My first words in Turkish: nar suyu, “pomegranate juice.” You couldn’t walk a block without a sign on the corner for fresh pomegranate and orange juice, and in the less touristy parts of town, a glass squeezed in front of you would cost just 2 lira (a little over $1).
My favorite meat is lamb. My favorite vegetable is eggplant; favorite fruit, pomegranate. Form of carbohydrate? Fresh flatbreads. My favorite food group is dairy; favorite form of dairy: yogurts and fresh cheeses.
Favorite way to eat seafood, as simply prepared as possible. And favorite mode of eating? Lots and lots of little bites of things.
All this, to say: I was destined to love eating in Turkey, where I got my fill of all of the above, and often in small, snackable portions. Here are my 16 favorite foods in Istanbul.
Ingredients
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1/2 pound dried chickpeas (1 generous cup; 225g)
2 ounces picked fresh cilantro, parsley, or mint leaves, or preferably a mixture of all three (about 2 cups; 55g)
6 scallions, white and pale green parts only, sliced (about 2 ounces; 55g)
2 medium cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons; 10ml)
1 teaspoon (about 4g) ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon (about 2g) ground coriander seed
2 teaspoons (about 10g) kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
2 to 3 cups (480 to 720ml) vegetable oil, for frying
Tahini sauce, hummus, and/or zhug (Yemenite hot sauce) for serving
