5 dishes to try in Istanbul during your cruise stop

Istanbul is one of the most beautiful cruise stops, but also one where it’s easiest to fall into tourist traps. To eat well without wasting time, there’s only one rule: follow the locals among the stalls and port docks. If your layover only lasts a few hours, look for these five traditional tastes to experience an authentic experience.

Balık Ekmek: The bridge sandwich

It is Istanbul’s ultimate seafood street food. As you approach the Galata Bridge, you’ll immediately smell grilled fish. It’s a simple sandwich of crispy bread filled with a freshly grilled mackerel or wharf fish fillet, raw onion, fresh lettuce, and a generous squeeze of lemon juice. Eating it on the pier while watching boats cross the Bosphorus is a mandatory ritual for anyone arriving by sea.

Mıxım or Simit: The golden ring bread

You’ll see it everywhere on the typical red stalls with glass trays. The Simit is a crispy bread ring, dipped in molasses syrup before being covered with a cascade of toasted sesame seeds and baked. It’s golden, fragrant, and slightly sweet. It’s the perfect snack to munch on while walking towards the Grand Bazaar, perhaps accompanied by a glass of hot black tea (Çay).

Midye Dolma: Stuffed mussels

Street vendors selling mussels are a constant of the city’s nightlife and daytime. These are not just simple boiled mussels: the shell of the mollusk is opened and filled with a mixture of spiced rice, pine nuts, raisins, cinnamon, and aromatic herbs, then reassembled and steamed. They are eaten cold on the street: the vendor opens the mussel in front of you, uses half the shell as a spoon, and squeezes fresh lemon over it. One after another.

Manti: The ravioli of Anatolia

If you want to sit in a typical inn (a Lokanta), order Manti. They are tiny handmade dumplings, folded into small parcels and filled with spiced minced beef or lamb. The unique feature lies in the seasoning: they are served drenched in a double sauce based on garlic yogurt and hot oil flavored with paprika or dried mint. A creamy, savory, and comforting dish.

Baklava: The imperial sweetness

You cannot leave Turkey without tasting real Baklava. Forget the industrial and overly sweet ones found in supermarkets: in Istanbul, look for a historic pastry shop. These are layers of very thin filo pastry alternated with chopped Gaziantep pistachios (the best in the country) or walnuts, soaked in a light sugar syrup and clarified butter. Crunchy, juicy, and fragrant, it’s perfect with a strong Turkish coffee before getting back on the ship.

Bring a piece of Istanbul home: The Recipe for Stuffed Mussels (Midye Dolma) for 4 people

Reproducing the spiced rice of Istanbul’s mussels is very easy and brings an amazing scent of the East to your table.

Ingredients

• 1 kg fresh large mussels
• 150g short-grain rice (risotto type)
• 1 large golden onion (finely chopped)
• 1 tablespoon pine nuts and 1 tablespoon raisins
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon bay leaf/sweet spices
• Juice of 2 fresh lemons
• EVO oil, fresh parsley, salt and pepper to taste

Method

In a pan, sauté the chopped onion and pine nuts in plenty of EVO oil until golden. Add the rinsed rice, raisins, cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Mix well to toast the rice. Pour in about 150ml of hot water, cover, and let it cook over low heat until the rice has absorbed the liquid (it should remain very al dente). Turn off the heat and stir in the chopped parsley. Clean the mussel shells well. Very gently, open the mussel valve without fully detaching the two halves. Fill each mussel with a teaspoon of spiced rice and carefully close the shell by pressing it. Arrange the mussels tightly in a large pot with the points facing down. Cover with a plate to keep them in place, pour in two glasses of hot water and a drizzle of oil, cover with the lid, and cook over low heat for 15-20 minutes. Let them cool completely. Serve at room temperature accompanied by generous lemon wedges to squeeze just before eating.