What Food / Drink To Buy From Turkiye?

We have prepared a list of food/beverage products that you can take home safely and can be well-packaged those can travel with you for a long time. We wanted to add baklava, watermelon, etc., but decided to place the top-10 easy to carry as much as possible. If you want to add something, don't forget to fire a message. Also, for "Which souvenirs to buy from Turkey?" Click here .

1- Pistachio / Hazel Nut / other nuts: The hazelnut and pistachio trade, where importation is prohibited in Turkey, is one of our sore points. A dessert recipe cannot be officially complete without the pistachios of the cities of Antep and Siirt, and the hazelnuts of the cities of Giresun and Ordu. If you stop by the Spice Bazaar, this is one of the things you should definitely buy. Recommendation: Hayfene - https://www.hayfene.com/ Spice Market No.51

2- Olive Oil: Do you know about the beauty of Turkiye's west coast? The west coast is known not only for its beauty, but also as the geography of the famous Greek mythology we know. Also, the origin of the olive stories, the region where the spirit of the olive trees’ roots settled, is the west coast. And the coasts in the beloved southeast... The combination of tough soil with a warm and humid climate creates a source of delicious olives. If you happen to visit these areas, don't forget to bring home made olive oil.

3- Tea: We are proud to be one of the largest black tea supplier countries in the world. However (which you will read in the following title) it has been a long time, I mean centuries, before tea came to our culture. How did tea settle in our lives after centuries of coffee culture? Because it's pretty easy to do. We can make tea and can share with many people from the same teapot we call “Caydanlik”. We can steam tea twice or maybe three times to serve from the same teapot. Instead of making coffee when guests come, it is quite easy to offer tea and eat something with it, which does not take time. If you will buy tea to take home, don't forget to buy small filters; so that tiny tea grains don't get in the way. Recommendation: - Caykur : https://www.caykursatis.com/ - Dogus Cay: https://www.doguscay.com.tr/ (You can find this tea brands in almost every single supermarket for extreme reasonable prices than touristic areas)

4- Coffee (and Coffee pot): Let's talk about our ancient coffee culture. Yes, the Ottomans write the history of coffee! But the truth is, we were not as successful as Italians in protecting and promoting it. In the 15th century, when Yemen was in Ottoman territory, the journey begins with the Sultan's order to bring this drink called “qahwah” to #Konstantiniyye ! Today, coffee is still not just a conversation tool or a wake up boost, but a part of important events. We call breakfast "kahvalti"; means "before coffee". In our pre-marriage ceremonies, girls still have to make coffee to the visitors even in modern families. If the Turkish coffee is too strong for you, you can try the drink called "menengic". This is the fruit of another tree, but it will taste much lighter.. So where do you get your coffee to home? Recommendations: - Kurukahveci Mehmet Efendi: https://www.mehmetefendi.com/ - Nuri Toplar: https://www.kurukahvecinuritoplar.com/ - Ihsan Kurukahvecioglu: https://www.ihsankurukahvecioglu.com/ (Ps. Not to forget; Turkiye is not producing coffee. We buy coffee beans suitable for Turkish coffee, last 50 years or so, from Brazil. And considering the 3rd wave coffee, its much higher roasted coffee. So it will give you that strong taste is actually a bitter taste.)

5- Lokum ( a.k.a Turkish Delight ): Yes! The most suitable product to take to your home is definitely Turkish delight. Turkish delight, which takes its name from "relaxing", takes its place in our mothers' homes with its various forms. That sugar can be the most enjoyable complement to strong coffee chats. First of all, we should understand two details well. 1- Turkish delight cannot be made without sugar! 2- If extra items such as peanuts and hazelnuts are joining in Turkish delight, its price increases directly. Although the "sugar-free" Turkish delights sold in touristic areas seem like betrayal to the historical Turkish delight shops, they are quite attractive. However, there cannot be a sugar-free Turkish delight, and if there is no sugar in the Turkish delight, gelatin will be included. Is it bad? Well, when gelatin is consumed at a limited level, it can be beneficial for bone joints. Here is an important list of recommendations for you for now. Please visit them and support local and small business owners. Recommendations: - Ali Muhittin Hacı Bekir: https://www.hacibekir.com/ (since 1777, same family, factory made) - Hayfene – Spice Market No.51: https://www.hayfene.com/ (new age versions) - Uc Yildiz Sekerleme: https://www.ucyildizsekerleme.com/ (run for 3 generations, lokum is made right at the store) - Altan Sekerleme: https://www.altansekerleme.com/ (4 generations, lokum is made at the store itself) (All of these recommendations above are reliable and no need for negotiation with prices, they are already so reasonable.)

