Kurtulus #3 - more new foods

Who knew there were tiny restaurants in Istanbul serving only offal? We tried grilled lamb heart and fried lamb liver. But at least as interesting were the drinks. Salgam is a favorite Turkish juice made of purple carrots, turnips and pickle juice. One sip was enough for us. We also tried a yogurt and salt drink which wasn’t too bad.
Then to a tradesmen’s restaurant for their Kurdish/Armenian daily specials and on to a Jewish-owned coffee shop for a yummy sahlep - warm milk, wild orchid root and cinnamon. Dessert was yet another shop for Gullah (rice wafers soaked in sweet milk with pistachios and rose water) and Kazandibi ( a sweet milk pudding made with rice starch and chicken breast!).
Last, but not least, it was headed towards dinner time so we stopped for some vegetarian mezzas.
A really fun day but we won’t be needing or wanting dinner tonight.Read more