As many of you know, Dan and I love a food tour, so we gladly joined a day long one in Izmir, Türkiye last July. This tour ended up being wildly long (6+ hours!) but super interesting as we learned loads about Izmir, Turkish culture, and food, in addition to trying so many local dishes that we never would have found on our own. Whether you take this tour or not, definitely visit Izmir and try some of these foods!

Our food tour began around 10:00 AM, and luckily we only drank coffee pre-tour at our hotel (the Izmir Marriott).  We met our tour guide and the participants, another couple from the NYC area, near the train station. We then walked through a clam, picturesque Izmir neighborhood to pick up bread for later (more on that below) and eventually stopped at the bottom of a rickety staircase, which we carefully climbed to find a man hand frying doughnuts! Great start to the tour.

FOOD STOP 1: STICKY ROSEWATER DOUGHNUTS

The man hand frying donuts was an employee of Öztat Kardesler, a well known bakery in Izmir that has been operating since 1930. When had unknowingly walked by the storefront before climbing those rickety stairs. While Öztat Kardesler makes a host of treats, we were here for the doughnuts, or lokma in Turkish. The doughnut kitchen was tiny (and felt even tinier with our group inside it,) and hot, as it lacked any air conditioning. Despite these circumstances, the expert doughnut chef was not bothered.  He made batch after batch of doughnuts, which were then slathered in a rosewater-sugar glaze and packaged in sets of three. Two other men were also working in this tiny kitchen, ensuring that each doughnut received a proper amount of glaze and were perfectly packaged. We left with a pack of three rosewater doughnuts to eat later. We had ours the following morning, and they were fabulous. I understand you can find these around Izmir if you are not taking this tour.

We left the same way we arrived, down those rickety stairs, running into these neighborhood cats on our way down. And fun fact, neighborhood cats are actually a thing in Türkiye. Turkish neighborhoods have cats and dogs that don’t really belong to anyone specifically, but they are feed and taken care of by the members of the community. We saw this all over Türkiye. I loved it.

FOOD STOP 2: BREAD FROM TARİHİ BASMANE FIRINI, DELICIOUS TURKISH CHEESE, AND TURKISH TEA.

You may recall that we stopped for bread before visiting the doughnut kitchen, and that stop was at Tarihi Basmane Firini. Dating from 1896, this bakery is old school and smelled fantastic. While we peeked in the bakery and got a look at its brick oven, which was so cool, our guide purchased Turkish bagels, or simit, and savory pastries.

From the doughnut kitchen, we walked to an outdoor area overlooking Roman ruins for “breakfast.” The neighborhood was quiet, and we seemed to be the only people out and about. Our guide set up a spread on a picnic table, which included the bread from Tarihi Basmane Firini, three types of Turkish cheese (I forgot a pic!), Turkish honey, and  ayran, which is a drink that looks like milk but tastes like yogurt.  Everything was excellent, but I think the simit was my personal favorite. We stayed here for about 30 minutes, eventually pairing this “breakfast” with our first glass of Turkish tea for the day.

FOOD STOP 3: TURKISH COFFEE AND MEDICAL CHECK UPS.

Stuffed from “breakfast” (which would become one of many meals of the day), we walked through the Arab part of Izmir, viewing beautiful architecture and historical buildings. We stopped in another bakery (which also smelled amazing) and purchased two loaves of bread for charity. What did we do with them you may wonder? We left them hanging outside the bakery for anyone in need to take without question. This is a common custom in Izmir. How cool.

We eventually found our third stop – a very, very old coffee house for our first Turkish coffee of the tour.  And when I say old, this place was both old and OLD SCHOOL. This coffee house was filled with men, all above 60 (most closer to 80) sitting in a sparsely decorated room playing cards and board games and drinking Turkish coffee and tea. The localness of this cafe was driven home when a neighborhood man came through with a portable “medical kit” and began taking patrons blood pressure and pricking fingers to test blood sugar (and not, he was not a doctor)… Apparently this is a common occurrence in Izmir and just part of a retirees day… It honestly reminded me a lot of my own father. In any case, the coffee machine here was even older than the cafe and made a fantastic Turkish Coffee. Our coffees were served in the most beautiful espresso mugs. We sat outside and enjoyed our coffee while our tour mate spoke Russian with one of the elderly patrons. This stop was certainly something that we could never have experienced on our own.

FOOD STOP 4: SOUPS IN 90 DEGREE HEAT AT HOSGELDINIZ

Done with coffee, it was time for what, more food! The next stop was a surprise in the hot summer, hot soup! Apparently soup is popular in Izmir and beloved by locals year round. Hosgeldiniz is a cafeteria that prepares homemade soups daily and serves it to hungry locals in its super casual dining room. Our tour tried three soups – a lentil soup, a spicy lentil soup, and a tripe soup. The lentil soups were fantastic, even in 90 degree heat. I skipped the tripe soup, but Dan and our fellow tour participants liked it. The soups were served with complimentary bread that just sits on the tables all day…this would not happen in the US.

