What to eat Istanbul? culinary specialties and gastronomy

Like tapas in Spain or antipasti in Italy, mezze is one of the pillars of Turkish cuisine. They come in the form of an assortment of small dishes, cold or hot, where salty, sweet and spicy are deliciously mixed. They are served at the beginning of a meal as an appetizer or as an hors d'oeuvre and sometimes even form a complete meal. The word mezze comes from Arabic and is also a major element of the cuisine of the Levant (Lebanon, Syria, Palestine), and is also found in Greece, Armenia and some Balkan countries. This aperitif, sometimes served as a dinner party, is traditionally served on a sini, a kind of large round brass or copper tray, placed on a low table. Glasses, napkins and cutlery are placed directly on it.

Cold dishes include cacık (yogurt with cucumber and garlic), yaprak dolması (vine leaves stuffed with rice), pastırma (dried beef), beyaz peynir (a cheese similar to feta),ezme (minced tomato with cucumber and onion),acuka (chili nut cream), patlıcan ezmesi (eggplant caviar), fasülye pilaki (white beans in tomato sauce), kısır (bulgur salad with tomato and pomegranate), sucuk (spicy lamb sausage), or şakşuka (eggplant and bell pepper salad cooked with tomato). There are other more basic ingredients such as simply olives which are very popular, or pickled vegetables (cucumber, carrot, beet, etc.) which are generically called turşu.

Mezze can be served hot, such as the unavoidable midye dolma (mussels stuffed with spicy rice), often considered one of the most common street snacks in Istanbul. But also hamsi tava (fried anchovies), kalamar tava (fried squid),arnavut ciğeri (calf's liver with onions) or börek (phyllo pastry turnover filled with meat, fresh cheese, spinach or leeks). It should be noted that many of the mezze mentioned here have their equivalent in Greece or in the Arab world under a different name. Although Islam does not condone the consumption of alcohol, Turks are often more flexible on this point, and mezze are commonly eaten with rakı. This grape brandy flavored with aniseed is 45°. Like Greek ouzo or pastis, it is diluted in water and made milky. To be served chilled.

After a hearty platter of mezze, it's time for the main course. In reality, in Turkey as in other countries of the Middle East, the concept of "starter-main course-dessert" is not as rigid as in France. Often mezze, grilled meats and soups are presented at the table at the same time. However, in the absence of appetizers, soups can be considered a very popular starter. Turkey is a very mountainous country and cities such as Istanbul or Ankara can experience particularly cold winters. One example is theezo gelin çorbası or "bride's soup", served therefore for special occasions made of coral lentils and bulgur. Theişkembe (tripe soup) is said to be the panacea for painful aftermaths. It is prepared in specialized restaurants that stay open all night, to get the revelers back on their feet.

In Turkey, mutton and lamb are the most popular meats, followed by beef and then chicken. To get to the heart of the matter, the choice of kebabs(kebap in Turkish) in Istanbul can be bewildering and often they are nothing like what we eat in France, where we only know what Turks call "doner kebap" served in flatbreads with tomato, onions and yogurt sauce. The şiş kebap for example is a skewer of marinated meat cubes(kuzu/lamb, dana/beef or tavuk/chicken) while the very spicyadana kebap comes in the form of a skewer of minced meat. The very impressive vali kebabi is a huge plate of mixed grills: chicken, beef, mutton, vegetables. More surprising, the kokoreç is a kebab of finely sliced tripe. Finally, köfte is also a generic term to describe recipes of meatballs, often grilled, but not only, as with sulu köfte, cooked in a tomato and bell pepper sauce or içli köfte, where the meat is covered with a bulgur paste before being fried. Finally, mantı, a kind of ravioli stuffed with meat, is eaten generously sprinkled with garlic yogurt and a drizzle of melted butter with paprika. This dish is the Sunday lunch.

Istanbul stretches majestically along both banks of the Bosphorus, between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, so it is unthinkable not to try the many fish and seafood dishes that the city offers. The balık iskender for example is a grilled and flaked fish served on a flatbread with yogurt sauce and spicy tomato puree. Karides güveç is a dish of shrimp simmered in a tomato sauce with onions, gratinated with kaşar, a variety of Turkish cheese. Many fish or seafood preparations however do not have specific names, but are executed with various types of cooking(tava/frit or izgara/grilled...).

With its varied climate, Turkey produces a wide variety of vegetables that are prepared with all kinds of sauces. Eggplant is very popular. It can be found in hot puree accompanied by pieces of veal(hünkar beğendi), fried and topped with yogurt(patlıcan tava) or stuffed(karnıyarık). Biber dolmasi is a recipe for bell pepper stuffed with rice and meat. Mücver comes in the form of small croquettes of grated zucchini served with a yogurt sauce. Spinach, carrot, beet, squash and other cabbage are also widely eaten.

