Taste of Street food of Istanbul: A Guide
Istanbul is a city of trade. And what is sold better than food. Especially if you add some advertising and reviews. In general, the Ottoman Empire has left its mark in many countries on whose territories it ruled. We came across similar street food in Bulgaria, Greece and Albania. It’s also worth noting that such food is better not to use frequently, perhaps only try. Or in a reliable place. Conditions and product quality are usually not ideal. Especially in tourist locations where people come once and normally never come back. So, let us start being acquainted with the types of street food in Turkey.
A bestseller is BALIK EKMEK – is a half of grilled fish (probably caught in muddy water by the coast of the city :), which they put in white bread and add vegetables: cabbage, tomatoes and onions. Lemon sauce is sprinkled on top (since the bun is dry). If the bun was similar to Italian ciabatta, it would be much more tasty.
Where they are sold: such sellers are at all marine terminals (stops). On the side of Asia, we bought it in Kadikoy, on the European side the most popular spot is near the Galata Bridge. The cheapest price in Asia – 6 TL. The European prices are higher by 2-3 TL.
We liked this man very much) The queue was large, although there was another seller nearby… So, father cooks while son politely works with money. Both are smiling and friendly and don’t have time and need to annoy people making them buy Balik ekmek.
The bun is very big, fish is smaller – but it’s delicious to eat once.
Another type of street food of Istanbul – is DONER, or, as we have already used to in our area, shawarma. We took a challenge and bought such a dish. It’s interesting that they strung lots of meat and people don’t eat it all in a day for sure. So, doner is 8-9TL. They add meat, vegetables and chili. It was very spicy. Maybe that’s even better, since there’s a good reason that in countries with poor sanitation spicy seasonings is added everywhere 🙂
All is wrapped in lavash, which is also roasted on the grill.
Here are the famous boat-restaurants, which sell Balik ekmek near Galata Bridge.
That’s how it looks like inside. Pink marinade is also sold here, to drink it with a dry bun 🙂
Another interesting kind of street food are mussels stuffed with rice. One piece costs 1TL. If you order, the seller opens a shell, sprinkles it with lemon juice and gives to the buyer.
Another popular product is SIMIT- these are circular bread with sesame seeds. We bought the same in Greece but they were called kuluri. Price 1-2TL per piece. If more expensive – the seller plays cunning.
Street food – CORN? – yes, here it’s sold at every step of the way. You can buy boiled or grilled ones. Price 1.5-2 TL. One seller wanted to sell for 5TL… It’s better to approach the sellers who have the price stated. Corn – was the most delicious of all. Such super sweet. By the way, a street dessert is made from corn in Bulgaria (there will be an article).
The most useful street food – street drinks, namely fresh juice. You can order juice from any fruit or vegetable.
The best known is pomegranate juice. The price of a small cup 7TL, you can order a bigger one. Three pomegranates were used for our small portion. There is a special machine, as in the photo below, which squeezes juice from pomegranates, but other fruits can also be added.
The first place of street food belongs to TURKISH ICE CREAM. It’s not an easy task to pass by and not to buy it. Firstly, it’s always a performance when the seller in festive clothes plays off tricks with the ice cream and the client. To get your ice cream you have to try catching it for several times. It’s quite entertaining, even if you saw it before with the previous client, since this time you have to catch the ice cream 🙂
Secondly, a large portion, and incredibly tasty. Natural cream with strawberries. We have never seen such ice cream before in other countries, as well as the method of sale. Delicious. Price 8-9 TL.
We have tried one more dish near one of the markets. To be honest, we have forgotten its name. Something like pizza. And again extremely spicy.
Thus, street food in Turkey, namely in Istanbul is quite varied. Some is delicious and unforgettable, and another not for everybody. We tried once, but we wouldn’t eat it more often. Those who come to Istanbul for the first time, it’s generally interesting to taste local color and plunge into another culture. So, BON APPETIT to everyone who travels to Istanbul!
With love, RH.
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