Exploring the soul of Istanbul

04 October 2015 - 02:00 By Suthentira Govender

The key to knowing any great city is to discover its food, as Suthentira Govender did in this vast Turkish metropolis The midday sun made me feel as seared as the shish kebabs and corn being grilled at umpteen pavementstalls.My feet roasted as I trod the hot cobblestone alleys.story_article_left1Delicious aromas filled the air, making my tummy rumble ."You are hungry for the Turkish cuisine," guffawed my guide, Mansur Karakoc.Rotund, savvy and a self-proclaimed foodie, he was the perfect man for my mission - to find the best street food his city had to offer.Our quest would take us along Istanbul's popular Istiklal Avenue, a 1.4km-long street constantly heaving with tourists and locals. Mini-skirts and skimpy dresses mingle with traditional head scarves and flowing garb.Crammed with shops, Istiklal is to Istanbul what Oxford Street is to London and Fifth Avenue is to New York. It starts in the medieval Genoese neighbourhood around the famous Galata Tower and ultimately leads up to Taksim Square.But it has more to offer than designer boutiques.There are also live-music spots, bars and nightclubs, pavement cafés and music stores tucked away in the nooks and crannies of this stylish area."Once you sample the local cuisine, you untap the soul of the place," Mansur said.And so I was there to indulge in grub - from the carts to the hole-in-the wall eateries to the endless bakeries. It was all part of my whirlwind three-day visit to Istanbul, which also included the must-see sites for the first-timer.Its skyline dotted with high-rise, modern buildings and ancient minarets and domes, Istanbul dates back to the days when it served as the capital of famous empires like the Roman (Byzantine), Latin and Ottoman Empires - and was witness to their rise and fall.mini_story_image_vright4Seeing it is mind-boggling. You take in thousands of years of history in one afternoon, from the breathtaking Blue Mosque to the Hagia Sophia and the Basilica Cistern, the Grand Bazaar as well as the famous Hippodrome.Mansur was keen to remind me that Istanbul is the world's only metropolis that straddles two continents - Europe and Asia. So it came as no surprise that its rich history very much influences what goes into the pots and on the grills.One thing is for sure, you won't go hungry. At every turn there's some sort of local fare that stirs the senses. And it's cheap - between €1 and €5 - and wholesome.If the movies are anything to go by, Americans in the colder climes snack on roasted chestnuts at Christmas time.On the streets of Istanbul, come rain or shine, thousands of chestnuts or "kestane kebabs" are roasted every day, their woody aroma enticing you."You will feel warm inside when you eat these," Mansur told me as we cracked open a handful.Plucked from trees lining the Black Sea mountains along Turkey's coast, roasted chestnuts are a popular on-the-go-snack, as is charred corn-on-the-cob or misir.The street vendors who sear them are men of few words. It's understandable -- the sweet and succulent ears of corn speak for themselves.Another favourite on the street-food list is simit, the iconic Turkish bagel that dates back to the 1500s.Mansur explained that the dough is dipped in dense grape juice and coated in sesame seeds before it's oven-baked. A whopping 16 million simit are produced daily throughout Istanbul. They're sold in bakeries and from red carts and they go down well with a glass of hot Turkish tea.As we weaved our way through the district, I was drawn to a beautiful Turkish woman seated on the floor in the window of a tiny tea-room.I couldn't resist stepping into Marko Pasa, which serves traditional dishes. Here I saw how some of the food is prepared. Gözleme is a traditional flat-bread filled with cheese and vegetables, sealed and cooked over a griddle. Then there's manti, a must-try Turkish ravioli, little bits of thinly rolled dough filled with ground meat, onion and spices.full_story_image_hleft1The street-food journey led me to more fare in the area. In the tiny shops and from the carts, there was no shortage of savoury or sweet. What's marvellous is that you can see it being prepared right in front of you, including decadent burek - layers of wafer-thin pastry filled with spinach and feta, topped off with sesame seeds, then baked. Many believe this dish dates back to the Ottoman Empire. I watched in awe as the whole thing was expertly prepared within minutes.Down the road, at Patatos, which is open 24/7, I found the Turkish version of a baked potato, called kumpir, which is baked in a special oven. It's split down the middle and mixed with butter and cheese, then topped with the "works", ranging from mayonnaise, pickles, sweetcorn, sausage slices, carrots and mushrooms.My culinary traipse also took me to a mussels vendor, knee-deep in a fresh batch. Mansur explained that the mussels are bountiful in the northern Bosphorus Strait, where "musselmen" harvest them for sale at the fresh fish markets. Deep-fried mussels sold on skewers with a wedge of lemon and some tangy sauce are known as midye tava.mini_story_image_vleft2Pide is another famous street snack, a delicious flat-bread topped with ground beef, onions, spinach, parsley, cheese and egg. It's wood-fired in a special oven and served as soon as the cheese melts. It's a bit like pizza, really, which Mansur even claimed originated in his country and not Italy.In every bakery I passed, I drooled over the decadent baklava. There was no way I could resist sampling the rich, sweet pastry made of layers of phyllo, filled with chopped nuts and drizzled with honey.It's clear the Turks love their food, yet, bafflingly, it is a nation of relatively slim people. Mansur's theory was that they have not succumbed to American fast food."Turkey is a fertile country and we have beautiful ingredients. The Americans have little chance of selling their stupid fast food here," he said.Weary yet sated, Mansur and I found the perfect way to end our long day with a glass of Turkish wine at the stylish Sensus bar, a stone's throw from the Galata Tower. The cellar-like bar, which could easily be in Paris, is lined with more than 350 varietals from 50 different producers.So I got a little French chic and a great dollop of Turkish delights in the middle of bustling Istanbul. It was an education indeed.sub_head_start IF YOU GO ... sub_head_endWHERE TO STAY: The Cinar Hotel is a five-star seaside establishment about 10 minutes from the Ataturk Airport. Accommodation costs between €165 to €180 per night. See cinarhotel.com.tr.TOURS: Tour guide Mansur Karakoc is the right man for the job. E-mail him at rehberkurt@keyifkurdu.com.FLIGHTS: Turkish Airlines (turkishairlines.com) flies daily between OR Tambo International and Ataturk Airport, Istanbul. Return fares start around R7000, while a return business class ticket costs around R40000.- Govender was a guest of Turkish Airlines..

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