Epstein Food Tour, Istanbul Edition
Afiyet olsun!
While many travelers sign up for sightseeing experiences or dinner cruises, the Epstein’s gravitate towards food tours. To no surprise, we believe it’s a great introduction to a city’s culture and tradition. And we love getting a local guide’s take on the culinary scene. But instead of perusing through Airbnb experiences when we got to Istanbul, we were confident that we could pave our own food centric path. We came, we tasted, and now curated an Istanbul food experience that will ignite your hunger. Welcome to the Epstein food tour, Turkish edition.
An introduction to spices
For our first stop, we’ll venture into the Spice Bazaar, an institutional market in Istanbul built in the 1600s. A craze of buyers shuffle through long hallways of high arched ceilings in search of the best flavors the market has to offer. Dried garlic cloves hang from stalls, decorating the pillars like Christmas decorations, while domes of spices take the center stage ready to be smelled, scooped and taken home. Sumac, saffron, and turmeric are familiar faces but we’ll also come across local spices like salcosi and isot that reign in Turkish kitchens. If you close your eyes and think about a smokey paprika blended with zesty pepper - that is the aroma flowing through the market air. We’ll spend just enough time here to spark an appetite then we’ll head out to see some of those spices in action.
Lahmacun is a well known Turkish staple that harmoniously blends many local spices into a delicious flatbread. My first encounter was in Athens where the lahmacun was rolled up into a takeaway treat. That rolled preparation is incredibly common in Istanbul as well, but we’ll relish in the flattened version (similar to a pizza) at Kadikoy Lahmacum Dukkani. Soft lavash dough will be rolled out and sprinkled with minced meat, chopped veggies, and an assortment of herbs + spices. After baking on the oven on a stone slab, the lahmacun arrives to the table with an irresistible aroma. Strong notes of pepper consume the palate and the juicy flavors of onions and tomatoes will wash down taste. The addition of green onions and cilantro is a flavor bomb and it’s a quintessential introduction to a marathon day of eating.
A feast of the meats
Next up, we’ll take to the streets to experience local Turkish street food. Durumzade is a no frills shop that perfectly exemplifies how meat should be cooked - slow and steady. Kebabs of lamb line the counters and slowly rotate over an open flame. Duram is the go-to dish: a Turkish wrap made from lavash flatbread and filled with meat plus the classic Turkish ingredients like tomatoes, onions, yogurt, lettuce. Without question, we’ll be getting the lamb. The tender meat is robust with a heavy richness that’s balanced with a more grassy finish. There’s just enough seasoning to provide the meat with a unique, alluring zest. We’ll order a few.
Next we’ll begin to push our stomach’s boundaries and try kokoreç. We’ll be upfront with what we’re about to try. Kokoreç sheep intestines, also known as innards. But before running the opposite direction, hear us out. Kokoreç is a Turkish fan fav where the meat is cooked in a similar fashion to doner. There are carts all over the place serving up this meat, sandwich style, but the noteworthy spot we’ll head to is Reks Kokoreç. Now adventurous folk, step right up with culinary curiosity. The meat is slightly chewy but abundantly juicy. Flavors of cumin combine with small pieces of tomato and onion create a savory bite that is delightfully delicious.
Ayran is the best compliment to kokoreç, or really any meat-focused dish in Istanbul. This yogurt-based beverage blends fresh yogurt with water and salt into a frothy light drink. Subtle herbs like mint can sometimes be incorporated to a refreshing burst for your tastebuds after a heavy bite of meat.
Ending with Turkish delights
Unlike the morning cup of espresso to jumpstart your day, it’s custom to drink Turkish coffee after dinner - most notably due to its sweetness. Traditional Turkish coffee is prepared in a copper pot called a cezve. Finely ground coffee beans are boiled with water and sugar to fuse the flavors into a true Turkish delight. Rather than straining the coffee grounds, the drink is poured into a small ceramic in its entirety. After waiting a few minutes to let the grounds sink to the bottom, you’re rewarded with a sweet caffeinated kick. It’s said that you can read your fortune based on how the grounds sit at the base of your cup. Michael is still working on fortune teller certificate so we’ll add it to this food tour program on a later date.
Now, no food tour would be complete without Turkish baklava. It’s the real charmer of Turkish pastries. Thin filo layers wrap around a pocket of ground nuts and honey, which creates this perfectly sweetneed, crunchy bite. There are a lot of baklava preparations to sample, especially at Hafiz Mustafa 1864. ‘Carrot slice’ baklava comes in large pieces that mimic a pizza. And ‘palace baklava’ resembles the make up a cinnamon roll. But our favorite was the ‘mid-eye’, which looked similar to a raindrop. The concentration of nuts and honey in the center created a sweet stickiness that melted in your mouth. But be warned - trying your first Turkish baklava is a gateway to ordering these morsels every night while on your trip. We can’t promise any health benefits but it will leave you with immense satisfaction.
That’s a wrap! It was a sincere pleasure guiding you through our favorite bites of Istanbul and we can’t wait to see you on our next food tour!
