A Taste of Turkish Street Foods

I wanted to share with you some of my favourite street foods... and drinks from my trip to Turkey, where eating on the street is a feast for all the senses.

1.     Simit – chewy sesame crusted ‘Turkish bagels’ brushed with pekmez, grape molasses, available from street carts all over the city. Enjoy them anytime, anywhere with Kahue, Turkish coffee or Cay, black tea, in curved glasses.

2.    Kestane Kebab– roasted chestnuts

3.    In summer don’t miss Misir freshly boiled or grilled sweet corn.

4.    Baklava– buttery flaky pastries in a myriad of shapes filled with nuts, dripping with syrup or honey – seek out Karaköy Güllüoğlu bakery and Develi Baklava in Eminönü – for a flat breakfast version with pistachio.

5.    Lokma– a traditional Ottoman Palace dessert, little dough balls, fried until crisp, then soaked in a honey-syrup and occasionally sprinkled with chopped pistachios.

6.    Doner Kebab– I’ve never been quite brave enough to try Doner Kebab until I visited Istanbul, it's made with chicken, lamb or beef sometimes interspersed with vegetables then char-gilled on a vertical spit and served in lavash (bread), sooo good.

7.     Dolma–  vine, cabbage or chard leaves, stuffed with rice and meat, there's also a meat less version made with currants and pine nuts known as Yalance – called imitation or cheats dolma – eat them with yoghurt.

8.    Balik Ekmer– freshly grilled fish sandwiches from the Karaköy Eminönü area close to the Galata bridge.

9.    Midye Dolma– Mussels, still in the shell, stuffed with spicy rice.

10.  Borek–  flakey savoury pastries filled with cheese, meat or vegetables. Sometimes cigar shaped or rolled into to a snake like coil 

11.  Pide–  (pronounced pee – day) long boat shaped pizza like bread stuffed with mince, a variety or meat, vegetables, cheese and egg filling,  cooked in a wood burning oven.

12.  Gösleme– a sort of flat bread pancake rolled up with a variety of savoury fillings, then cooked on a Saç or metal griddle.

13.  Dondurma–   Turkish ice-cream whipped in the Kabraman Maras tradition.

14.  Lahmacun – a pizza-like flat bread with a paper thin crust topped with spicy minced lamb and cooked in a wood oven. Eat it with lots of flat parsley and freshly squeezed lemon juice.

15.  Kokorec – another famous Turkish street food, kokoreç is an old Ottoman dish made of rolled sheep’s intestines roasted on a horizontal spit over a charcoal fire, then chopped and mixed with ripe tomato, dried thyme and red pepper flakes, served with crusty bread.

16.   Icle Kofte– crisp little croquettes with pointy ends stuffed with minced meat, usually lamb, walnuts, spices and red pepper flakes.

17.   Kunefe – made from kadajif, a kind of shredded wheat pastry, tossed in melted butter, filled with melting cheese, soaked in syrup with pistachio nuts sprinkled over the top. It’s cooked in little tin dishes over a charcoal fire – divine.

18.   Lokum – Turkish delight in a myriad of flavours, nothing remotely like the sweet sugary tooth wrenching confection that passes for Turkish delight outside Turkey. Seek out Altan Sekerleme a fourth generation family business in Kuciek – Pazar where they make their own Turkish delight and Akide sekeri. (rock candy)

19.   Kebab or Kebap –  some on skewers but others like little patties, A restaurant in the Kurdish area under the viaduct served buryan, a kind of pilaff, with shredded chicken, currants and some gentle spices in a crispy pastry crust decorated with almonds.

20.   Kaymak – clotted cream, best is made with buffalo milk and eaten with honey. 

21.   Manti – Turkish ravioli, tiny meat or vegetable filled pasta served with a garlic yoghurt sauce and hot paprika butter drizzled over the top just before serving.

