Tuesday

Istanbul’s Top 5 Street Foods: #4 – Maya Kumpir

(Editor’s Note: this is the second installment in our look at Istanbul’s top 5 street foods. It was written by Jason D. Jones, an American expat living in Istanbul.)

Although it’s been a staple food for many civilizations for over 2,000 years, the potato has largely been relegated to the role of side dish in most modern culinary settings. However, in Istanbul’s Bosphorus-side village of Ortakoy, the humble potato takes center stage for locals and tourists alike as one of the city’s most beloved street foods.

Known in Turkish as “kumpir”, think of this Istanbul street food icon as the baked potato on steroids –a motley mix of flavors piled high into an inexpensive meal roughly the size of a small child’s head. Continue…