Food in İstanbul Hits Hard and So Does Inflation

Understanding rising costs through a tourist's eyes.

Dec 09, 2024

Halo and happy Monday! Fabi here, writing to you from Jakarta Selatan.

If this is the first time you’re here - welcome to Kepayang! This is where I write essays on food, culture, and sustainability every two weeks (that’s the aim). But other than that, Kepayang is also a vibrant community too. We’re a bunch of food enthusiasts, creatives, and geeks who love a good chat.

Today’s newsletter is all about the food I enjoyed in İstanbul that truly sparked joy. While some of these dishes were familiar, experiencing firsthand how inflation affects every meal was entirely new to me. And I feel that I had to share this with you. Some might find this topic a bit heavy, but it’s a reflection of the harsh reality in Türkiye. I hope you enjoy the read!

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Gözleme

The first morning in İstanbul, the weather was not it. It had rained the night before, so all I could see were wet roads and grey skies. And to top it off, it was 8°C even though it was already 9 in the morning. For an Indonesian like me, that’s super cold.

My family and I decided to get gözleme in Yiğit Sofram Gözleme ve Kahvaltı — just a kilometre from our hotel in the Taksim area. Even though the walk there was freezing, we still enjoyed it because the neighbourhood was so pretty. Charming streets, lots of cats, and giant Turkish flags randomly hanging every few blocks.

The menu translated gözleme as a pancake, but I’d probably describe it more like a thin crepe. They’re pan-fried and stuffed with all kinds of fillings - everything from chicken and lamb to vegetarian-friendly options like spinach and feta cheese.

The crepe itself is slightly crispy, and the texture of the inside reminds me of paratha bread, but less flaky and greasy. The filling was super savoury. The spinach was soft, silky, and almost buttery, while the feta added a nice crumbly texture and just a hint of funkiness.

One serving of gözleme cost us ₺230, which honestly caught me off guard. Not because it’s an unreasonable price to pay, but the last time I checked the price, it was no way near two hundred.

"Is this price correct?" I asked Ibu (my mother) to double-check, to which she responded with a head shake, as she wasn’t sure either. My first instinct was to check Google Maps for the menu, and that’s when I realised that the price I had seen earlier, ₺80, was from May 2023. Meaning that in just 19 months, the price had almost tripled.

And all of this, is brought to us by: 🌠 Inflation 🌠

In case you don’t know what inflation is (I don’t judge), it’s when the price of things you buy goes up over time. Just like the gözleme! It’s not because the gözleme suddenly became better or bigger, it’s because that money doesn’t stretch as far as it used to. Inflation is bound to happen, and when it does, ideally, it happens at around 2% per year. In Türkiye in 2022, the annual inflation rate hit a 25-year record high of 86%. That is crazy high.

But anyway, if crumbly cheese isn’t your thing, you can also get your gözleme with cheddar cheese, which is just as good but gives you a totally different vibe with its melty texture. Yum!

Simit and Çay

After we had our gözleme, we decided to walk across the Galata Bridge to the other side of the city, where the main sightseeing spots like the Grand Bazaar, Hagia Sophia, and the Blue Mosque are located. We could have taken the tram to cross the bridge, but we thought it would be nicer to stroll, enjoy the scenic harbour view, and watch people fishing.

One of the snacks we’d been eyeing was simit, a Turkish bread often compared to a bagel. It’s round and slightly crispy on the outside. I imagined that if it were freshly baked, the inside would be soft and steamy. But with it being 10°C now, I didn’t have high expectations for that.

The bread itself is quite plain — slightly salty, with just a hint of yeast. You could eat it on its own, with a spread of cream cheese, or my personal favourite: a knock-off Nutella. Probably a home brand, but they still call it Nutella. The real highlight was definitely the sesame seeds, which gave off a pleasant, nutty, and toasty aroma that comes in every bite. As someone who gets hungry every few hours, simit was a solid, fulfilling snack.

On the way to our dinner place, we took the ferry to the Ortaköy area.

This wasn’t the fastest or most affordable transportation option from Eminönü. For comparison:

A bus costs ₺20 and gets you from Eminönü to Ortaköy in about 30 minutes.
A ferry? You’d be lucky to pay 1.5 times the bus fare, and it takes around 40 minutes.

