From artisan baklava to tantalising kebabs, and from a vibrant Michelin-star scene to good-value tradesmen’s restaurants, Turkey is a culinary jewel
every day. It is not just for tourists. They take it to a funeral, a celebration or a wedding; it is the only dessert that is appropriate for all occasions. It should be eaten with your hands – no fork is necessary – and it should be placed in your mouth upside down to let the savoury side hit your tongue. It is all about the senses; the smell, the taste and the sound of the layers crunching together as you bite.
The craft has traditionally been the preserve of males, as there is a serious level of muscle power required for the job, but more recently, women have started training in the art.Siún Ní Raghallaigh, seven months after RTÉ affair: the Oireachtas hearings were ‘vicious. People were unfairly treated, as if they had no rights’It is not just about the gossamer sheets of filo pastry.
Baklava has never been a street food. It has always been expensive to make, made by masters in the palaces of Turkey. It did not become available to buy until the mid-1800s. There are numerous types of baklava, including savoury versions that are eaten for breakfast. To really enjoy baklava, you should practice keyif, the Turkish art of meaningful idleness, and relish a simple moment of pleasure as you sip Turkish çay from a tulip-shaped glass.
If you are up for a trek, take the T1 tram to the end of the line at Güngören’s Köyiçi neighbourhood, where grill houses serve traditional specialities from Turkey’s culinary capital, Gaziantep. Bağdat Ocakbaşı is one of the most popular places for Adana dürüm. More accessible is Develi restaurant at Samatya, which is the original restaurant in the Develi group.
At OD Urla, a one-Michelin-star restaurant down a winding road in the middle of the wine route in Urla, Osman Sezener references culinary traditions by grilling over fire and using a wood-burning oven in his open kitchen. His restaurant is buzzy, in a greenhouse environment, albeit with white table linen. Surrounded by vineyards and olive groves, the outdoor seating area is in his garden, where all the produce is grown.
Turkish food is beguiling, not just because of the depth and breadth of this expansive country, but because of the abundance of exceptional produce, which weaves effortlessly through deeply rooted tradition. It’s the old-meets-new cliche, but in the most evocative way, from the smoky allure of charcoal-grilled kebabs to the refined artistry of young Michelin-starred chefs. A dynamic filled with culinary narrative.
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