22.   Tripe soup, Işkembe Çorbasi – a brilliant hangover cure!

23.   Pickles – Tursu are an integral part of Turkish daily eating and drinking. There are pickle carts and shops in every neighbourhood, pickle juice is drunk as a digestif and considered to be a brilliant hangover cure!

24.   Turks have a fantastic selection of dried fruit, nuts and seeds.

Drinks

1.     Raki – the national drink of Turkey, made from distilled grapes, flavoured with aniseed and drunk with ice and water, served in 'meyhanes' with mezze.

2.     Pomegranate juice –  freshly squeezed on virtually every street corner.

3.    Ayran –  a frothy yogurt drink, simply natural yogurt whisked with ice cold water plus a tiny pinch of salt. This was our best simple find of the trip, we have been making Ayran since our return and both grandchildren and students love it.

4.     Boza – a thick drink made from fermented milk with the texture of slightly fizzy apple puree. It is eaten with a sprinkling of cinnamon and  roasted chickpeas on top and is reported to cure the plague.

A Food-Lover's Guide to Turkey

Any good travel guide to Turkey will give you a mesmerizing list of the highlights of the ancient city of Istanbul, the only city to straddle two continents – both Europe and Asia.The choice will be overwhelming so be warned, like me you’ll find yourself wanting to return over and over again, I’ve fallen head over heels in love with Turkey.



On a first visit, don’t  miss Hagia Sophia -  an awe inspiring expression of religious faith and one of the world’s most extraordinary architectural  wonders, a museum since 1934. Blue Mosque, another of the most celebrated religious buildings in the world, completed in 1616. Known as the Blue Mosque because of the more than 20,000 blue Izmuk tiles that embellish the interior.

Try to take in the Suleymaniye Mosque, also known as the Sunken or Basilica Cisterns – it’s close by the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque. It may not sound very inspiring but I was gobsmacked by this vast underground cistern probably build in the fourth century and supplied with water via aqueducts from Belgrade Forest. The huge Yerebatan cistern held 80 cubic metres of water and was supported by 336 columns, many with Corinthian capitals which look as though they were recycled remains from other historic sites – don’t miss the two Medusa heads, restored in 1987. There are still carp swimming in the water. Part of James Bond’s “From Russia With Love” was filmed here. 



The Grand Bazzar, a vast covered Ottoman bazaar dating back to 1640. The largest in the world, full of Eastern promise, over 4,000 shops with hand painted arched ceilings and beautiful lanterns. Selling just about everything you can imagine from carpets, slippers, susani, spices, jewellery, furs, antiques to alarmingly good fakes – bags, watches … It's absolutely vast, there are 61 streets, 22 gates, resign yourself to getting lost and enjoy. Both locals and tourists shop here – don’t forget to haggle!


The Bosphorus Strait divides Europe from Asia; over 50,000 cargo ships, oil tankers and ocean liners pass through this vital transport artery every year. It’s one of the very best ways to enjoy superb views of the city’s skyline, imperial palaces, ancient fortress, waterside mansions and villages. 

A Cooks Culinary Tour of Istanbul is bliss for someone like me who ferrets out street food wherever I travel from South America to Asia.

I found Claudia Turgut through Unison Turkey,(www.unisonturkey.com) who took me on a culinary skite around Istanbul. Six action packed hours later, I had walked about six miles through narrow alleyways, spice markets and bazaars, tasted over 20 different street foods and learned a ton about Turkish culture, food and traditions. 

We ambled through the narrow cobbled streets, peeping into ancient Karavanseri  where the nomad merchants and their camels rested when they came to trade in Constantinople.  We wandered through Balik Pazarı fish market on the edge of the Bosphorus, watched and licked our lips at the fish stalls making balik ekmek. Filled with fresh Norwegian mackerel or Black Sea salmon grilled right there in front of us then sandwiched into a roll with lettuce, sliced onion and peppers... 

 We crossed the famous Galata Bridge that spans the Golden Horn, where over 100 hardy men in anoraks and woolly caps fish for whatever they can catch over the ornate iron railings, lots of tiny spanking fresh fish which I later enjoyed just dipped in seasoned flour and deep fried at a cafe in Sultanahmet. 

