By Caitlin
One of my favorite parts of traveling in Turkey was the food. More than any country we have been to so far, I never got tired of it and we were there for over two weeks. It is always fresh, mostly healthy, incredibly vegetarian friendly and cheap! There is plenty of variety but we also came back to the same things over and over. Here are a few of our faves:
Kebab: Jed had kebab at least once a day for two weeks. Seriously. That may sound monotonous but when you can get chicken, lamb, or a meat combo and eat it shish style, doner, in a sandwich, as part of a platter, on a stick, etc...there are oh so many combos. It was consistently good all over Turkey. No matter what form.
Pottery Kebab: really nothing like the kebab above. This seemed to be a regional dish of Cappadoccia and on our cold nights there, it was perfect. It's similar to a Moroccan tagine, in that it is cooked in a clay pot. In my case, it was assorted vegetables with a tomato sauce stewed to perfection. When the dish is served, they bring it out sealed and have to crack the pottery open by knocking the side with a knife. It's always fragrant and piping hot.
Pide: much like pizza, it's a thin dough in the shape of a sailboat and topped with cheese and a chosen topping, usually mushroom but whatever you choose (me, spinach or eggplant). Perfect lunch and super cheap.
Fresh Pomegranate Juice: pomegranates were in season and every single store and cart were selling pomegranate juice. It's incredibly tart, like pure cranberry juice, but very refreshing on a warm afternoon or after dinner. Also available, freshly squeezed orange juice, or the best: a mix of the two!
Not a great picture of a breakfast spread, but we realized it was the only picture we had Breakfast: Breakfast food is my favorite whether it's English, continental, diner, southern or brunch. When I was in India, I was obsessed with Indian breakfast foods, many of which I had never had and were quite different than the normal assortment of curry and tandoori. Similarly, Turkey has a simple, delicious, savory standard breakfast that really exemplifies Turkish food overall. Bonus: breakfast is almost always included in even the most basic establishment or hostel. Basics of a Turkish breakfast include fresh tomato wedges, cucumber slices, assorted fresh cheeses, olives off the tree that taste like the best EVOO, some bread, jam, eggs and yogurt.
In addition to these favorites of ours, Turkey has great pickles, bread, nuts, tea, and of course Turkish Delights. The sticky nougat candy was not my favorite, but I did discover a pastry filled with pistachios and syrup that was a meal. Besides all these, Turkish coffee, always served elegantly in decorated brassware, and sweetened to your choosing, was a perfect afternoon break.
Summary, get yourself to the nearest Turkish food restaurant. For those of you in Chicago, I know there are a few!
Summary, get yourself to the nearest Turkish food restaurant. For those of you in Chicago, I know there are a few!
 Selling some really weird drink on the street with lots of unknown stuff in it. Jed loved it. |  We felt bad that no one was buying this kids candy, so Jed bought some. He had two bites, nearly vomited, and threw it away (not within eyesight of the kid) |
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