Street food in Istanbul

Istanbul fast food is as ancient as the city on the shores of the Bosphorus itself. They cooked on the streets even during the time of the Roman Empire. The chronicles describe the craftsmen shops, among which explicitly refer to the street food vendors. In Constantinople, they sold fish, nuts, pastry, meat right on the streets... Much of the fast food traditions of antiquity was preserved to this day. And after the Byzantine cuisine was enriched by the influence of dozens of world cuisines, the food in Istanbul became the most delicious in Europe for sure. You can try on the streets of Istanbul...

Fish kebab

This is the most famous Istanbul fast food. And namely in Istanbul, because in other Turkish cities, located in the hinterland, fish is not so common. What is a fish kebab? It is the freshest fish caught in the Bosporus and fried right in front of you on the hot pan. The fish is placed into a huge loaf of white bread, flavored with lemon juice, salt and pepper. Then they add lettuce, tomatoes, sauce (if desired) and... Bon Appetit. It’s a real pleasure to eat such fish kebab on the Eminonu pier, watching the waves of the Bosphorus splashing under your feet... The cost of fish kebab is 4-5 lire (about $ 3) and it completely replaces the dinner.

Simit

Turks - this is also thanks to the legacy of Byzantium - love pastry. They have hundreds of species of sweet and salty baking. Turkish bread with olive paste is especially famous. But the king of street fast food is simit. This is a sort of fresh bread sprinkled with sesame seeds. Simit is very cheap - less than half a dollar, but very tasty. Turks like to drink ayran (milk product) with it.

Chestnuts and corn

They like chestnuts most of all in Istanbul (even Paris is left behind). They roast them on the streets, clean and sell by weight of 100, 200 and 300 g. You shouldn’t buy more, because chestnuts are rich in calories. You just won’t be able to eat more than 100-150 grams! Chestnuts are packed in cardboard bags. It brings a lot of fun to eat chestnuts, standing on the Galata Bridge and watching the townspeople who went out of their offices during the lunch break to catch fish in the Bosporus straight from the bridge... Corn is sold all year round, and it costs 1-2 lire (depending on season).

Kumpir

This is an unusual kind of fast food which is, nevertheless, easy to find: one can smell the baked potatoes from a huge desk counter... This potatoes with different fillings (up to thirty species) are called kumpir. They pick the best and biggest potatoes for this fast food, otherwise they won’t be able to put a filling in it. Different salads and sauces, meat and vegetables can serve as fillings. The price of such kumpir, which can replace a full meal, is from 3 to 7 lire (maximum $5).