Safe eating in Istanbul

I spent about 2 weeks in Turkey and didn't get sick until my last day. However, we had just spent 4 days in Selcuk before returning to Istanbul so most likely I slipped up there or picked up some kind of illness. Of course, don't risk it if you're not able to deal with missing a day of fun if you get sick!

Thanks for your reply. Do you remember if you ate any raw vegetables or fruit? Also did you try any of the ice cream from the outside stands? I also read somewhere this can cause some stomach trouble.

I ate raw fruits and vegetables only in hotels and what appeared to be clean restaurants (per the RS book). I did get fresh pomegranate juice once from a stand, but I regretted it because they don't strain the juice.

The reason RS gives for not eating stuff is that the water used to wash them isn't potable.

I don't recall eating any raw fruits, vegetables or ice cream from the street vendors but know that we ate anything we wanted from the restaurants.

You will probably be OK eating whatever you'd like, with emphasis on the word "probably". I've never taken any precautions in my travels to Turkey and never had a problem in Istanbul. However, many years ago I picked up giardia in the greater-Adana area from what was probably fresh produce washed with water that was not clean. That was the same trip where I inadvertently ate cig kofte (raw lamb meatballs), so that could have been a factor too. Anyway - I think you'll be fine eating whatever you'd like in cities and bigger towns. In smaller villages you might want to stick to fully cooked items and bottled water.

Bon appetite!

Rick's (and his Turkish co-authors') recommendations against drinking tap water are just for Istanbul, where the population is growing faster than the infrastructure, not for the rest of western Turkey. I have eaten and drunk everything in Turkey without issue on three visits. I did avoid Istanbul tap water on the last trip, based on that advice, but still ate salads in restaurants.

We've been to Turkey twice and have eaten ice cream from the outdoor stands and fruit from markets. We did not have any problems but they could happen to anyone at any time.