FOOD STOP 5 – BAKLAVA AT TARİHİ BASMANE LOKMACISI

We next entered Kemeralti Market. Kemeralti Market is Izmir’s main market/souk/bazaar and its HUGE. Loads of shops, restaurants, cafes, street vendors, etc. Our tour guide expertly guided us around to fantastic spots, but any tourist can wander around the market. Its safe and affordable. In first entering the market, we passed by ancient ruins, a fresh meat market, and so many pickled vegetables.

Our first stop in the market was at Tarihi Basmane Lokmacisi. Tarihi Basmane Lokmacisi is  Turkish dessert maker that has been in business since 1930. Its specialty are treats similar to baklava, think flaky pastries, pistachio, honey, etc. Basically all the delicious things. Here we tried the most delicious small dessert that, again, reminded me of baklava. It was absolutely delicious. The head guy in Tarihi Basmane Lokmacisi was also very nice!

FOOD SIXTH STOP: A DELICIOUS BALKAN BUFFET

Our next stop was still in Kemeralti Market at a Balkan buffet (totally unexpected) called Aysa Bosnak Börekçisi. Aysa Bosnak Börekçisi is a Bosnian restaurant quite popular in Izmir. The interesting thing about Aysa Bosnak Börekçisi is that everything is freshly and beautifully made with local ingredients, but served via buffet. Yes, guests at Aysa Bosnak Börekçisi fill a plate from the buffet and pay by weight before finding a table inside or out. On the buffet were many well-known Bosnian dishes, such as pickled vegetables, borek, cabbage, eggplant, honestly too many to list. Everything looked fantastic. There were also plenty of vegetarian options. I picked out a very random assortment, and it was all really fantastic. Had I had more time in Izmir, I would have returned. I highly recommend Aysa Bosnak Börekçisi to tourists in Izmir looking for a filling inexpensive lunch.

We ended our Bosnian meal with a dessert that our guide insisted that we try, and she was not wrong. While not looking like anything too sweet, this dessert was similar to a warm oatmeal porridge topped with cinnamon, fruit, and lots of other tasty things. I would have guessed this a winter dessert, but it was just as tasty in the July heat. FANTASTIC – don’t miss this dessert when in Izmir!

FOOD STOP SEVEN: A SPICY PICKLE IN SPICKY PICKLE JUICE

Next up was a small take away from a colorful market stall called Kemeraltı Turşucusu Tahsin. Kemeraltı Turşucusu Tahsin sells allll sorts of pickled things, which are super popular in Izmir. We each took a homemade pickle in its own pickle juice from Kemeraltı Turşucusu Tahsin to eat on our walk to our next sit down stop, ha. This was so simple, yet so good. One of the most memorable things I ate on this tour. Don’t forget to drink the pickle juice!

FOOD STOP EIGHT: THE INFAMOUS BABY SHEEP INTESTINE SANDO

After that most delicious pickle in its juice, it was time for the infamous (and optional) baby sheep intestine sandwich. Yes, a baby sheep intestine sandwich; these are illegal in the US and Europe. Ahhh! Allegedly beloved by many Turks, the sandwich, called kokoretsi or kokoreççi in Turkish, is sold in many fast food stands around Türkiye. We opted to try one sandwich between the two of us because, why not? The meat was meticulously cut and placed on grilled bread (almost like a french bread) and topped with some sort of spice concoction. The bread and spice mix were really great. The meat didn’t really taste too different that any other type of meat in my opinion… I would eat it again, but am definitely not running back. There are too may other good things to eat in Izmir. If this interests you, go now as there is much speculation that this sandwich will become illegal if Türkiye joins the EU.

FOOD STOP NINE: FRIED LOCAL FISH AT A FISH RESTAURANT THAT I CANNOT RECALL!

Seafood is an important aspect of Izmir life. Located right on the Mediterranean Sea, visitors will see many fisherman fishing right on the town’s main drag. You will also find lots of seafood restaurants offering all sorts of fresh fish and other seafood. Seafood is also, not surprisingly, popular in Kemeralti Market. Anyone passing through will spot vendors selling mussels and lemon, a popular snack in Izmir (we skipped this because Dan is allergic). While our tour did not focus much on seafood, we did have a sit down meal at a seafood restaurant in Kemeralti Market. For our small feast, we started with a simple salad with lemon that is served to every guest. For the seafood portion, we tried a fried fish with tartar sauce and a cooked fish with fresh lemon. Both were very fresh and beautifully presented to us, but I just don’t like fish very much. I was happy to try the salad and my tartar sauce. If you are a fish person, definitely eat seafood in Izmir. I unfortunately cannot recall the name of this seafood restaurant but there are several in Kermerlati Market.