What cooks should bring home: 

Pekmez - fruit molasses made from grapes, mulberries, pomegranates and cherries, reduced slightly fermented syrup, brilliant in dressings, salads and for drizzling over yoghurt. 

Zatar– commonly known as dried thyme but usually hyssop and sometimes savoury. For sprinkling over a lahmacun, pide or flat breads or just to mix with oil. 

Sumac –  berries from the sumac bush, dried and ground, a lovely wine coloured, citrus flavoured astringent spice, sprinkle over everything, salads, grilled meats….

Kermizi Biber flakes – red pepper flakes, sundried chilli ground into flakes, – there’s hot, medium, gentle, also a great paste called biber salçasi.

Tahini– a paste made from sesame seeds,  yes,  I know you can get it here but you'll find much better quality for a fraction of the price.

Dut – dried mulberries, a delicious snack or add them to cakes or
desserts.




Where to Stay 

The Vault Karaköy, (part of The House Hotel group) used to be a bank but was restored by the Agha Khan award-winning Turkish architect Han Tümertekin. The classic contemporary interiors were designed by Sinan Kafadar who was inspired by the imposing bank vaults which gave rise to the hotel’s name. Located in the up and coming hip neighbourhood of Karaköy with its chic café culture, a brilliant launching pad to explore bohemian Beyoğlu, historic Sultanahmet and the Galata port, an in-house curator organises constant exhibitions and events. Charmingly helpful staff and great breakfasts.

Where to Eat

Ciya, don’t miss this lokantas or tradesmans’ restaurant. Chef owner Musa Dagdeviren collects unusual regional dishes from all around Turkey. It’s not a fancy place but you’ll find the food, particularly the vegetable dishes memorable. There’s a kebab shop on one side of the street and a restaurant on the other, try both – great value.  To get there you take a twenty minute ferry ride to the Asian side of the Bosporus.

 

Hayvore, another local haunt introduced to me by an insider Antony Doucet – gorgeous freshly cooked food, much with influences from the Black Sea area. Hizir Keskin and his team  are passionate about sourcing superb raw materials. So many wonderful dishes but don’t miss Hamsili  Pilav and Şeker Fasülyesi, plump tender heirloom beans from Artvin also in the Black Sea area. The succulent Dolma, Karalahana, wrapped in a special black cabbage with yoghurt spoiled me from ever tasting any other Dolma. Ridiculously affordable and maybe the best Turkish food I ate on my trip. 

Mikla, the dazzling panoramic view around the Golden Horn from Mikla, the restaurant on the top of the Marmara Pera Hotel is truly breath-taking. Mehmet Gur’s cheffy food is a delectable example of the Young Turks, New Anatolian kitchen movement and it tastes as good as it looks. Great Turkish and Scandinavian influences and an international wine list, don’t miss the hampi (anchovy) wafers. 

Yeni Lokanta, another stunning example of the new Turkish kitchen, pirated European dishes are not for Civan Er, this exciting young chef, who uses local ingredients and traditional Turkish cooking techniques and wood burning ovens to deliver his menu of many small plates – very good food at very reasonable prices. 

Mezze by Lemon serves mezze and raki – a marriage made in heaven. Here passionate young chef Gençay Üçok re-interprets the traditional mezze for his cult following and serves some of the most creative and delicious food in town until 12pm at night. Also, check out his food stall Beyaz Izgara in the Grand Bazaar. Gençay has led a campaign in Turkey against the global fast food companies to highlight the variety of superb traditional Turkish fast food options. Gençay does culinary tours of Istanbul, check out KD Tours www.kdtours.com.  



Kantin in the super chic Nisantasi neighbourhood is another gem. A proper 'farm to table' eatery, with a ground floor gourmet shop and bakery, the smell of crusty loaves of natural sourdough bread wafting from the wood-burning oven. 

