Private Market Tour and Cooking Class with Berhan

Start your adventure with a trip to the weekly farmers market in Besiktas Pazarı where Berhans buys all of her fruit, vegetables and fish, every Saturday. Berhan uses only fresh ingredients and on this tour you will discover regional Turkish produce and how to purchase them. The market has two floors; the top floor sells clothes and gözleme (traditional Turkish pastry), and the ground floor is filled with seasonal fruits, vegetables, nuts and pulses. Explore the market together with Berhan and then return to Berhan's home, a 15-minute walk, to begin your cooking class and meal. Join Berhan in her small kitchen to learn how to make 1-2 traditional Turkish dishes that you will eat together later. As Berhan's kitchen is small, you will do most of the prep work outside, in the dining area, and use the kitchen for the final cooking. You can expect to learn Berhan's mother's recipe for traditional dolma or sarma (stuffed grape leaves with minced vegetables and rice), one of Berhan's favorite dishes. Enjoy the meal you helped prepare which might include dishes such as yogurt and chickpea soup, kisir (bulgur salad), kofte (meatballs), borek (crispy Turkish pastry), manti (traditional Turkish dumplings) and traditional tarhana (a delicious green lentil soup only available in the winter). Your meal will end with a dessert of either kazandibi (caramelized milk pudding) or asure (a sweet pudding of grains and dried fruit). Turkish cuisine is about vegetables, fish, meat, rice and Turkish meze (like tapas) all cooked in pure olive oil or butter, and Berhan delights in meeting new people and sharing Turkish dishes like these with travelers from around the world.