Street Flavors of Istanbul | Biivip

The best friend of tea on the ferry, simit, fish and bread that comes to mind when Eminönü is mentioned, chestnut kebab, which is indispensable for winter months, milk corn that you can come across in every corner with its both roasted and boiled, donut dessert with a pinch of cinnamon. Street flavors of Istanbul are not just a part of today's lifestyle. It is known that similar images were experienced on the streets of Istanbul in the past. Having articles on traditional Turkish and Ottoman culinary culture, Prof. Dr. Artun Ünsal also gives information about street vendors in the Ottoman Empire in an article about traditional bazaar cuisine, and touches upon the writings of American travel writer Francis Marion Cravvford, who came to Istanbul in the 1890s. According to this; In Istanbul of the 1890s, there were "food and beverage vendors carrying their straw trays up and down the crowd". The author lists these vendors as follows: Those who sell bread, pita and rusks, several kinds of cheese on a round table, as well as yoghurt, kebab consisting of lamb and mutton pieces grilled on wooden skewers, and rice kept warm in a large pot, or cooks selling stuffed zucchini and other vegetables. , confectionery sellers, pudding shops and sherbet sellers. The American writer admires the quality of these products sold on the streets, “…the extreme cleanliness of all these peddlers selling food and drink, and the truly appetizing appearance of what they sell.” he tells. Street vendors still continue to color the streets of Istanbul.

Biivip is with you on your journey from the airport to the historical peninsula that hosts the street flavors of Istanbul. Choose Biivip for quality travel.

Tea-Simit

Simit, which was known as simid-i ring at that time, whose first record was found in the Üsküdar Şer-iye Register of 1593, is among the iconic flavors of Istanbul. Sold in stalls and bakeries in every corner of the city from the Historic Peninsula to Çengelköy, simit accompanies the pleasure of tea every hour of the day.

Fish and bread

With the smell of fresh fish reaching the Galata Bridge, Eminönü Fishermen is frequented by Istanbulites as well as local and foreign tourists in all seasons.

Kokorec

In Turkey, kokoreç is a food that is usually sold on the street and it is often not found in restaurant menus. It is cooked over coal fire on barbecue benches specially prepared for kokoreç. Since it is eaten on the street, it is usually consumed (in different sizes) as a sandwich. Besides kokorec, the most preferred drinks are ayran, pickle juice and turnip juice.

Pickle

Whether it is made with lemon or vinegar, pickles that add flavor to the tables with its many varieties from the Ottoman Cuisine to the present day.

Chicken Rice

A flavor that accompanies the bustle of the city, Rice with Chickpeas. This dish, which is especially identified with the Unkapanı district, offers a feast of taste when consumed with pickles, if desired.

Lokma

Lokma dessert, which has a different name in almost every culture from the Middle East to the Balkans, is an indispensable part of traditional and modern Turkish cuisine.

Sweetcorn

A flavor on the smoke, corn. Boiled or roasted, salted or plain: It is possible to find milk corn on the counters in almost every square of Istanbul.

Chestnut

Chestnut, the indispensable nut of the winter months, is a flavor you can come across in almost every district of Istanbul. As a street delicacy, itinerant chestnut sellers especially attract the attention of tourists.