Baharat (Spicing)

For 1000 years Constantinople was the end point of the spice route. Some spices were literally worth their weight in gold because they were thought to be miracle cures for a variety of ailments. Now they are flavour boosters.

In a quiet corner of Istanbul’s spice market, identified as number 51, you’ll encounter a shop called Ucuzcular (Cheapies), run by Bilge Kadıoğlu (opposite). She’ll tell you her first name is pronounced ‘like Bill Gates—but without the money’. She’ll tell you she doesn’t mind being called the ‘Spice Girl’. She’ll tell you the term ‘Area 51’ is appropriate, echoing the section of a US air force base where UFOs are allegedly hidden, because in the marketplace she’s an alien—the only woman to run a shop, and the only shopkeeper to charge the same prices to locals as to visitors. She’s an honest broker in one of the world’s oldest professions.