Dumbing Down Food

[sharencrane]

Does anyone else find this, or is it just happening in the more touristy areas?

Whenever I order what I think to be a traditional Turkish meal, I find that it has been dumbed down to suit a rather bland English pallet.

I have eaten traditional food for many years whenever we have visited with our friends Mustafa and Neriman, so I am expecting something of a similar ilk to what Neriman has always prepared for us and when it arrives in the restaurant I am more often than not disappointed.

[sarah]

I've found a similar problem in the hardcore tourist areas. I would die without my Turkish food and much prefer it to English grub. So it is a real dissappointment when my hot and spicy adana kebap comes with hardly any chilli. This is not the only meal either that is spoiled.

In my village we are not over run with tourists, and adana kebap is likely to blow the top of your head off, just the way its meant to be and the way I love

I think many of the restaurants in the tourist resorts are trying to cater for such a wide variety of customers, that they are focussed on quantity not quality.

Have a look for the more traditional restaurants, like ones you see the locals using, soup kitchens, late night cafes etc. They might not look as flash as the big tourist restaurants, but the traditional meals are lovely, and a lot cheaper too!

Sarah

[sharencrane]

Michael and I go to a great pide restaurant in Fethiye called Nefis Pide. Its right in the middle of the old town and next door to the Mosque. We pay less than £1 for a simple pide and the food is superb.

I am so pleased that I am not the only one to have noticed the difference in traditional food and the tourist version.

[sixy]

This year we found a lovely little place to eat in Icmeler, called Cafe Rose. She cooks a typically Turkish meal in her house and serves it up in her garden. The food was so nice.
I have noticed more Pide restaurants opening up in Icmeler. We went to one in Marmaris reccommended to us by a local, I was asked if I wanted chili's I said yes and boy did it blow my head off, but beautiful.
When in Turkey you should be able to eat Turkish anywhere but so many tourists want chips with everything or Macdonalds and will not even try the delicious food on offer, their loss I say.
Jean

[marmaris98]

the black stone resturant in marmaris used to serve the best adana kebap but this year it has changed hands and no longer serve it . so if anyone knows where i can get a good one in august 06 please let me know.

[Emma]

my friend and her Turkish hubby are opening a restaurant next season in Marmaris, I'll let you know where it is when I find out

[Emma]

I also have to agree, most touristy areas (not just Turkey) are either abandoning local dishes altogether or producing versions to satisfy tourists' palates.
I'm all for a good choice of international cuisine, but i can get McDonalds and the like at home, I'd rather sample dishes from the country I'm staying in

[marmaris98]

emma said:

my friend and her Turkish hubby are opening a restaurant next season in Marmaris, I'll let you know where it is when I find out

just found this : thanks , i hope you don't forget, my mouth is watering at the thought.
the brothers, just opposite the corner karacan, do a very nice anatolian, oh and george clooney will be there

[Emma]

marmaris98 said:

emma said:

my friend and her Turkish hubby are opening a restaurant next season in Marmaris, I'll let you know where it is when I find out

just found this : thanks , i hope you don't forget, my mouth is watering at the thought.
the brothers, just opposite the corner karacan, do a very nice anatolian, oh and george clooney will be there

I won't be able to forget, she lives next door and is counting down the days ;D

[marmaris98]

sent this somewhere else , dozy me, great is she going for the start of the season?

[Emma]

She's hoping to though her hubby is already over there with their little girl