I will be visiting Istanbul for the first time in a few months. My husband and I love to eat and we have adventurous palates. We esp. enjoy cheap, non-touristy food, and street food.
Since I've never been to Turkey, I'm wondering if I should worry about food poisoning. Obviously we would practice common sense and drink bottled water and not eat undercooked meat, etc.
Has anyone had a problem with food poisoning?
Also, I'd love recommendations for tasty and budget friendly places to eat.
The best tasty and budget friendly place we ate at in Istanbul was the Sultanhamet Koftecisi on Divan Yalu across the tram tracks from the Hagia Sophia. I usually am not a chopped meat fan at all, but the meatballs and piyaz (white bean salad) were an excellent late lunch stop for us. It is listed in the Rick Steves' Istanbul guidebook (the only food place he mentions which we tried), but only locals were eating there when we visited. I also strongly recommend this guidebook for its excellent self-guided walks and tours.
Have a great trip; our four days there in September were barely enough to scratch the surface of this fantastic city.
Thanks for the reply and for the recommendation, Pamela. We will definetly check it out!
Yes, I am planning on buying the R.S. Istanbul, but waiting until the 2009 edition is out, which is shorty before out trip.
Did you have any problems with food poisoning or were you okay?
A friend of mine had terrible food poisoning in Istanbul. She believes it was from fresh squeezed orange juice.
I've had food poisoning three times when traveling: once in Turkey, once in Rome, and once in Denver.
It can happen anywhere, unfortunately. Adding up all my trips to Turkey, I've probably spent six months or so there, and I don't worry more about food poisoning in Turkey than elsewhere in Europe.
That said, whenever you are traveling, you can take steps to minimize your risk by not eating food that hasn't been cooked (or peeling your fruit before eating) and avoiding street stands where meat might be undercooked or not kept sufficiently cold before cooking. Also, you might think about taking along a small stash of immodium in case you get diarrhea at an inconvenient time--like the day you have to take a bus or train somewhere.
Fortunately, we had no problems at all with the food. We found it extremely fresh and non-greasy. The vegetables and grains are wonderful; I love eggplant and found it prepared in many interesting diverse ways. However, we never eat prepared foods from street vendors, but only eat at restaurants. Also, the yogurt with (honey-comb) honey is fantastic in Turkey, and I ate that for breakfast daily. Some say yogurt helps ward off stomach issues.
Thanks Pamela. I'll be sure and eat lots of honey, purely for medicinal purposes only!
Hey, just don't forget the yogurt part!!!