6- Rakı: Although some say "ayran" is our national drink, the national drink of us 80s - 90s children is "raki". But we don't just call it raki at this table. We call it lion's milk. When we add water to the transparent drink, the color becomes cloudy. With 40 percent alcohol, there's only one rule for every sip, "the conversation will go on!" You may be high, but if you're going to get drunk, you'll be with dignity. That's why we don't raise our glasses to "fun, happiness" or else. We say “serefe”; which means “for honour”. Although it is not widely spoken for some reasons, but yes, raki is a culture spread from the east to the west of the country. You will liken it to the French pastis in taste. We can recommend “Yeni Raki”, one of the take-home classics. However, with a good development recently, "#Beylerbeyi " attracts a lot of attention, especially from women. Also, #Prototype #Raki, produced by Chef Mehmet Gurs and gastronomy writer Cemre Torun, which we will definitely recommend to real tasters, is a real experience!

7- Spices: If we say that we are a spice country, it is not true. If we say that we are a tomato country, it is still not quite true. In the center of these, we are a country in the heart of Europe, on the way to reach the scents of Asia. If you wander the streets of Istanbul with its colorful spirit, accompanied by countless scents, the most delicious smells come to your nose. These are the spices we pair with the dishes that give it that uniqueness. Here is one of the best names that we and our chefs rely on and trust. Recommendations: - Hayfene – Spice Market No.51: https://www.hayfene.com/ (you cand ask for spice tasting at the spot too)

8- Herbal Tea: Generally, flu comes to mind when herbal tea is mentioned. But nowadays, the demand for herbal teas is increasing with the change in diets. We Turks, who like to transform this in the best way, also love to find funny names by mixing various herbs and dried fruits. We don't know if a mixture of tea really brings love or children :) or peace in this busy life, but it suits our conversations and tea times and our after-sports bags. First of all, we will of course recommend Hayfene again. Personally, I have 5 different tea blends at home that I think I could never finish. Even a small pinch produces tea that can be shared with 10 people. But even if you want tea bags, we love the beautifully boxed Melez tea so much that it even adds a touch to our homes. Recommendations: - Hayfene: Spice Market No.51: https://www.hayfene.com/ - Melez Tea: https://www.meleztea.com/

9- Chocolate at Mabel: Meet our chocolatier, which was established in a tiny workshop in Karakoy in 1947. Rum* entrepreneurs named Mihail Payotis and Haralambos Anastasiadi wanted to produce a chocolate suitable for Turkish taste. The name of Mabel, which takes its name from the French word "my beautiful", was written in Turkish way and a representative image of the girl who designed the logo was placed. Although today, it is interesting that a black woman's picture is featured, Mabel owners wanted to honor their graphic designer with her picture. - Mabel: https://www.mabel.com.tr/en/ *Rum: The word Rum comes from Eastern Roman Empire. Families who have lived in Istanbul from the Eastern Roman Empire to the present do not call themselves Turkish or Greek, they call themselves Rum.

10- Boza: Boza is a drink made out of millet, water and sugar. It is one of the oldest known Turkish drinks. Boza, which has a slightly acidic taste and a dark consistency, is consumed with yellow chickpeas or cinnamon, especially in winter. When we see the basis of processing, we realize that boza was produced in the same way as beer production in the ancient period. For this reason, we could call it a kind of beer consumed in Mesopotamia, has just 1 percent alcohol. Most importantly, It contains plenty of iron, phosphorus, niacin, sodium, vitamins A, B1, B2 and E. This product is also a drink that prevents the formation of carcinogenic substances in the human body. It also supports development by protecting bone health. Okay, we learned that, so why is it so special? Because in our childhood, boza sellers used to shout in the streets at 11 pm, selling pots of boza, and our fathers would invite the boza sellers to our homes to give us litres of it. Yes, at 11 pm, our cities were safe and our boza makers were trustworthy. Recommendations: - Vefa Boza: https://vefa.com.tr/ (Also please visit the spot at night during Ramadan periods) Bonus - Local Turkish Wine : You may have heard countless things about Turkish wine. But let's summarize for you in simple terms; we are a grape country! We are located in the latitudes where grapes can grow best. Why is our wine not as good as French or Italian wine? We didn't say anything like that. You can reach high quality barrel wines, which are available at moderate prices in Europe, but because of various economic reasons, you can find the same quality in incredibly high prices in Turkey. Unfortunately, this upsets the wine consumer since the most of the cost goes to tax. We have written a wonderfully easy article for you, you can find the link below. And remember, if you will be taking home a boutique wine, the products of limited production cannot be provided to every market. You can find them in boutique wine shops, supermarkets selling fine gastronomy products or restaurants. Local grapes list article: https://www.foodandfashionmag.com/post/turkish-grapes-not-a-drink-but-a-culture Sanem Yucesoy foodandfashionmag@gmail.com