The Sweet Happy Ever After
To end your food adventure with a little temptation and something sweet. You do not have to look far as there is a Pastane or sweet shop on almost every corner with endless amounts of Baklava, Börek, Katmer, and Kazandibi on display, to name a few to whet your appetite.
İstanbul's most famous dessert is undoubtedly the delicious Baklava. Made from incredibly thin layers of dough stacked on top of each other and then covered in sugar syrup, baklava is a treat for all dessert lovers. Good baklava is delicate, the butter comes out and your fingers are not stuck with syrup. Baklava comes in all shapes and is offered with different nut fillings like walnut or pistachios.
Turkish Delight or Lokum is, to put it simply, a sweet treat. High-quality varieties consist largely of chopped dates, pistachios, hazelnuts, or walnuts bound by the gel; traditional varieties are often flavoured with rosewater, mastic gum, bergamot orange, or lemon.
Two things make the Künefe a special Turkish dessert: you eat it warm, and it has a filling of melted cheese. This is not cheese like the ricotta in cannoli or the cream cheese in a cheesecake. The cheese is in the middle of two Kadayıf - Kataifi slices, which are made of delicate strands of dough. Kataifi has a wonderful texture and also absorbs syrup very well.
For the more unusual, Pişmaniye is a dreamy Turkish treat, a cross between candyfloss and helva. It is made from spun sugar and toasted flour with butter.
On the signs of many eateries, you will find the reference to lokma. Lokma is a popular deep-fried doughnut dish and means "bite" in Turkish. These bite-sized dumplings are soaked in honey syrup. They are crispy, soft, and juicy at the same time - what's not to love? Excellent Lokma can be found at Galata Bridge, near the Ekmek Balık vendors and Şalgam carts.
The dense, silky Dondurma is a delight and unlike any other ice cream, you have ever tasted. Originating from the town of Maraş, Dondurma is thickened with sahlep - the crushed root of a wild orchid. It is so thick that the traditional "dondurma" vendors in Maraş even hang it on hooks.
In İstanbul, the "dondurma" make fun of it by twirling and flinging the cones around. The elastic dondurma ice cream does not fall out of the cone and makes for an entertaining spectacle. The texture makes it unique among ice creams, and it is a delicious treat, especially if you are looking for the best food in İstanbul to try on a hot afternoon.
