That Istanbul enters the Michelin Guide only means one thing: we have a new reason to surrender to the Turkish city.
And soon the pins on the map will put names and surnames on exact stops where we can surrender to the most demanding culinary pleasures of this new gastronomic destination.
The prestigious guide will announce the first recommended places next October 11th. Until then we can only say that the metropolis has already become 38th gastronomic destination of the Michelin Guide , after Dubai and Estonia, announced in March and April.
Without a doubt, Istanbul is one of those cities where the gastronomy flood the road at all times. The streets smell of ancient recipes, the markets are endless spices and in the stalls the expertise is named after Kebab, Lahmacun, Borek either baklava.
Baklava at a stall in Istanbul.
This cuisine has been "driven by ancestral traditions that have shaped a unique culinary identity , as well as by young talents open-minded and full of creativity," that Istanbul's food scene "simply has amazed our inspectors ”, declared Gwendal Poullennec, international director of the Michelin Guides.
“Today, with the arrival of the Michelin Guide, it is shown as a world-class culinary destination for all gastronomy lovers”, he added.
From recipes from vegetable ingredients , including an incredible offer of dolmas, mezes and salads, even preparations of fish and meat cuts top quality, without forgetting its innumerable desserts , where fresh and dehydrated fruit take center stage; classical Turkish repertoire covers a wide spectrum with a Impressive variety and culinary techniques.
Balık ekmek street food stall in Istanbul.
Jewels that remind us to what extent Istanbul always has made the act of eating a true way of life.
A RICH GASTROCITY
This new inclusion of Istanbul in the Michelin Guide as a gastrocity will make "our businesses, which stand out for their originality, diversity, sustainability and creativity enter the world scene with a totally new perspective”, agreed the Minister of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Turkey, Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, during the meeting on the inclusion of Istanbul in the Guide.
That Istanbul becomes a Gastrocity “shows that Turkey it is also at the forefront of gastronomic tourism ", he added. In fact, the minister is sure that the city offers countless opportunities,“ not only to enjoy with traditional Turkish dishes, but also with the best of world cuisine”.
B93758 The Blue Mosque or Sultan Ahmet Mosque 1609 1616 restaurant Sultanahmet District Istanbul Turkey
CENTURIES OF IDENTITY
With a creative culinary culture , dynamic and original that unites the past and the future, Istanbul has fascinated for centuries with its history, culture and intercultural identity.
In the end, as capital of empires Throughout history, the city has long been the starting point for gastronomic traditions that spanned continents, as well as the cradle of celebrated palatial kitchens.
As Poullennec correctly pointed out, "for centuries, Istanbul has amazed the world with its history, its culture and its multicultural personality. From the Golden Horn and on both sides of the Bosphorus, this gate of humanity it has facilitated dialogue between continents and has brought people closer through its know-how, its traditions and its recipes from here and there".
Spices in a bazaar in Istanbul.
The Michelin Guide's special selection for Istanbul is expected to become one more excuse to visit the city. These first restaurants will be announced at a ceremony organized by Michelin on October 11, 2022.
Where will the shots go? The guide already advances that "the most daring, innovative and open to the world proposals, born from the talent of Turkish and foreign chefs full of creativity" offer unique synergies "from the picturesque alleys of Sultanahmet and Pera even the animated ones Karakoy, Moda or Cihangir districts”.