As a tourist, I’m thankful that I don’t need to do much maths in my head. What I did know was that I wanted to enjoy a scenic sunset ferry ride, snuggled in my winter coat (the one I only get to use once every few years) while sipping fresh hot çay served on board.

For locals, however, even a small price difference in their daily commute can make a big impact.

This is especially true after the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality’s Transportation Coordination Center announced a significant increase in public transportation fees last July. Prices for buses, taxis, and ferries has gone up by up to 22%, which has definitely made commuting more challenging for many.

Look at these tiny cups! Perfect for a petite guy like me!

İçli Pide

We arrived in the Ortaköy area around 7 PM. The sun had already set, and the wind felt even stronger than before. We hadn’t planned to eat dinner here, but since we took the later ferry, our stomach already growled the moment we stepped off the boat.

The area near the ferry station was lined with stalls selling the same thing: kumpir. I’d read about kumpir before, and honestly, the idea of a loaded baked potato on a cold, windy evening sounded perfect. But something about the sellers shouting to grab our attention made me feel uncomfortable, so we decided to skip that street and look for another place to eat.

Finding a restaurant in Ortaköy wasn’t difficult at all, but finding one that worked for everyone — especially me — was another story. Most places in the area didn’t have vegetarian options, and while I still eat seafood, the seafood restaurants here were on the pricier side. Thankfully, we stumbled upon an içli pide spot called Elise Karadeniz Pide & Lahmacun, which turned out to be just what we needed.

The word içli means ‘stuffed’, while pide is a type of Turkish flatbread. So you guessed it, both combined are essentially a ‘stuffed flatbread’. I mean, it’s closer to ‘topped’ than ‘stuffed’, but you get it. It’s a bread loaded with all sorts of toppings.

My family got the chicken one, and I’m getting another spinach and cheese after having the same combination earlier this morning. Not complaining. From the looks of it, I could tell the bread had likely been egg-washed or brushed with oil before baked — the golden, glistening crust was a giveaway.

The texture? It was more crunchy than soft, which was a great contrast to the stretchy and soft fillings that I got. As for the taste, it was simple but satisfying: leafy greens, savoury melty cheese, and just a touch of oil and salt. What elevated the dish, though, were the sides: tangy cabbage pickles and a sprinkle of smoked chilli flakes. The chilli flakes were a game-changer.

That night, we were the only table dining there.

It was nice that it gave us the chance to chat a little bit with the staff. But I’m not going to lie — it’s a bit eerie, and also heartbreaking to see all the empty tables. It might just be the fact that we were there on a random Tuesday where people chose to stay in. But it can also be because generally, people are being more cautious about how they spend their money.

A 2022 survey revealed that “two-thirds of people in Türkiye are struggling to pay for food and cover their rent”.

Unfortunately, the situation doesn’t seem to have improved in 2024. Inflation data from this year tells the same story: the ‘Dining and Lodging’ category has experienced a 47% inflation rate, while the ‘Residence-Electricity-Gas’ category went to over 60%, the highest among all expenditure groups (ING, 2024). For locals, this likely means dining out has shifted from being a common activity to a rare luxury, and managing household expenses has become an increasingly difficult challenge.

Can we do something to help?

Well, I’m not an economist or whatever, but I know that for tourists like myself, I’m lucky that the higher prices did not affect my short-term plans drastically. So if you get the chance to visit Türkiye, be sure to keep these in mind:

💪 Support Local Businesses: Prioritise buying your souvenirs, produce, goods, and accommodations from local businesses. This ensures your money stays within the community rather than benefiting larger chains. Bonus points if you choose family-owned businesses!
💵 Tip When You Can: While tipping isn’t a strong custom here, even a small tip can go a long way. If you have a little extra to spare, it’s a thoughtful way to show your support.
🤚 Avoid Bargaining: Bargaining is part of the culture in places like the Grand Bazaar, but it’s important to approach it respectfully, or even better, don’t do it at all. Some stalls now display “no bargaining” signs too — so please respect them.
🤲 Donate: If you’re able, consider giving to local charities or community initiatives that focus on food security, housing, or education.

Did you learn something new today? Let me know in the comments too which of the Turkish food above you wanted to try first! Me? I’ll go with the chonky baklavas.