On the beverage side, it is interesting to note that Turkey produces many quality wines, although they are more expensive than in France on average. Various Turkish localities produce good wines, such as Niğde, Nevşehir, Gaziantep, Elazığ, Tokat, Çanakkale, Tekirdağ, Izmir, Bozcaada and Manisa. Beer, the best known of which is Efes Pilsen - brown or blonde - is also very popular. Ayran is a refreshing drink made from a mixture of yogurt, water and salt. Turks drink it at the table or to quench their thirst during hot weather. More substantial, the boza is traditionally sold in winter. It is a thick and fermented drink made from millet and is served with a pinch of cinnamon. Sahlep, a delicate hot drink made from milk and sahlep powder, is made from the root of an orchid. Although it originates from China, Turks are the biggest consumers of tea in the world with over 3 kg/year per capita. Cultivated only since the beginning of the ^20th century on the Black Sea coast in the province of Rize, tea, called "çayı" (pronounced "chai"), punctuates the day of all Turks. Tea is prepared according to the samovar principle (water down in a kettle and tea up in a teapot), then served in small tulip-shaped glasses. Although Turkey does not grow coffee, it is believed that the Turks were the first to introduce it to Europe. Hence the name "Turkish coffee", although it is also called Greek coffee on the other side of the Aegean. It is prepared according to the traditional recipe: sade (no sugar), orta (medium sweet) or şekerli (very sweet), which should be specified when ordering. A glass of water is often brought with the coffee, to be drunk beforehand, to prepare the palate for the tasting. After drinking, tradition dictates that the cup is turned over in the saucer to read the future in the grounds.

Between tea and coffee, it is impossible to forget the desserts, as Istanbul offers so many possibilities to sweet tooths. The baklava is probably the most famous of all. Although it is eaten from the Balkans to Central Asia, it is in Turkey - and Greece - that this multi-layered phyllo dessert expresses all its diversity. It can be filled with walnuts, pistachios, almonds, hazelnuts, sometimes a mixture of all four, flavored with cinnamon and soaked in rose water or orange blossom syrup. Bülbül yuvası, whose name could be translated as "nightingale's nest", are rings of phyllo dough, topped with syrup and garnished with dried fruit. Sütlaç is a creamy rice pudding flavored with cinnamon. More surprisingly, the künefe, of Arabic origin, features two layers of angel hair filled with melting mozzarella-like cheese, all sprinkled with chopped pistachios. The ayva tatlısı is the Turkish equivalent of the Belle-Hélène pear, but prepared with quince and topped with kaymac, a very fatty fresh cheese close to mascarpone. The tulumba almost resembles our churros, but they are soaked in syrup and eaten at room temperature. The halva consumed in Turkey - despite its name - is very different from the Indian halva made of semolina. In Istanbul the recipe is more like a dense confectionery close to a nougat flavored with sesame cream(tahini) and filled with pistachios, almonds or honey. It is also impossible to miss the famous loukoum. Although this sweet is extremely old, the modern version dates back to the beginning of the ^19th century, thanks to Hacı Bekir whose recipe was so popular that he was appointed chief confectioner at the court of Sultan Mahmoud II. The use of starch gives loukoum its elastic texture. Often flavored with rose water, bergamot or lemon, they are sometimes garnished with dried fruits.

If the Grand Bazaar of Istanbul, whose first traces date back to 1455, is rather specialized in crafts - jewelry, carpets, textiles, mosaics, etc. - Epicureans cannot miss the Spice Bazaar or Egyptian Market (in Turkish Mısır Çarşısı) located in the Eminönü district, very close to the New Mosque or Yeni Cami. Founded in 1663, it is the second covered market in Istanbul. At the time, most exotic products from China, India or Southeast Asia, were transiting to the Ottoman Empire via the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, thus stopping in Egypt, hence its surprising toponym. Istanbul used to be the hub of the spice trade in the West, before the development of European merchant fleets in Asia in the late ^17th century.

The intoxicating aromas of cinnamon, paprika, cumin, cardamom, saffron, mint, thyme and every other herb and spice imaginable fill the air, even before you enter the market. The Spice Bazaar is teeming with customers, traders and porters navigating a dizzying array of colors and aromas. Visiting Misir Carsisi is not just a way to satisfy the tourist's desire for the exotic, it is also an opportunity to really see and experience the traditional commercial life of Istanbul. The bazaar is "L" shaped and has six doors. Spices and seeds are piled in large conical heaps in huge cloth bags, while strings of dried okra, peppers and eggplant hang overhead.

In addition to fresh produce, the market is home to bakers at work preparing batches of breads such as simit (sesame seed ring),ekmek (white bread ball) or pide (flat bread). By extension, the term pide refers to a long flat bread filled with minced meat, cheese and tomato. Visiting the bazaar is also a good opportunity to try street food. The lahmacun, native to the Adana region, is the equivalent of a thin Italian pizza filled with minced meat, then sprinkled with tomato and onion, and rolled and eaten on the go. Balık ekmek, also a popular snack, comes in the form of a bun filled with fried fish and vegetables. If you have time to linger, have lunch at the Pandeli restaurant with its blue-tiled interiors. The view of the Golden Horn from the windows, the calls to prayer from nearby mosques and the smells of the Spice Bazaar outside make the atmosphere here almost magical. Nearly 70 different dishes grace the menu.

And for those who would like to leave with some souvenirs in their suitcases, the market is the perfect place to stock up. A box of loukoums is always welcome for those with a sweet tooth. More surprising - and hard to find in France - is nar ekşisi, a molasses made from pomegranate juice, with a syrupy texture and a sweet and sour flavor. It is widely used to season salads and marinate meats. Finally, baharat is a mixture of a dozen spices and dried mint, ideal for grilling.