“Ah-fee-yet ol-soon”: Bon appetit!
Ask any visitor to Turkey what part of their trip stands out the most for them and food will almost always make the top of the list. It should come as no surprise that this great cross roads of cultures and peoples has an equally rich culinary tradition. With every town specializing in specific dishes – Bursa is known for its Iskender kebap and candied chestnuts, just to give two examples – you could travel the country end to end and have something different to eat at each stop.
Our students have only been in country for two weeks, but already they are getting a taste of this incredible diversity. From the ubiquitous sesame simit at breakfast to sticky sweet baklava at dessert, there is something for every craving at any time of the day. One host mother told me she had systematically been introducing new foods to her new American son to figure out what he likes: after two weeks, she has only scratched the surface (and so far, her grateful host son has like everything offered!).
There are days in Turkey when it seems like all you do is move from one meal to the next. Many of our students have noted that they eat more food here and more often than they are used to at home, but when there are so many new things to try, it can be hard to know when to stop. Fortunately, where there is much food to eat, there is also a traditional tulip shaped glass (or three) of Turkish tea to help wash it all down – preferably with fresh fruit or another snack on the side.
I asked students to share photos of their experiences with Turkish food so far. Some of those submissions (along with other highlights) are featured in the gallery below. Afiyet olsun!
