–183 TL/kg at Istanbul's wholesale market and about 300 TL at the stall. Five signs of fresh fish: clear eyes, bright red gills, scales that stay put, flesh that springs back and almost no smell. Useful Turkish: Bugün mü geldi? (Did it arrive today?), Kilosu kaç lira? (How much per kilo?), Izgara olsun, lütfen (Grilled, please). Checked 13 October 2026.
In this video
Video transcript
Fish in Turkey: the Turkish names, the seasons, real prices and five signs of fresh fish. On the price label: palamut is bonito, hamsi is anchovy, lüfer is bluefish, levrek is sea bass and çipura is gilthead sea bream. Autumn: bonito, bluefish and horse mackerel. November to February: anchovy and mackerel. Turbot in spring, sardine in summer, farmed sea bass and sea bream all year. A myth: no fresh fish in summer. In fact, from 15 April to 31 August only purse-seine and trawl nets stop, and sea bass and sea bream come from farms. On 7 October anchovy cost 150 to 183 lira a kilo at Istanbul's wholesale market and about 300 at the stall. Ask: Kilosu kaç lira? Fresh fish has clear eyes, bright red gills and scales that stay put; a finger dent springs back, and it smells of almost nothing. Izgara olsun, lütfen: grilled, please. Sea bass, sea bream and bluefish come whole. Twelve fish, the month-by-month calendar and minimum sizes are in the full guide on turkpidya.com.
