For international visitors and foodies in Turkey, a good way to experience the country’s culinary diversity is by participating in one of the programs available at the Istanbul Culinary Institute. The Institute has just announced their line-up of summer and fall programs featuring culinary tours throughout the southeastern and central regions of Turkey.
Three-Day Culinary Tour of Gaziantep with food writer Filiz Hosukoglu – September 16-18: The tour includes air travel from Istanbul; city sightseeing tours and exploration of the food bazaar and coppersmiths’ market; visits to the numerous museums; plenty of time for shopping; and plenty of food experiences. Culinary experiences include meals in noted restaurants serving signature regional dishes, a home-cooked lunch, baklava making, a pistachio harvest, and much more. The package also includes two nights' accommodations; all breakfasts, lunches and dinners, guide services and travel insurance.
Three-Day Culinary Tour of Konya, led by Nevin Halici, an expert on Turkish cuisine and chef and food writer Hande Bozdogan – October 1-3: The tour gives a sampling of tastes from Turkey’s Seljuk period. The program includes a visit to the women’s market, a walking tour of the Konya bazaar, a visit to Çatalhöyük (the first Neolithic settlement in Anatolia from the Hittite period) and numerous tastings of everything from baked kebab to Sufi rice, plus meals at leading Konya restaurants. The tour includes airfare from Istanbul, two nights' accommodations, all meals, guide services and travel insurance.
A Crash Course in Turkish Cooking – July 26-30 and August 2-6: This intensive five-day culinary experience includes 25 hours of study, food preparation and eating. Day one features mezes and vegetables, including eggplant salad, spicy tomato salad, lentil patties, stuffed eggplant and artichokes. On day two, savory pastries and pasta are featured, including miniature dumplings called manti, homemade börek dough (savoury pastry), and phyllo pastry. Stuffed vegetable dishes, including grape leaves, peppers, tomatoes and eggplant are on the schedule for day three, followed by meat dishes on day four and finally, day five focuses on rice dishes, or pilaf, including eggplant, tomato and bulgur rice pilafs and special stuffings.
To learn more about the Istanbul Culinary Institute or to book a culinary experience, visit: www.istanbulculinary.com/eng or e-mail [email protected].
