Delightful Turkish Food - Turkey

Delicious Baklava and sweet delicacies from the glass window

In Istanbul, I love to stay around Sultanahmet and Gulhane. Walking down the street from Gulhane until Spice Bazaar in Eminonu is a real sweet treat for my eyes.  I would stop by the many sweets shops and like a hungry child I was leaning on the window glass admiring every delicacies on parade. The food amaze me not only for its enticing look, colors but it also tastes amazingly delicious. Every bite is just worth going for even if you're on a strict diet.  The Baklava drenched in syrup and generously coated with fresh green pistachios are just irresistible!

The impressive fish restaurant

Then I proceed to Spice Bazaar to get some fresh fruits and Lokam (Turkish delightful delights). Spice Bazaar is a place not to be missed by anyone visiting Istanbul. It's loaded with food, sweets, fish, fruits and everything edible. After I'm done with Spice Bazaar, I make my way to a small square just before Galata bridge on the Eminonu side. There are many fish restaurants and street food stalls in the area.  The delicious fish kebab for snack or lunch and the sweet Lokma makes a perfect dessert or snack.

At night, when I prefer a simple and easy dinner, I'll go for the meaty crusty pide (pizza) or just the lahmacun (thin bread) with fresh tomatoes topping. Turkish food is a heritage of the Ottoman cuisine but blend the flavors of Middle Eastern, Asian and Balkan which create a palatable fusion. The influence of these cultures brings not only variation to the range of cuisine but also unique flavors.  We cannot avoid indulging ourselves with food when we are in Turkey!

The man organizing the Tulumba - Ottoman Palace donuts

Lokma - the delicious Turkish donuts

Deep fry the Lokma till golden brown

Finally drizzle the syrup on it

The crusty meat pide (pizza)

The vegetable pizza 

Mushroom spaghetti 

A cup of strong caffeine to end your meal

Beef kebab with vegetables and a little rice to go with it

Like lamb stew and rice in Goreme restaurant

Meat, rice and vegetable

Chicken kebab 

Bread is Turkish staple food

Spicy minced meat for the bread 

Simple sandwich for take away

Typical Turkish breakfast on  the street - bread, egg, tahini, tomatoes, chilies