(English) Inebolu Pazarı: Shop in Istanbul Like a Local

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Inebolu pazarı taking place on Sundays in Kasımpaşa, where villagers from the Black Sea bring their produce for sale, initially was more of myth to me. Villagers coming late at 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.

The taxi driver got us from Karaköy dock to the market without failure. No stopping to ask for directions even once. No taking us around. Very rare breed of the taxi drivers in Istanbul. Promising beginning of the day. At 8 am we found the market already set and running. Few customers making purchases unhurried, and stall owners inviting to inspect their goodies without pushing.

Since the market has been founded they’ve adapted the hours to the urban pace. It used to start at 5 am and finish by 10 am; now Inebolu pazarı runs from 6 am to 4 pm inviting non-early risers too. To what is left. Our plan was to get stocked up for breakfast, so we decided to join the crowd of the early market goers.

Inebolu pazarı appears for real! What a little hidden treasure! Serene paradise of freshness. Large baskets of picturesque produce: fatty tomatoes with dozen of folds, rubicund apples full of color and flavor so unlike the customary piles of Granny Smith, marble patterned pods of red beans, chanterelle mushrooms impossible to spot at any other Istanbul market.

Once done with the produce we stroll down to the dairy stalls graced by the bottles of milk, large trays of yoghurt, wonderfully crumbly cottage cheese (lor peyniri) and piles of soft slabs of dil peyniri.

Then we see baskets of village eggs with their signature bright orange yolks — egg to egg carefully lined with hay. Then olive products: «All coming from our the very own garden» — the stall owner proudly announces. «Where is your garden?» — we ask marveling the cured olives, bottled olive oil and soap bars. «In Iznik» — he replies indicating the expanding geography of the market.

Having bought a half a kilo of black olives for breakfast, we proceed to the parade of breads baked in the stone ovens: round Trabzon round-bellied belted bread, flat breads with spinach and parsley, round loaves of sourdough, rustic form-baked breads and famous corn bread of the Black Sea — round, yellow and warm like sun.

My heart sinks when we come to a stall with homemade jams — thick and dark they keep the tales and thoughts poured into them as they had been cooking for hours. The stall owner is quick to offer us a sample of each: black apple marmalade, deep orange viscid jam of rosehip, dark and tart plum, mixture of quince, apple and cherries and then the Black Sea queen of berries — сornelian cherries. The vendors tells us that on the Black Sea these jams are mixed with butter and served as a bread spread for breakfast. I can’t help getting two boxes of apple and rosehip jams.

Marina now gets convinced that her getting up early was not in vain. «We must be the only ones already returning» — she notes with satisfaction as we join the morning crowd taking ferry back from Beşiktaş. Back in her house we quickly compose breakfast of the fetched Black Sea greatness. Luckily, when the food is so great there is not much to compose: all you need to do is to sit back and savor the colors, smells and tastes of the Black Sea.

For whom: real foodies and those staying longer and renting apartments around Taksim.

What you might do: Pick your breakfast to take home or enjoy as a picnic at the Sururi Park across the road off the market.

Directions: Toprak Tabya Sok. (off of Bahriye Cad), Kasımpaşa. Sunday, 6 am — 4 pm