icli

İçli köfte is the Turkish name for the deep fried, bulgur wheat sheathed meatball served throughout Turkey and the Levent. The exterior crust acts the vessel within which minced meat, onions and spices cook, their delicate flavors blending together inside their starchy container. On Saturday night I had içli köfte at Hamdi in Istanbul’s Eminönü district, but found it to be a bit greasy and too soggy. But since I never turn down fried food when it was offered to me (that’s rude!), I finished it anyway, focusing on the savory blend of meat and spices within their lackluster shell as my thoughts drifted to the içli köfte at Borsa, where they get everything just right.

Categories: Fried Foods, Istanbul, Meat, Turkish Cuisine