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I have arrived into Istanbul and settled in a comfortable one bed apartment in Sultanahmet House. I am planning the travel itinerary and alongside I have put together a list of 15 must eats in Istanbul that I will try out:
- Kebabs – this is the land of Kebabs – Doner, Kofte, Shawarma, lamb chops- the list is long and my appetite is huge
- Simit – a snack between doughnut and pretzel
- Wet burger – yes, a burger filled with meat and then wet in garlic tomato sauce…heading tomorrow night to Taksim square for a bite into this one
- Firin Sutlac – Oven baked rice pudding sounds like Indian kheer. Let’s see what they got.
- Hummus – this tahini chick pea delight is alchemy. I have spent days dipping my carrots into it for lunch. I feel fortunate to come to a land where it is a traditional and not exotic food.
- Lahmacun – referred to as Turkish pizza, it is flat bread with minced meat
- Pilav rice – Pulao is a big part of Indian cuisine. I want to eat Pilav in Istanbul to compare it to the Indian variety I was brought up on
- Aubergine mezze- Aubergine is much disliked in India but egg plant seems to be to Middle East what potatoes are to British isles. I am waiting to dip my breads into smoked egg plant salads, egg plant with yogurt, fried egg plant!
- Baklava – Come on, who am I kidding! That is one of the key reasons for going to Istanbul – to have some fresh Baklava. It is a pastry dessert.
- Tea: They say, tea is inescapable in Istanbul and I am going to plunge right into its arms! Prices look affordable so between much walking small tea stops will be perfect!
- Tavuk Gogsu – milk pudding with chicken breast. (To be honest, I will not seek it out but if it comes my way, I will order it! )
- Turkish coffee – Very bitter and very sweet coffee. This will mark the perfect end to all my great meals
- Raki – Local Alcohol. I do not hope to return from Turkey without trying Raki
- Knick knacks – there is a lot to pick on the stalls and vendors on the streets – Pomegrante juice, Fried Chestnuts, ayran etc.
- Stuffed mussels: Classified as street food, rice stuffed mussels is an Istanbul treat
I will be posting soon what I think of about these dishes. Time to catch up on sleep.
Here is an awesome food blog with great descriptions and pictures of Istanbul food. Visit it for absolute delight.
So the 4meal a day plan mite not work either,how abt 5 a day?
Even 4 meals a day will not work now,how about 5 a day?
Nice list! I think you are doing to have trouble NOT eating these things in Istanbul! 🙂 Enjoy!