Istanbul Restaurants

It is not as simple as it may look from the outside to catch the real flavor of Turkish Cuisine. Turkish cuisine has been influenced and influenced many cultures and cuisines over the course of history. As nomadic people many years ago, the Turkish population had been exposed to different cultures and their tastes before settling down in Anatolia. For instance on the south, there is Lebanon, with whom the Turkish kitchen shares so many flavors and meals, such as the yaprak sarma (stuffed vinegrapes) and içli köfte (mini meatballs). Someone travelling around the Agean may mistake the Turkish cuisine with the Greek and Hellenistic. Around the Agean, the grasses and the grassroots and the olive oil stand out as the must of the kitchens. Fish also has an unbeatable role in the Agean. In fact, for many years villages of Agea were known as fishermen's villages. The fish continues to dominate the kitchen in the North of Turkey. Around the Black Sea, fishermen's villages still abound. However, the Black Sea people cook fish in an entirely different way, like embedding the hamsi (anchovy) in and around rice -yummy! Back in south again, meat is very important in Antakia and Southern Anatolia. The very wellknown "kebab" culture is in fact coming from the South of Turkey. Here, heavy spices are used to season the meat. Different regions have different local cuisines. Istanbul is the only city in Turkey that brings together the finest examples of diverse influences. Istanbul also presents finest examples from the world. Restaurants like Zuma, Papermoon and Bice have also founded themselves a place in this big city and they have become iconic for its residents. Loosen your belt and dig in.

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