In Istanbul homes, people cook. They make the classics you find on menus at the city’s restaurants, but above all they cook dishes rooted in their family’s origins. What makes Istanbul special is that it brings together all of the country’s regions, specialities and customs. Now Turkey’s economic centre, Istanbul is home to more than 15 million inhabitants and attracts Turks from all corners of the country. Until Ankara took over the title in 1923, Istanbul was the political capital not just of Turkey, but the Ottoman Empire as well. Before that still, it was called Byzantium, then Constantinople, and it was the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire – an early international city. You can find everything in Istanbul. This is also the case when it comes to food: from Van to Urfa in the east, and Antakya to Adana in the south, via the Black Sea, the Aegean Sea or the Mediterranean, you quickly move between the dishes of the coast and the very different cooking traditions of the inland. There are the butter devotees and those who cook only with olive oil, the residents of the coastal regions spoiled for choice when it comes to fruit and vegetables, and the people of the Anatolian towns who have made grains and meats their speciality. There are many contrasts in Turkey, but everywhere, and at all times, it is a point of honour that home-made dishes be not only very good (of course!), but also beautiful to look at, thoughtfully arranged and colourful – a visual feast.
