Turkey Delights!!

As my family and I sat in the midst of the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, a distinct thought crossed my mind -is this for real???!! A visit to Turkey was not one that I had truly envisioned anytime soon, specially considering my young boys! But, I was superbly delighted throughout the course of my trip - both by the city and my children :).

The experience of viewing larger than life architecture, natural beauty, intricate artwork, walking through the human sea (literally!) in the midst of the Spice Market, eating some of the most delicious cuisine, and enjoying the hospitality of the locals.....all while sipping on some warm apple tea, truly made this an unforgettable and beautiful trip!

Our first stop was Cappadocia and we did all the usual tourist related activities - hot air balloon ride at dawn, Dervent valley, Zelve museum, Pasabag's fairy chimneys, underground caves, table top mountains, pigeon valley etc. - however, what really left me speechless was the landscape that was ever changing and mesmerizing. It was impossible to keep our eyes off the road, and equally hard not to keep clicking pictures.

Thankfully, based on some personal research and of course with the assistance of our local guide, we were able to try some of the more unique aspects of central Turkey, such as a viewing of the "whirling dervishes", watching a live pottery demonstration, getting detailed information on carpet making, seeing first-hand the process by which a cocoon gets transformed to silk yarn, playing a game of backgammon with some waiting drivers (this one was DH's idea and yes, we lost :). All of these were made more special because we were staying at an amazing cave hotel next to the Uchisar castle. Truly, staying in a three level cave room and experiencing the Turkish Hamam helped make our vacation extraordinary!

We tried a lot of the local cuisine, including the Turkish pide or flatbread (a pizza of sort, folded on the edges), a multiple course dip selection, Manti (Turkish style ravioli served with yogurt sauce), bulgur soup, and walnut stuffed apricots and figs dipped in sugar syrup and garnished with nuts - all of which left us wanting more!!!

To tell you the truth - this picture explains more than anything else, why opening oneself to local expertise and flavors can leave you feeling enriched! At a stop in the table top mountains of Soğanli, we saw the local women making Börek on their upturned, circular woks. The two types of stuffing used by them were both vegetarian - one was made with spinach and mixed greens, and the other with green olives and peppers. We combined both the fillings in the same dough and added some fresh herbed feta. to it. The taste of it remains in my mind!

One of our lunches in Cappadocia was at a small, yet, exclusive restaurant called "Aravan Evi". It was a picturesque location with the freshest possible food. I was fortunate to get a personal lesson from the owner/chef of this restaurant on how to make "helva". It was made using flour, sunflower oil and grape molasses. In fact, grape molasses was served to us as a salad dressing, as a side to the breads and also included in the sweets offered by the restaurants. This was very specific to central Turkey - I did not notice this in Istanbul.

Istanbul -defies description. It was full of constant reminders of its chequered history which made me sincerely appreciate how far the country has come against so many adversities. The beauty of the blue mosque, the iznik tiles at the Rustem Pasha mosque, the interiors of the Hagia Sophia, the serenity of the Bosphorus, the madness of the spice market and the grand bazaar, the commercialization of the Istikbal street, the grandness of the Topkapi Palace - all make a visit to this city a must!

We tried a large variety of food in Istanbul. The Turkish tea was definitely a lot more favored by us compared to the Turkish coffee :). The falafel was not that easy to find (surprisingly), but, I did manage to make one lunch of it. The goat's milk ice-creams (always served in a witty style with a smile) were delicious and somewhat stretchy. The freshly brewed iced tea and lemonades were the best quenchers. But, the baklava combined with the pistachio ice cream at Mado's was an absolute winner! However, there is only one place to buy baklava from - Karakoy Gulluoglu. The flaky filo, melt-in-your-mouth pistachio filling and the just-perfectly-sweetened-syrup of these desserts were unforgettable.

Talking of unforgettable, I cannot end without mentioning my absolute favorite snack in Turkey!!! The "simit" is a circular bread coated with sesame seeds which is usually eaten plain. However, when we were taken around the city by a local friend, he told us that the best way to enjoy simit was by dipping it in a mixture of clotted cream and honey. To-die-for - and this is no exaggeration! These breads were available everywhere for as little as 1 lira and to say that they were value for money will be the biggest understatement!

In case you are wondering what did we do with our kids - here are some of the ways they stayed well occupied :). An incentive of ice cream/candy at the end of a particularly long/museum filled walk usually worked like a charm. Watching impromptu performances streetside was always a hit. Sipping on apple tea became quite an addition for them as well! Of course, hot air balloon ride over Cappadocia landscape and a hamam experience also helped :)Letting them run in spaces where they would not cause themselves or others any harm was another solution.

Obtaining the deep cultural osmosis in a short, yet, impactful timeframe made this a trip of a lifetime! No two ways about it - Turkey Delights!!!