FOOD STOP TEN: TURKISH MEATBALLS

After our seafood sit down, we walked down the street to another sit down restaurant, this time for Turkish meatballs, or kofta. Kofta are small round patties of minced meat, lamb here, that are mixed with local spices. Kofta is popular all over the Middle East, and Türkiye is no exception. You can find kofta all over Türkiye. The restaurant that we visited for our meatballs was called Kofteci Salih kofta. We sat down and were served crusty French bread, some delicious white sauce, and a platter of kofta with tomato, a lettuce and onion mixture, and a pickled pepper. Interestingly, the kofta was not round like I am used to, but flat similar to a breakfast sausage patty. Our guide advised that we can eat just the meatball or put it together in a sandwich. We skipped the bread since we had already eaten so much food, but the meatballs were very good, particularly with the white sauce!

FOOD STOP ELEVEN: PIDE!

Ah, pide, one of my first Turkish dishes and one of my very favorite Turkish dishes! Pide, as you may know from my Istanbul food tour post, is what I describe as Turkish pizza that resembles a small boat, ha!  Yes, the dough is rolled into a canoe shape and is then topped with a variety of toppings, some of the most common being cheese or cheese and minced lamb. The dish is then cooked like a pizza for individual consumption or sharing with a group. Like pizza, pide is a popular, inexpensive dish, which is available in restaurants and via delivery. For this particular pide, we enjoyed it in the market at a tiny restaurant called Meşhur Kuyum Pide Salonu. Meşhur Kuyum Pide Salonu’s blue-shirted chefs makes the pide in a tiny kitchen where passersby can watch (kind of like Biscuitville at home in Virginia!). We enjoyed ours with cheese and minced lamb in the back of the restaurant. This pide was classic and very, very good. The tables were also covered in photos of the pide, which we found hilarious.

FOOD STOP TWELVE: HOMEMADE ICE CREAM SANDO

After our pide, we went on a decent walk to another part of Kemeralti Market for dessert! We passed lots of tasty and fun looking things en route. I really wanted to return to Kemeralti Market to stroll and shop, but I unfortunately ran out of time. Next time!

Our next food stop was a quick one at an ice cream push cart in the market that appeared to be decades old. The vendor prepared us a homemade ice cream sandwich – vanilla and local mulberry between two sweet crackers. I am not a huge ice cream person, but this was very, very tasty! We ate the ice cream sandwich between a plastic napkin while walking through the market.

While eating our ice cream sandwiches, we stopped at another stand for additional desserts! This stall was called Süt Çiçegi. Süt Çiçegi, and it is a popular Izmir shop for milk and sherbet desserts made with all natural products. Our guide purchased two boxes of desserts to enjoy at our final stop!

FOOD STOP THIRTEEN: TURKISH COFFEE & TURKISH DELIGHTS

The last stop on our tour was for, what else, but a real Turkish coffee in a traditional Turkish cafe called Sedir Aile Çay Bahcesi (or the Sedir Tea Garden). Located in a back corner of Izmir’s market, Sedir Aile Çay Bahcesi is a traditional Turkish cafe with low tables and red carpets and pillows adorning the space. As is common, Sedir only serves coffee, tea and other non-alcoholic drinks. We, of course, all ordered Turkish coffee with no sugar, which was delicious. The restaurant also gave us some Turkish delights to accompany the coffee. We also tried the pastries that we just picked up from Süt Çiçegi. First, kazandibi (in the plastic container) is a caramelized milk pudding, which tasted like a burnt marshmallow. It was fantastic. I regret not eating this again in Turkey. The second dessert was a Kadayifi, or a dehydrated bread soaked in syrup. We tried both the plan kadayifi and one topped with a thick Turkish clotted cream called kaymak (I think).  This dessert was also good, especially with the clotted cream, but I prefer the kazandibi. Our final tasting ended with a small tray of candies from the cafe.

STEAL OUR TRIP

Culinary Backstreets Food Tour Izmir: We took the Only in Izmir: Exploring the Seaside City’s Unique Culinary Traditions tour for $125 USD/person. Everything listed here, plus bottled water, was included.

Kemeralti Market: Konak, Anafartalar Cd., 35250 Konak/İzmir, Türkiye. Open daily 8 AM – 7 PM. Free to enter. Safe. Bring cash and expect to bargain.

Oztat Kardesler: This is the doughnut maker’s corporate website.

Tarihi Basmane Lokmacisi: We visited the branch inside the Kemeralti market

Ayşa Bosnak Börekçisi: Anafartalar Caddesi Abacıoğlu Hanı No:228 Z15, Kemeraltı, Izmir, 35250, Türkiye (inside Kemeralti Market). No reservations.

Meşhur Kuyum Pide Salonu: Konak, 872. Sk. No:72, 35250 Konak/İzmir, Türkiye. Generally open 7 AM – 8 PM, slightly shorter on Sunday and slightly longer on Saturday.

Süt Çiçegi: We visited the small shop in Izmir’s Kemeralti market.

Sedir Aile Çay Bahcesi: Open 6 AM – 8 PM. Closed Sunday.