About
The shores of the Bosphorus, the iconic waterway which bisects Istanbul, are lined with opulent Ottoman palaces, quaint fishing villages, and vibrant marketplaces which each seem to speak to different eras and aspects of the city. This food tour, which focuses on these fascinating waterside neighborhoods, starts in the market of Beşiktaş. A hub of ferry traffic, covered with the flags of its famous soccer team and with its narrow streets filled with rollicking meyhanes and simple restaurants serving breakfast all day long, this neighborhood is a slice of real, contemporary Istanbul like no other. Among the beer bars and cheap clothing stores are a few traditional culinary mainstays for menemen, Turkish style scrambled eggs, and bal kaymak, clotted cream blanketed in honey – that’s the way we like to start a day. We’ll then visit an Ottoman-era bakery to get some freshly baked goods for the iconic boat ride across the Bosphorus to the market at Üsküdar, where a more traditional food culture is preserved. We’ll sample the best of this market with visits to a honey vendor from Eastern Turkey, an olive shop and a third-generation candymaker, before setting off for the fairytale neighborhood of Kuzguncuk. Here, we will explore the multicultural history of the area, tasting the nostalgia for that bygone era when Jews, Christians and Muslims shared these leafy streets, and the spirit of the Kuzguncuk of today by visiting its small restaurants, artisanal food shops and local food makers.
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