A FOODIE’S (TURKISH) DELIGHT
There’s no arguing that Fry’s Turkish Delight, the gooey confection long-marketed on the strength of its “Eastern Promise”, has been a popular chocolate bar in the UK since its launch in 1914. But in the land of its birth, Turkish Delight (or lokum as it is more properly known) is a veritable art form. Whether scented with rosewater, stuffed with pistachios or coated in coconut flakes, it is best accompanied by a tiny cup of another local delight: viscous, aromatic Turkish coffee. Throw in buttery, walnut or pistachio-stuffed baklava or creamy, oven-baked rice pudding, and it’s easy to see why the Turks are renowned for their sweet tooth.
But there is far more to Turkish cuisine than desserts. Kebabs come in all shapes and sizes, from the tender flakes of lamb cut from a revolving doner spit to the spicy, skewered minced meat sausage of Adana kebab. Any Turkish restaurant worth its salt cooks its
kebabs and meat over charcoal and the accompanying flatbreads in a wood-fired oven. Although their origins may have been in land-locked Central Asia, today’s Turks love fish – from grilled sea bass to deep-fried anchovies. Sea food is usually paired with the national spirit, aniseedflavoured raki, and preceded by a bewildering array of dips and bites known as meze. Istanbul is Turkey’s food hot spot, but from the humblest seaside café to the remotest Anatolian pide (pizza) place, you are never far from a fabulous meal.
Istanbul-based Cooking Alaturka (0090 0539 982 3360; cookingalaturka.com) offers four-hour cooking courses from £55pp (you eat what you cook). Turkish Flavours (0090 0532 218 0653; turkishflavours.com), also based in Istanbul, offers cooking and food tours starting at £57pp and a Cappadociabased village culinary experience for £125pp. Intrepid Travel (0330 808 7332; intrepidtravel.com) offers a 10-day culinary tour including Istanbul, Cappadocia and Bodrum from £1,098pp excluding flights
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