When exploring the streets of Istanbul, there is never a dull moment. Whether you are hearing the call to prayer from the gorgeous mosques that dot the city skyline, a simitci (Turkish bagel vendor) calling you to his cart, the horns of a ferry announcing its arrival at the docks of the Bosphorus, or the honking taxi warning pedestrians to pick up the pace, your heart will be racing with excitement. And the smells, oh the smells! Perhaps the most iconic among them– the tantalizing aroma of döner kebap (doner kebab). As the combinations of lamb, beef, and chicken turn on their spits over open flames, you may find your mouth watering. Watching. Waiting patiently for the dönerci to shave thin slices of juicy meat into lavash, top with lettuce, tomato, onion, cucumber, generous squeezes of lemon, and sprinkle with sumac before handing it over to you with a smile.

Our Simits baked in local Turkish bakery full with Grape molasses and Ankara style (gevrek) Simit are a popular Turkish street food. Instead of being boiled like a bagel, the twisted circles of dough get a quick dip in diluted grape molasses before dredging in sesame seeds. The result is a crisp exterior and a light, delicate, and tender interior. It is the best breakfast in this world when accompanied by cheese, tomatoes, cucumber and a cup of tea. Although it's one of the best street foods in the country, it's possible to make it at home too.

Green plum is indispensable crunchy and sour fruit for summer months, it is the first harbinger of spring coming. The vitamin C, we need to consume every day, is abundant in green plums. Plum grown in almost every region of Turkey is mostly consumed as fresh fruit. Of course, it can also be stored in compote, molasses, jam, marmalade or dried. The most well-known plum varieties are known as life plum, damson plum and priest plum. Plum, which has a variety of colors and flavors from green to yellow, purple to red, is known to be a remedy for many problems.

Turkish cuisine, like the country of Turkey itself, bridges the Middle East and the Mediterranean, and one of its most representative dishes is a spicy beef sausage called "sucuk". Find out all about this meaty little sausage that packs a big punch of flavor and how you can use it to spice up your culinary adventures.