Apart from the many sights that someone has to visit, Istanbul is also known for its desserts that every visitor has to try. There are countless desserts but the city is more famous for its syrup desserts rather than the chocolate. Below we present you the most important dessert dishes that you have to try during your trip for which you won’t be disappointed!
Baklava
We couldn’t omit the most important dessert of Istanbul! Baklava originated from the Ottoman Empire and is usually made with peanuts. Recently people make it with walnuts, something that drives everyone crazy! The most famous pastry shop is Karakoy Gulluoglu, it has operated since 1949 and serves thousands of pieces of baklava. The crispy pastry sheet in combination with the fragrant butter and the tasty peanut are the reason that many people visit this place daily!
Turkish delight
Turkish delights are either loved or hated. But when it comes to a traditional Turkish delight everything changes. Turkish delights are made of honey or molasses and then any kind of flavour can be added such as rosewater, orange, lemon, ginger and many others. You can also enjoy your Turkish delight with caster sugar, as the initial version, or with coconut and nuts. Turkish delights are always a traditional dessert for any time of the day.
Kazandibi
Kazadibi is a dessert with a long history. Sultan asked the imam to make a cream for him, but the imam burned the buffalo milk and he named it “kazandibi” , that is the bottom of the pot to justify himself. Since then the dessert has had many admirers and it is undeniably a delicious one!
Orchid Ice-Cream (Dondurma)
Dondurma in Turkish means ice-cream. Greek people are used to refer to ‘dondurma’ and mean the clotted ice-cream (also known ‘kaymak’) which is made with milk, sugar, orchis and mastic. Serving this dessert is a ritual process. The seller wears a fez, a traditional vest and mixes the ingredients with a pole, he throws it up in the air and then places it in the ice-cream cone. Thus, do not try this dessert in a pastry shop but choose to buy it from a seller in the street so as to admire the show as well.
Orchis (Salep)
Finally, we have the flavoured and loved orchis. Orchis is a hot beverage that has the orchid as its basic component which is used in order to make the milk more thick before adding the sugar and the cinamon. It is usually consumed during the winter. You can also find it in many shops, but hawkers sell it as well.
