Turkish Coffee
but pizza fritta is a treat you can’t pass up.
Ricotta cheese, a pinch of black pepper and
other pizza toppings are sealed in a pocket
of dough before being quickly baptized in a
fryer. The final result is taste-bud divinity.
The Venue Worth a Visit — Antica
Pizzeria Port’Alba: Widely respected as
the world’s first pizzeria, Antica Pizzeria
Port’Alba has been in operation since 1738;
a visit here is a necessary pilgrimage for any
pizza aficionado. Today, despite the historic
prestige, the ambiance is no-frills — but the
food is downright majestic.
ISTANBUL
The Can’t-Miss Staple — Dondurma:
Were you expecting baklava or Turkish
Delight to top the list? Dondurma simply
proves too unique to miss. Three factors
separate dondurma from traditional ice
cream. First, salep (powdered orchid bulbs)
makes dondurma thick and firm — thick
enough to be cut with a knife. Second,
mastic sap is added to provide flavor and
ample amounts of elasticity. Those two
ingredients, plus the vendors kneading the
ice cream with metal rods, ultimately make
a frozen concoction that’s thick, chewy and
decadent. The dondurma vendors playing
keep-away with your cone whilst serving it
is just an added layer of fun to the treat —
the proverbial cherry on top.
The Treat You Wouldn’t Think to Try
— Tavuk Göğsü: This dessert is one of
those dishes you might hesitate to order,
but would be crazy not to try while in
port. The recipe for tavuk göğsü is simple
enough, even if the preparation is not:
Chicken breasts are added to a pot of
boiling milk and sugar, only to be manually
dissolved (pummeled) once it’s all cooled
down. Then, the mixture is poured into
a tray and cooked on a stove before being
transferred to a final tray, sliced into pieces
and topped with cinnamon. With a flavor
profile and mouthfeel somewhere between
rice pudding and flan, it’s far sweeter than
you ever expected chicken to be and pairs
wonderfully with the robust flavors of
Turkish coffee.
The Venue Worth a Visit —
Mandabatmaz: Turkish coffee is the
lifeblood of Istanbul — even if finding
a quality cup can sometimes prove
challenging. The key to Turkish coffee
is that the beans (finely ground to the
point of powder) are brewed within the
cup, resulting in a thick froth at the top
packing a flavorful punch. Mandabatmaz,
a tiny café tucked away in an alley of
Beyoğlu, roughly translates to “the buffalo
will not sink” — a literal guarantee to
the strength of the froth and the quality
of coffee. Most of the patrons will savor
their coffee while on small stools in the
alleyway, enjoying a small respite from the
bustle of Istanbul.
2020 VIP CRUISE COLLECTION | 53