AYLİN ÖNEY TAN

Local is better AYLİN ÖNEY TAN

Local is better

Time for Christmas shopping! Edible gifts are the best, more so if lovingly homemade by the gift giver. Next best is carefully chosen special gifts, a hamper full of the best artisanal produce is ideal. This year I received such a hamper full of carefully chosen items from across the country, but it was not for Christmas or New Year, it was for the nationally celebrated “Week of Domestic Goods,” a week dedicated to celebrating local produce.

December 18 2022
Rabbit Blood, Rooster Tail AYLİN ÖNEY TAN

Rabbit Blood, Rooster Tail

A thin-waisted glass, tulip or pear shaped, glistening with a bright red, piping hot liquid inside. This is tea, as it is enjoyed in Türkiye and Azerbaijan. A shared culture with many similarities, two nations unite over a glass of tea, a vehicle of communication in both countries. Now, they have collaborated for a world-wide recognition of their shared tea culture, finally being included in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List. Tea culture of both countries is announced as a value representing the two countries, as a symbol of national identity, hospitality and social interaction.

December 11 2022
How do you know your coffee AYLİN ÖNEY TAN

How do you know your coffee?

December 5th is celebrated as the day of Turkish coffee, so there will be a lot of events and tastings across countries, sometimes arranged by the embassies and consulates of Türkiye. Earlier, in 2013, “Turkish Coffee Culture and Tradition” was the first beverage to be included in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list. It is a known fact that the whole world learned about coffee from the hands of the Turks. But in every country coffee went to, the way it was brewed and consumed, and of course, its taste has altered. Turkish-style coffee brewing known as Turkish coffee, is a unique form of coffee, from the way it is cooked to the way it is presented, from the laid-back idle way of consuming it to the fortunetelling that comes along. It is a strong tradition that still prevails, but it has also changed in the course of the centuries gone by. So, what has changed in Turkish coffee from the past to the present?

December 04 2022
Food for thought, drinks for taste AYLİN ÖNEY TAN

Food for thought, drinks for taste

The coming weekend, Dec. 3-4, will be painful for the gastronomy circles in Istanbul. People will be torn between two major events, a very dense, thought-provoking symposium with distinguished speakers, and a massive wine-tasting and judging event, which is like an annual meeting ground for wine connoisseurs from around the country. The first one is the second edition of Sapor Istanbul, and this year’s theme is Food & Migration, the second is the sixth edition of Sommelier’s Selection, the foremost wine event in Türkiye, which I happen to be a devoted follower every single year. Hard to choose, I will be religiously listening to Charles Perry, the guest of honor in the first event and also giving the closing speech, but will try to sneak into the other, to toss my glass with the amazing guest judges, and try not to miss checking their favorite bottles. Wish this weekend could be replicated or relived twice!

November 27 2022
Gastromasa is getting bigger AYLİN ÖNEY TAN

Gastromasa is getting bigger

Two weeks ago, at the SCWC Science and Food World Congress in Barcelona, there was a powerful speech given by Selassie Atadika, an African-American chef, but she cannot be considered solely as a chef but an important opinion leader.

November 20 2022
Food and Science in Barcelona AYLİN ÖNEY TAN

Food and Science in Barcelona

Once upon a time, Spain was a cheap travel destination in Europe, where tourists would happily dine with fried seafood or potatoes and gulp down pitches of Sangria, but at some point, there was a sharp change. The country made a big breakthrough in the field of gastronomy and became one of the most important gastronomy destinations in the world. Talented and creative star chefs have a big share in this. But there is also research and science behind their success.

November 13 2022
Comfy coffee AYLİN ÖNEY TAN

Comfy coffee

We are in the age of coffee. In our hectic urban lives, coffee has become an essential fuel for working minds; we seem to grab a cup on the go from a coffee corner shop and keep going. Coffee chains have become a ubiquitous feature of our cities, most offering more or less standard fare with boring sameness, in unassuming settings. Though we find comfort in coffee, it is doubtful that we are comfortable in those coffee corners. They seem to be far away from the coziness of home.

November 06 2022
4 Chefs, 4 Writers, 8 Countries AYLİN ÖNEY TAN

4 Chefs, 4 Writers, 8 Countries

Recently, Ankara witnessed a very interesting culinary and literary event on Sept. 19. Embassies of eight countries from Latin America and Europe came together under the EULAT4Culture project. Four Latin American chefs and four European writers bridged cultures together through food and literature. The unifying power of food brought together eight countries across continents, working together in Ankara.

October 30 2022
‘Tutti Frutti’ list AYLİN ÖNEY TAN

‘Tutti Frutti’ list

The highly awaited Istanbul Michelin stars have been announced. The Michelin Guide, one of the world’s leading restaurant rating systems, came to Türkiye, but currently only for the city of Istanbul. Covering the whole of Türkiye will take place in the coming years, and the Istanbul list will be renewed every year. There will be new entrants to the list, as well as those who will lose their position. A total of 53 restaurants were selected in the first edition of Michelin Istanbul Guide, no three stars were awarded and the only two stars were given to Fatih Tutak’s Turk, and four restaurants got one star, namely Araka, Neolokal, Nicole and Mikla, and the Bib Gourmand list covered 10 restaurants. Neolokal also received a Green Star for sustainability, a Young Chef Award to Mürver, and the Michelin Service Award went to Sunset Grill& Bar. The arrival of Michelin to Istanbul was declared by the end of April, and the results were announced on Oct. 11. The list stirred hot discussions, and many food writers condemned the list as being far from accurate, missing many places worthy of entering the list, and being unbalanced. Of course, as always, some of the criticisms are biased and reflect only the view of the commentator, but it is also obvious that the prestigious guide could not avoid the pitfalls of judging Istanbul’s culinary scene in such a short time.

October 16 2022