We Love Turkish Food

Part of the fun of traveling to Istanbul for Beksan Imports is having Turkish food.  Everyone in our family agrees that the combination of fresh ingredients and the variety of spices creates sumptuous flavors in every dish.  Whether you’re trying a meze plate with different appetizers like hummus and eggplant salad, kebab with lamb or other meat dish, or Turkish fruits and vegetables, you will be transported to another world of flavors. Most recently, each day of our trip began with a delicious buffet breakfast at each of the sister hotels we stayed at in Istanbul, the Dersaadet Hotel and the Hotel Niles.  Served on a rooftop terrace, the variety of breads, cheeses, fruits, olives, eggs, and meats were a wonderful way to start the day before venturing into the Grand Bazaar.  My favorite dishes for lunch are borek (baked filo dough stuffed with meat, cheese, or spinach), a doner sandwhich (sliced lamb or chicken on a spit skewer), or kofte (minced lamb meatballs) and salad. And I love the Turkish version of fast food!  Near the Grand Bazaar on the main Divanyolu street is a small restaurant Sar (pronounced Shar) where there is a variety of already prepared Turkish dishes in the window and you can just point and pick.  The last day of this trip I picked a dish called “karniyarik”—minced lamb stuffed in cooked eggplant, topped with a beautiful tomato.  On the side I added a small cold cooked green bean salad and rice pudding for dessert.  And all this was less than $10! Dinners were super special!  As the weather was warm, we chose to eat outside every night, either on a rooftop terrace or by the sidewalk.  The atmosphere was magical, whether we were looking out to the Golden Horn or catching a glimpse of the Blue Mosque.  One of my favorite dinner dishes is “Sultan’s Delight” which is stewed lamb served over mashed eggplant.  The lamb is so tender, it melts in your mouth.  This with a glass of Turkish red wine makes for an amazing meal.  I so enjoy Turkish cooking that I bought a Turkish cookbook and will be trying to replicate the delicious meals we had at home.