İzmir, the city and the region of the same name on the Aegean coast, has been a center of Turkish food for millennia. The archeological excavation of Klazomenai, an Ionian city under the modern town of Urla, revealed evidence of the earliest-known large-scale olive oil production site, dating back to 6th century B.C. It’s just one location, along with the ancient cities of Ephesus (the home of the Temple of Artemis) and Pergamon (a UNESCO World Heritage site), that draws history buffs to the region.
But the blissful Aegean coastline also brings in plenty of visitors more interested in its contemporary culture than its ruins, especially the region’s cuisine. Walking the streets of İzmir, visitors are surrounded by vendors selling gevrek (circular, sesame seed-covered bread also called simit), kumda kahve (cups of Turkish coffee heated in sand), midye dolma (rice-stuffed mussels), various lamb offal dishes, and şambali (dense, syrupy semolina-yogurt cake). Balık pişiricisi, small fish eateries that grill and fry the daily catch, are as ubiquitous as fast food is elsewhere.
The city of İzmir is just the start, though. It also acts as a launchpad for exploring the Çeşme Peninsula and towns up and down the coast. To the north, hit Foça, home to the sirens of Homer’s Odyssey, laid-back seafood restaurants, and quiet beaches. On the peninsula, check out Seferihisar, the first Cittaslow-certified “slow city” in Turkey, home to all kinds of small producers and craft shops. Çeşme, one of the more popular holiday towns, is known for its white houses, beautiful harbor, and beach clubs that host DJs from around the world. Be sure to visit Urla, the biggest attraction in the region, with its Michelin-starred restaurants, daily fish auctions, and produce markets. And carve out time for the Urla Vineyard Route, a group of 10 producers maintaining winemaking traditions dating back to antiquity utilizing local grape varieties like Bornova misketi, Foça karası, Urla karası, öküzgözü, boğazkere, and sultaniye.
Tuba Şatana is a well-seasoned, highly opinionated, local food, culture, and city writer and editor, as well as the founder of Istanbul Food and the Sapor Istanbul Old School Symposium. When she’s not traveling, she can be found eating tarama and sipping rakı at her fave meyhane in Istanbul. Follow her @istanbulfood or the symposium @saporistanbul.
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