Spice Tasting at the Spice Bazaar and Cooking Class in a Turkish Home on Asian side of Istanbul
What Guests Love
- Market spice sampling
- Small hands‑on class
- Friendly knowledgeable host
- Authentic home‑cooked Turkish dishes
Guests say the experience begins with a lively spice market tour, followed by a ferry ride to a welcoming Turkish home where a small, hands‑on cooking session unfolds. The host team is praised for their friendliness and clear guidance, making the simple recipes easy to follow. Participants enjoy authentic home‑style Turkish dishes and leave with recipes to recreate the flavors, describing the day as a memorable highlight of their visit.
What to Expect
Learn the secrets of a cuisine relished within all corners of Turkey but rarely experienced by outsiders.
After we meet we will stop for a Spice tasting session in a Spice shop that has been there since 5 generations.
Then we will take a ferry to the Asian side of Istanbul. We will teach you how to make a traditional home-cooked Turkish meal. For lunch, you will savor what you have cooked!
Dishes are approachable and easy to replicate in your home country. Detailed recipe booklets are offered to keep. We shop daily for her groceries so the ingredients are seasonal and fresh.
Menu
A sample menu might include a choise of 6 dishes from below:
- Crispy cheese and herb filled pastry rolls or Flaky Turkish Borek with feta and herb filling or Zucchini flan with feta cheese and herbs
- Bulgur wheat salad- Kısır or Carrots with a garlic infused in yogurt and tahini dressing or Cacik
- Leeks ,green beans, celery root or artichokes in olive oil
- Purslane Salad with mint and yoghurt or Green Olive Salad with sumac and pomegranate molasses
- Spicy bulgur pilaf or Tomato rice pilaf or pilaf with Orzo
- Split Belly Eggplant stuffed with meat – Karniyarik or Aromatic Rice Stuffed Bell Peppers or Zucchini stuffed with meat, rice and herbs in a tomato sauce or Sea Bass with vegetables or Eggplant in Earthenware casserole with lamb or Swiss Chard rolls
- Apricots stuffed with Kaymak ( clotted cream) or Roasted Figs infused in honey with bay leaves or Revani - Turkish Semolina sponge cake
Schedule
- 10:00 am: Meeting in front of the Spice Bazaar.
- 10:30 am: We'll take the ferry to the Asian side where we'll have the cooking class.
- 11:00 am: Start cooking.
- 1:00 pm: We'll sit down together and taste the dishes you've cooked.
- 2:30 pm: You'll go back to the European side by ferry
Meeting Point
At 10:00 am we meet in front of the Spice Bazaar, also known as the Egyptian Market, which is located just across the street from the Galata bridge on the Old City side of the Golden Horn, along Ragip Gumuspala Caddesi. The Spice Bazaar (called Misir Carsisi in Turkish) is set back from the road and shares a piazza with a large mosque called Yeni Cami (Yeni mosque). We meet just to the right of the entrance to the Bazaar where there is also a little supermarket here with a red and blue sign saying "Itimat".
Included Highlights
Additional Information
Confirmation
You will receive the confirmation of your booking within 24 hours.
Free Cancellation
Full refund will be issued for cancellation made at least 48 hours prior to the activity.
Guest Photos
Guest Reviews
Select a date
Featured In
