Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
latter category include
midye dolma
(stuffed mussels),
çığ köfte
(raw spiced meatball) and
kokoreç
(seasoned lamb or mutton intestines wrapped around a skewer and grilled over
charcoal).
VEGETARIANS & VEGANS
Though it's normal for Turks to eat a vegetarian (
vejeteryen
) meal, the concept of veget-
arianism is quite foreign. Say you're a vegan and Turks will either look mystified or as-
sume that you're 'fessing up to some strain of socially aberrant behaviour. There is a
sprinkling of vegetarian restaurants in Beyoğlu, a couple of which serve some vegan
meals, but the travelling vegetarian certainly can't rely on specialist restaurants.
The meze spread is usually vegetable-based, and meat-free salads, soups, pastas, om-
elettes and
böreks,
as well as hearty vegetable dishes, are all readily available. Ask '
Etsiz
yemekler var mı?'
(Is there something to eat that has no meat?) to see what's on offer.
SELF-CATERING
İstanbul has many small supermarkets (DIA, Gima, Makro) sprinkled on the streets
around Beyoğlu, with giant cousins (such as Migros) in the suburbs. These sell most of
the items you will need if you plan to self-cater. Then there is the ubiquitous
bakkal
(corner shop)
,
which stocks bread, milk, basic groceries and usually fruit and vegetables.
The best places to purchase fresh produce are undoubtedly the street markets. In
Eminönü, the streets around the Spice Bazaar (Mısır Çarşısı) sell fish, meats, vegetables,
fruit, spices, sweets and much more. In Beyoğlu, the Balık Pazarı (Fish Market) off İstik-
lal Caddesi is a great, if expensive, little market. As well as its many fish stalls, it has
small shops selling freshly baked bread, greengrocers selling a wide range of fruit and ve-
getables, and delicatessens (
şarküteri
) selling cheeses,
pastırma,
pickled fish, olives,
jams and preserves. Larger produce markets are found daily near the
iskele
in Kadıköy, in
Fatih and Cankurtaran on Wednesdays, in Kadırga on Thursdays, in Beşiktaş on Saturdays
and in Kasimpaşa (in Piyalepaşa Bulvarı) on Sundays.
