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I am Olga from Delicious Istanbul. Most of the time I eat, cook and shop for food in Istanbul and show others how to do that with gusto.
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Category Archives: Istanbul Food
Winter at Kadikoy Market
Winter has arrived to Istanbul unannounced. It has been in an agony of suspense the whole summer so it decided to deprive us of any autumn. From late summer we have transited into early winter. Fashionable wellingtons, practical Timberland boots, cozy berets and warm winter jackets - kept at the storage or thoughtfully bought a week ago - have flooded Istanbul streets. As if the streets were not already flooded by the tons of rainfall which poured on Istanbul all at once.
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Easy Guide to Istanbul Fish Restaurant Etiquette
Istanbul fish restaurant scene is still little understood by the tourists traveling to the city. Located between the Black and Marmara seas Istanbul has historically been big on fish and a whole culture has developed around fish dining. Whenever I go to any Istanbul fish restaurant I always spot unease of foreigners unaware of that culture and I feel tempted to jump to their table with my unsolicited advice. Mostly people are terrified with my enthusiasm so I thought I would sneak some advice on Istanbul fish restaurant etiquette by writing this post.
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Things I Have Missed in Istanbul This Summer and Purslane Recipe
September is a good time to get nostalgic about the passed summer. There are certain seasonal imperatives for spending your time in Istanbul. Things to do in Istanbul in summer would be revolving around lingering in one way or another by the Bosphorus or the Marmara Sea. This year I have missed most of this delights having been busy with running food walks and settling our two new houses in Istanbul and its countryside, Sapanca. I can’t say I am sad about it but it’s the purslane recipe that bothers me most.
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Istanbul Markets: Inebolu Pazarı is a Reason to Get Up Early on Sunday
Inebolu pazarı, Sunday market in Kasımpaşa where villagers from the Black Sea bring their produce for sale, initially was more of myth to me. Villagers coming late in the night to set up the market before the dawn and wrap up by the time most of the Istanbulites would even consider getting up on Sunday. Top chefs hand-picking fresh village grown produce. Legends from the fairy-talish Black Sea brought in the little vans, large baskets and deep dark eyes. Can that be? Got up at 6 am last Sunday to check out.
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Food From Kadıköy Market That I Miss in Sapanca
Our place in Sapanca is a food heaven: with 5 fridges, 3 freezers and 2 wall-size shelves refilled twice a week it is hard to think of a food item that Zeliha Hanım would not have in her professional kitchen pantry. Yet a day comes and I get Istanbul-seek and start longing for my own fridge stuffed with very particular food I pick from very particular vendors at the Kadıköy market in Istanbul.
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What To Drink in Istanbul Heat
In summer the sky over Istanbul is the clearest, the Boshorus is the bluest and the days are the longest. Who would not want to be here on such wonderful time? Only that the brightest sun and the temperature hitting 35C usually come as a part of the tour package. Feeling hot and tired hardly encourages cultural and culinary explorations of the city. A good news is that hot summers have been in Istanbul for thousand years and people have developed strategies to cope with the heat. One of them is drinking right and here is how.
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Vegetarian Istanbul: Best Restaurants to Eat Local
From the first sight of its busy streets Istanbul presents itself as a kebab capital of the world steering away vegetarian foodies. This impression is deceiving. Do not despair neither sheer number of kebab shops made even more noticeable thanks to the stentorian cries of the vendors. Do not take seriously locals fainting after you declare your meatless agenda. Instead, great ready to fetch finest local flavors from the menus of best Istanbul restaurants.
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Istanbul Spice Market: Where and How to Shop
Istanbul Spice Market, once the largest spice trading venue of the medieval world, with its abundant stalls still featuring piles of edible exotics is a definite highlight for anyone exploring Istanbul and a favorite stop during my Delicious Istanbul Food Walking Tour. As with all the touristic highlights you need to be prepared to fetch some fantastic finds and not to fall for any of the catches.
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Gluten-free Istanbul
Every time I am reading mouthwatering accounts of Istanbul food I sign: often times the authors tend to be rather insensitive to the cravings of those who for health issues or out of their own choice stick to a particular diet - gluten free, low-carb, vegetarian, vegan, raw eating - you name it. Unless you are one of them it has probably never occurred to you that giving up particular food does not make you less of a foodie. And when you travel around you want to explore local flavors as much as your all-eating companions. In order to give a lead to the traveling foodies with dietary restrictions or food allergies I am starting a series of articles with tips on how to savor Istanbul to their own taste. This article is about gluten-free Istanbul.
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Top 5 Istanbul Food Items You Can’t Leave Without
Ah, once I was also seduced by a cheap Gucci silk scarf, overpaid for a bag of apple tea and had a beautiful ceramic plate foisted off on me. All these goodies were then shipped to my parents’ place and stored in a large cupboard. Thanks God, I have managed to avoid buying a carpet. In time I have developed a more practical approach to my Istanbul shopping and whenever I go back home I get only things that would definitely be used and enjoyed by my near and dear. And yes, I am talking about food.
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