Turkey’s EU accession talks have raised a lot of important questions on reform, accompanied by predictable growing pains. But the latest news from Ankara, which can be read in Turkish in this article in the daily Radikal newspaper, makes us more than a bit uncomfortable.
According to the article, Turkey’s food sector has much catching up to do with European “hygiene standards.” Turkey’s beloved doner kebab, kokorec, boza, salca and salgam were named as the prime suspects in the coming sweep.
Though a 21 million EURO budget has been allocated under the “Truefood” project to bring traditional food up to code, we’ll have to wait and see how this affects the vibrant street food culture that Istanbul thrives on.
(photo by Ansel Mullins)
Just as we thought we had managed to break out of our Beyoglu dining rut, we found ourselves once again trawling the neighborhood’s streets for places to eat. To be more specific, we found ourselves walking along ...
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Don’t people just love to fight about food? Punch ups over which city makes the best pizza, brawls about what’s the right way to barbecue. Louis and Ella nearly called the whole thing off over the pronunciation ...
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With its outings along the Bosphorus, one thing that the recent Istanbul-centric episode of Anthony Bourdain’s “No Reservations” television show made us realize was how much we tend to get stuck in our own little Beyoglu bubble. ...
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I am just back home from a cruise to Turkey, which included a short stay in Istanbul. I was pleasantly surprised to find such a strong seafood culture there. Shame on me for expecting lamb, lamb and ...
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Good news for those who have tried to eat at Furreyya Galata Balikcisi, the winning fish house near the Galata tower, only to find the tiny place full: the restaurant has recently remodeled, doubling its number of ...
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If Lades, which means “wishbone” in Turkish, provided an actual wishbone alongside the usual post-meal wet wipe and toothpick, we’d close our eyes and make a wish that we could eat their tandir (oven-roasted baby lamb) seven ...
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Like Ataturk statues and crescent-and-star flags etched into the sides of mountains, the oğretmenevi (“teacher’s house”) is an integral part of the Turkish landscape. Found in almost every city in Turkey, the government-run oğretmenevi acts as an ...
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Let’s face it: lahmacun is easy to get excited about. It checks all of the boxes of a perfect savory snack – crispy-oven fired crust, light and spicy meat spread, with a fresh green topping and a ...
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(Editor's Note: The New York Times' travel section recently ran a "36 Hours in Istanbul" feature that was low on good eating suggestions. Prompted by the Times piece, today's post is a food-centric "48 Hours in Istanbul" guide we prepared a few months ago for a local magazine.)
Day One: Turkey’s Regional Flavors in Beyoglu
Breakfast: Van Kahvalti Evi in Cihangir
In the ...
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Istanbul Eats: A Serious Eater's Guide to the City |
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