The 5 best Turkish street foods
Istanbul might be a goldmine of culinary variety, but it’s no secret that dining at the city’s most fashionable restaurants can leave a hole in your wallet. Whether you’re in a hurry to fill your stomach or your funds are running a bit low, this list of the best street food is sure to come in handy the next time you’re looking around the corner to find a meal.
1. Simit
It’s a well-known fact that even the most elite of Istanbulites have a hard time resisting the tantalising scent of this freshly baked, molasses-dipped and sesame-crusted dough. Turkey’s answer to the American bagel, simit is a staple of breakfasts on-the-go. Even day-old simit has its use as seagull feed.
2. Balık-Ekmek
The number two most popular street food in the city is indisputably balık-ekmek, better known as the fish sandwiches that are impossible to ignore anytime you’re near the Karaköy or Eminönü shore. You might be tempted to sit down at any one of the restaurants below the Galata Bridge to feast on these tasty sandwiches, but take it from the locals: the balık-ekmek you’re served at a table is just not the same as the one you enjoy on your feet.
3. Lahmacun
Often referred to by tourists as ‘Turkish pizza’, lahmacun is a very uncomplicated meal of thin dough topped with a minced meat-onion-red pepper mixture, slid in the oven for a few minutes and served piping hot. It’s customary to top it with a handful of parsley and a squirt of lemon juice, then roll it into a wrap and enjoy with a glass of cold ayran. Although just about every neighbourhood has its favourite local lahmacun joint, some of the best we’ve tasted are from Halil Lahmacun and Borsam Taş Fırın in Kadıköy and Fıstık Kebap in Arnavutköy.
4. Dürüm
Dürüm is one of the most democratic Turkish culinary inventions. Why? You’re just as likely to encounter it on a street corner as you are at the fanciest of restaurants. Whether it’s the chicken, beef, cheese or veggie variety you prefer,this meal in wrap form is sure to set you free from your hunger pangs. For crowd-pleasing dürüm, stop by Bambi or Kızılkayalar in Taksim Square at any hour of the day.
5. Tantuni
A close relative of the dürüm, tantuni features beef, tomatoes, peppers and a generous sprinkling of spices wrapped in the thinnest tortilla imaginable. It usually comes in spicy and less-spicy versions, though most Mersin natives (the hometown of tantuni) believe it’s not the real thing unless it leaves a burn on your lips. One of the best places to get authentic tantuni in Istanbul is Emine Ana Sofrası on Billurcu Sokak in Taksim and dont forget to visit my website
