If for you, visiting a city also means getting to know it through its most authentic flavours, if you are attracted to truly typical things and, when travelling, prefer to spend little and taste something local rather than sit in a tourist trap restaurant... then you are street food people. In street food you find the true taste of the place, with which you can season your trip authentically.
Istanbul, along with all its wonders and charms, will captivate you for this reason too: the nooks and crannies, street vendors and delicacies are endless.
I am Serena Autorino from the blog Thepeterpancollar.com, and today I want to present you with a list of the foods you absolutely must try during your stay in the Golden Horn city. I, personally, have indulged myself, enticed by the friendliness of the vendors and the really small prices. I love strong flavours and spices and, in this, Turkish street food definitely satisfied my tastes.
1 - Kebabs
Let's start, of course, with the kebab. Probably not everyone knows that the real Turkish kebab exists in two variants: the döner kebab, which is considered a 'walking kebab', served in a kind of flatbread, and the dürüm kebab, the bun variant. The classic upright roast, from which shreds of meat are cut, can also consist of chicken only, or meat (never pork, of course). Add vegetables, chips and sauces. You will never eat one this good in Italy.
Recommended: lunch or dinner
Average cost: about 5 Turkish Liras (€1.20)
Main ingredients: chicken or veal, vegetables, sauces
2 - Balik ekmek
Source: wikipedia. On the boats moored in Eminönü, next to the Galata Bridge, fishermen prepare sandwiches, balik ekmek, filled with fish, rocket, fresh salad, onion and lemon. A hearty and simple lunch, good for that very reason, perfect for a break before continuing the sightseeing tour. Prices between 5 and 8 Turkish liras.
Recommended: lunch or dinner
Average cost: Between 5 and 8 Turkish lira (€1.20 / 2.00)
Main ingredients: bread, fish fillet, salad, onion
3 - Simit
You will find little red and white carts selling these doughnuts everywhere. Simit is a kind of sesame bagel, you can eat it plain or filled with cream cheese, Nutella for breakfast. Go with the classic tea, Chay.
Recommended: breakfast
Average cost: Between 1.50 and 2 Turkish lira (€0.35 / 0.50)
Main ingredients: soft bread, sesame
4 - Misir
Still hungry? A tasty snack is corn on the cob (Misir). Even in the middle of summer, freshly cooked, first boiled and then grilled, it is good and juicy.
Recommended: quick snack
Average cost: between 1.50 and 2 Turkish lira (€0.35 / 0.50)
Main ingredients: corn
5 - Kokoreç
Kokoreç are something very distinctive, very hard to find elsewhere: they are sheep innards cooked on a spit and seasoned with many spices, sometimes spicy. Having overcome your mistrust of the somewhat unusual ingredient, the taste is decidedly original and you might like it a lot.
Recommended: snack, lunch or dinner
Average cost: about 5 Turkish lira (€1.20)
Main ingredients: sheep offal and spices
6 - Nar suyu
In Turkey, they have a bit of a thing for pomegranate. You will find small kiosks selling only freshly prepared pomegranate juice, called nar suyu. In Turkish cuisine, they also often combine this drink with savoury dishes. You can therefore also buy it from those who sell kebabs or other savoury dishes.
Recommended: at any time.
Average cost: about 2 Turkish lira (€0.50)
Main ingredients: pomegranate juice
7 - Ayran
Another drink that Turks pair with their Kebab and meat meals isAyran. It is a kind of drinkable yoghurt, a bit sour and definitely distinctive...mind you, it is not sweet, but salty! Hard to find fresh, but you will see it everywhere packaged in single-serving glasses. Try it at least once.
Recommended: lunch
Average cost: about 2 Turkish lira (€0.50)
Main ingredients: pomegranate juice
8 - Pilav
Pilav: Rice and chickpeas, sometimes accompanied by chicken, more or less spicy depending on the vendor. This is a dish I have really tried many times and always seemed different, because it probably changes depending on the proportions of the ingredients. Also to be eaten while walking around, served in small take-away plates. Price about 2.5 Turkish liras.
Recommended: lunch or quick snack
Average cost: About 2.5 Turkish Lira (€0.60)
Main ingredients: rice, chickpeas
9 - Midiye (fried mussels)
These, I must admit, I have not tasted. In Italy we are taught to be a little wary of this ingredient and for fear of 'ruining my holiday' I preferred to avoid it. If you can be sure that the seller is reliable, however, I am sure that the midiye, fried mussels, are nothing short of heavenly.
Recommended: quick snack
Average cost: about 5 Turkish lira for 5 mussels (€1.20)
Main ingredients: mussels
10 - Turkish Delight
Not exactly a street food, but it's easy to think how nice it is to pick up a bag of Turkish Delight in one of the speciality shops or at the spice market and eat one every now and then while walking. They are sweet, very sweet, colourful and spicy. Some chewy, some nougat-like. Beware: they are very high in calories! Don't overdo it... Prices vary according to taste and often you can even bargain. A must-visit address is Koska, a local chain where you can buy lots of sweet souvenirs.
Recommended: quick snack
Average cost: Varies between 1 and 8 Turkish lira (€0.20 / 2.00)
Main ingredients: sweets
Where to eat in Istanbul: best restaurants, typical places and street food
In the kaleidoscopic city of Istanbul, gastronomy is an itinerary to be taken among spicy aromas and strong flavours.
The city's gastronomic tradition is divided into different types of establishments: from the Meyhane, typical places where alcoholic drinks are also served, to the Lokanta, a little more expensive than the previous ones, and the Restoran, real restaurants.
Areas in which to eat include: Sultanhamet Square, full of quality restaurants and cafés; Galata Bridge, for excellent fresh seafood; Taskim Square, where you can find plenty of cheap restaurants.
Here are the best places to eat in Istanbul:
1 - Old Ottoman Café & Restaurant
Description: quaint place, great traditional food and affordable prices
Speciality: Hummus (sauce made from chickpeas, garlic and lemon juice)
Average price: from €20.00 per person
Address: Cagalaglu Haman Sokak No 17/J - Get directions - Facebook page
2 - Roof Mezze 360
Description: Excellent place with a breathtaking view over the city. Typical fish and meat cuisine
Speciality: Hunkar begendi (spicy smoked aubergine dish)
Average price: from €15.00 per person
Address: Hoca Pasa Mahallesi, Huda vendigar caddesi No 25 sirkeci - Get directions - Web site
3 - Saltanat fish & kebab house
Description: Relaxed ambience, with dishes ranging from kebabs to fresh fish
Speciality: Doner kebab (puff pastry filled with meat cooked on a rotisserie)
Average price: from €6.00 per person
Address: Alemdar, Catalcesme Sk. No 19/1A - Get directions - Facebook page
4 - Beso Restaurant Bistro
Description: folkloristic location, quality food and friendly staff
Speciality: lamb in salt
Average price: from €20,00 per person
Address: Alemdar Mahallesi, Catal Cesme Sokak No: 5 | Sultanahmet, Fatih - Get directions
5 - Tarihi Karakoy Balinkcisi
Description: This restaurant has stained glass windows that offer an impressive view of the Bosphorus. Excellent seafood cuisine.
Speciality: Balik Corbasi (boiled fish and seafood soup)
Average price: from €40.00 per person
Address: Tersane Cad. Kardesim Sk. 30 Kardeşim Sokak No. 45 | Kardeşim Sokak No:45 - Get directions - Website