Owner Semsa Denizsel writes the menu of beautiful seasonal food on a blackboard in the upstairs café. There’s an adorable garden behind, Semsa showed me how to enjoy Turkish coffee in the traditional way with a spoon of mastic in a glass of water, Tell her I sent you and don’t leave without tasting her tahini biscuits and thin crust pizza of the day and cucumber and mint Ayran.

Turkish Delights... My Travels to Istanbul

I've been longing to go to Turkey for ages, and have just got back from my very first visit. I was totally taken in by those touristy shots of azure skies... but of course that was summer... and I had decided to go - in February! You're not going to believe this, but just after we arrived it started to snow and continued for ten days until the day before we left. One morning it was -14C, and was I glad to have my Uggs and woolly hat with the big bobble that my youngest daughter had given me for Christmas. We seem to be followed by snow on all our travels at the moment.

It certainly won't be our last visit to Turkey, we loved it ... but next time we look forward to seeing it in the sunshine as well.

Istanbul is just as spectacular as you've heard with domes and minarets gracing the skyline. On the first day, before the snow really got a grip,  Claudia Turgut from Unison Turkey took us on a culinary skite around Istanbul. We ambled through the narrow cobbled streets, peeping into ancient Karavanseri where the nomad merchants and their camels rested when they came to trade in Constantinople during the Ottoman era.

We wandered through the Kadikoy fish market on the edge of Bosphurus, watched and licked our lips at the stalls making fish sandwiches balik ekmek with grilled mackerel and Black Sea salmon.

We crossed the Galata bridge where over a hundred earnest men in anoraks and woolly caps were fishing over the  ornate railings - a wonderful spectacle.

Close to the Spice Market we bought simit, a Turkish bagel glazed with pekmez (grape molasses) and sprinkled with sesame seeds from one of the thousands of carts that are scattered around the city. Red and gold carts sell roasted chestnuts and grilled sweetcorn.

Shop after shop around the edge sell a huge selection of fruit, nuts, roasted pumpkin and sunflower seeds, lady fingers (okra), garlands of dried aubergines...

I tasted dried persimmon here for the first time - and brought home a bag to try them in recipes here at home.

Inside the Spice Market there seem to be more jewellery than spice shops, but many sell a huge range of lokum (turkish delight), fruit and nut roll ups, candies...

And huge mounds of nougat and baklava in every shape and form.

Interestingly, Turkish cooks don't use many spices but lots of dried herbs: mint, thyme, marjoram and of course dried chilli flakes are all essential condiments.

In the midst of the Spice Market we find Can Kurtaran Gida, a particularly good shop selling many types of wild honey. There was sucur, their breakfast beef sausage, beloved of the Turks. Turkish pastrami, beautiful yellow butter from Urfa in the Black Sea area, a variety of interesting Turkish cheeses including Tulum, a delicious sheep's cheese from Erzincan that matures in a goats skin and Kaymak, a buffalo cream that's divine with honey. I shudder to think what will happen to some of these beautiful foods if Turkey joins the EU.

Over six hours later, I had walked about five miles and tasted over twenty unique street foods: borek (savoury pastries) kokorec (chargrilled lamb's intestines), kofte (plump little spicy meat croquettes with pointy ends)...

Lahmajun (Turkish pizza, eaten with a wedge of lemon and lots of fresh parsley), pide (slightly leavened bread, sometimes round and sometimes boat shaped with meat or vegetable fillings - baked in a wood-fired oven).

Some of the drinks we tried included: ayran - a diluted frothy yogurt drink, freshly squeezed pomegranate juice, boza - a fermented millet drink that is believed to cure plague and many other ills. It tastes like a slightly fizzy apple puree, and is served with roasted chickpeas sprinkled on the top.
We learned a ton about Turkish culture, food and traditions.

Another memorable part of our trip was Cappadocia in central Anatolia with its underground cities, cave dwellings and fairy chimneys.  It really is a "must add" to your travel wish list.