Olga Irez is an Istanbul-based food blogger who had lived in five countries and traveled to a few more before moving to Turkey. Olga runs Delicious Istanbul food tours and cooking classes to share her passion for the food and markets of the city she loves.
Humbled by the popularity of her little venture, Olga prefers to keep her operation small and personal, hence she serves a limited number of people only a few days a week. The rest of the time Olga spends on food research and cooking. Monthly she hosts Istanbul breakfast club: she lays out a carefully sourced and lovingly prepared morning meal for a good company of avid eaters and Istanbul enthusiasts.
Russia-born Olga used to work as a strategy consultant for a global firm serving clients in Russia and Ukraine and received her master degree from a prestigious business school in Norway. But a visit to Istanbul inspired a stock-taking and,ultimately, a drastic career change. In 2010 Olga quit her high-profile career and moved to Turkey’s cultural capital, where she started her food venture and met her Turkish husband.
Olga’s interest in food originates from her grandparents’ house she grew up in: her grandfather was an experienced forager and gardener who taught her the gratitude to the nature and its seasons while Olga’s grandmother has demonstrated unmatched ability to create delicious meals with most humble ingredients. Olga’s cooking matured through her travels, study and work abroad in the countries ranging from Norway to India. And it is her Turkish-mother-in-law, goddess of Turkish home cooking, from whom Olga has learned the secrets of Turkish cuisine.
Olga is passionate about local and seasonal whole food sourced from a small producer; she is known among her friends as a food snob, As she explains in her food manifesto, Olga values the power of tradition, honesty and nourishment that food carries through the generations, and she feels privileged to work with such a sacred matter every day.
Olga shares insights into wholesome eating and cooking in between Europe and Asia on her popular blog Delicious Istanbul. Olga, her food tour and cooking classes as well we the blog have been featured internationally:
