This text is part of the special book Plaisirs
During a stay in Turkey or a trip to one of the 128 countries served by Turkish Airlines, a stopover in Istanbul is ideal for lovers of culinary history.
To encourage travelers to discover Istanbul, the Turkish carrier offers the Stopover in Istanbul program. The concept is simple: economy class passengers are entitled to one free night in a four-star hotel, and business class passengers are entitled to two nights in a five-star hotel. All you have to do is request it at least 72 hours before the first flight. Thus, we take full advantage of our stopover in the Turkish metropolis, which is added to our travel itinerary.
Upon our arrival, we stop at the Çırağan Palace Kempinski hotel, part of whose rooms are located in the former palace of Sultan Abdulaziz, 32e of the Ottoman Empire, in office from 1861 to 1876. From there, the view of the Bosphorus and the Asian part of Istanbul is simply spectacular. This perspective also reflects well the magic of this unique city, straddling Europe and Asia.
During a cruise on the Bosphorus, our guide, Hakan Yilmaz, tells us how the Ottoman Empire will spread over the centuries from the Balkans to North Africa, passing through Central Europe and the West Asia. No wonder Turkish cuisine is so rich in flavor and history.
Join the useful to the delectable
During a stopover, we focus mainly on the classics, such as the majestic Blue Mosques and Hagia Sophia, located opposite each other in the historic peninsula of the city. Note that Hagia Sophia, aka Hagia Sophia, was a Christian basilica from the IVe century until the conquest of Constantinople by the Ottoman Empire in 1453.
A visit to the spice bazaar, not far from there, is a must. The place is teeming with vendors who attract passers-by with their colorful and fragrant products. Worth stopping for a Turkish tea to people watch.
All over the city there are street vendors. They mainly sell grilled corn on the cob, hot chestnuts and simit, those bagel-shaped breads topped with sesame seeds, but with a completely different texture and taste. They are easy to spot by smell!
Some establishments carefully preserve culinary traditions and know-how dating back several centuries. This is the case of the restaurants Matbah, near Hagia Sophia, and Tuğra, at the Çırağan Palace Kempinski, which are inspired by Ottoman cuisine to design their dishes. And then there are chefs like Deniz Temel, at the Alaf restaurant, who enjoys interpreting typical dishes from different Turkish regions in his own way.
On the table, a beautifully presented dish of artichokes catches our eye. The leaves, placed in a crown, surround a creamy sauce with artichoke, cheese and candied artichoke oil. The green pea salad is just as effective. The raw peas are arranged in a mound on a mixture of cream cheese and pistachios. It’s crunchy, fresh and soft at the same time.
For dessert, the chef has not finished impressing us. He serves us a dried and fried chilli, in a dark red sauce that looks like a spicy salsa. But in the center of the chili hides a creamy chocolate spread. And the famous salsa at the bottom of the plate is a blackberry coulis. This is an amazing delicacy, just like this stopover!
Our journalist was the guest of Turkish Airlines.
This content was produced by the Special Publications team of the Duty, relating to marketing. The drafting of Duty did not take part.