Turkish Cuisine Archive

Slow Food Türkiye and TÜDAV (the Turkish Marine Research Foundation) are calling on restaurants in Istanbul to save lüfer, the local bluefish. It is in serious danger of extinction, as it is being fished before it reaches full maturity (24-26 cm) (more…)

Otlu peyniri is a cheese from Van, a city in eastern Anatolia set on a lake of the same name. It is pungent and super salty and the herbs mixed into it add a garlicky flavor. I had a big helping of it this morning at Van Kahvaltı Evi in Cihangir where (more…)

Stuffed eggplant, patlican dolması in Turkish, are made by stuffing rehydrated dried and hollowed out eggplants with spiced rice, currants, and pine nuts. At Çiya Sofrası in Kadıköy, they are served with a generous helping of yogurt mixed with herbs.

Clothing shops display their wares in illuminated window displays. Why should butcher’s storefronts be any different. At this butcher in Istanbul’s Tophane quarter, you always know what offal is on offer, whether it is tripe, hearts, liver, (more…)

I just had an incredible octopus salad at Iskele, a famous seafood restaurant in Rumeli Hisarı, located just beneath Istanbul’s second Bosphorus Bridge. The coarsely chopped pieces of octopus were incredibly tender and a reasonable way (more…)