2018 Eastern Mediterranean Trip - Day 37, Izmir Foodie Experience Phots

Okay!

Let's see if we can over come the Internet Beast!

On our arrival

Our boutique hotel host stops in the village to pick up fresh cherries and plums

This is a major fruit growing area

We ate at the hotel that night

There was a wonderful spread of mezzes

Mushroom, eggplant, carrot in yogurt, and greens

A vegetable soup

AND our first Kebap! (grilled meat)

In this case Kibbeh or meatballs

Our breakfast presented us with a similar spread 

Two kinds of butter, a tomato spread, various cheeses, four preserves made locally, a tomato and chile compote

There was also eggs and fried Turkish sausage

Then it was on to Izmir, third largest city in Turkey for a day in the market

After going through a square

 Our guide stopped at one of these carts that has a variety of baked goods that people eat on the go for breakfast or for a snack or light lunch

Then we wandered through the market keeping open to the photo opportunities

Complete with call to prayer

 

Breakfast (#2) is served

 

Our guide Isik

Next a pastry break

Put these semolina based sweets on the long list of Eastern Med sweets we're not fond of

How do you tell a coffee place?

By its colorful seating

Only the coffee places have this

You want Kebap?

Damn straight we want Kebap

One of the big reasons for visiting Turkey again

Seafood break

Mussels two ways

You know the fruit paper you bought for your kids?

This is the real deal - grape juice cooked long and slow until it could be put into solid form

No food tour is complete without guts

This is some kind of kebap of intestines

Not bad...wouldn't get it again

Basically a slow cooked milk pudding that is purposely slightly burnt on the bottom

Last but not least

One of those wonderful experiences we are always looking for

We were taken to this tiny shop where a man makes marzipan in a traditional method

Evidently his candies are sought out by people around the world

He was the most lovely person