Naturally, I dove into their cuisine feet first and I truly fell in love. Many people often ask me what my favorite food, or cuisine is. I usually respond by explaining how much I enjoy the cuisines of the Mediterranean. Which in my opinion, include Italian, Spanish, Greek, Arabic.
After my trip I came to the conclusion that if Greece and Lebanon had a food baby it would probably be Turkish cuisine! And I indulged in every second it! I easily appreciate simple, clean, food with genuine flavors and that is exactly what the foods of Istanbul provided. The markets introduced local variety, the cherries were the best I have ever tasted, hands down! The vegetables were rich in flavor, especially the tomatoes. The meat selection was abundant in lamb and beef. Turkey is considered a Muslim country, and since pigs are not indigenous to the area there were solemn times that it was offered. The desserts are very traditional in the region, and were always readily available! Almost every corner sold Turkish delights filled with roasted nuts in every flavor. The baklava was light and crispy, soaked in a diluted simple syrup instead of honey which, made the treat less than overwhelming and very enjoyable. Despite the fact that it was Ramadan, bars were open, local beer flowed and the national drink "Raki", a star anise based liquor, (very similar to Sambuca) was enjoyed during most of my meals!
I was traveling solo during this trip so I had planned a few historic tours to occupy my time. The final tour I attended was a Culinary Backstreets Food Tour I found on Trip Advisor and it was well worth it. The guide took us throughout the isolated as well as very popular areas that have cultivated the food scene in Istanbul. I was throughly impressed with the 5 hour walking tour & I highly recommend it. The majority of the pics below are thanks to that tour, enjoy!
xo Find "Cultured" Food
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