When you live in a foreign country, you might want to feel as close to home as possible. One way to do so is to choose the best quality product you can find and cook your self a homemade meal, reminding you of your country. Of course, you can go to a supermarket and get it over with, but you won't be able to find the freshest produce there.
Turks place a lot of importance on food, and if you know where they shop, you can take advantage of this fact and bring your shopping experience to the next level while in Turkey. As I said, most expats shop in the big supermarkets, or just order online to meet their needs. While there is nothing wrong with that, you won't always get the best produce. Many of the Turks get their produce from local markets rather than the big shops. As an expat, you can too!
Produce
The best produce are found at the local farmers' market! These generally take place once a week in almost every town throughout Türkiye. You can find most of your pantry shopping needs there. But generally, you want to only buy fruits and greens in the farmers' market. Your second-best bet for the freshest produce will be your local greengrocer, which is called the “Manav” in Turkish. If you live in a smaller town, the local Manav will roam your town with a truck or a cart and sell their produce that way. This is a good tip to know as an expat, only for in season fruits and veggies. If you want something that is off season, you have to go to bigger supermarket chains.
Cheese and olive
If you are lucky enough to live in a town that has a charcuterie, these shops are your best bet for purchasing the highest quality of cheeses and olives, and they will let you taste them no less. Look for shops called "Şarküteri"! They offer a wide selection of foreign cheeses and sauces. Again, you can always find some at the supermarket.
Meat, chicken, eggs
I loved local meat shops in Turkey myself. Known as Kasap in Turkish, They offer a wide selection of fresh meat products. For eggs, check your local bakkal or shop. Usually, some of the local dairy shops sell fresh eggs as well.
Nuts and spices
Nuts are an integral part of Turkish cuisine. You can buy them from local nut vendors known as Kuruyemiş. Similarly, spices, which are also available in wide scale at farmers’ markets, have a type of shop in Türkiye devoted to them called “Aktars,” and thus these are spice shops. They also sell herbs and herbal remedies.
Turks place a lot of importance on food, and if you know where they shop, you can take advantage of this fact and bring your shopping experience to the next level while in Turkey. As I said, most expats shop in the big supermarkets, or just order online to meet their needs. While there is nothing wrong with that, you won't always get the best produce. Many of the Turks get their produce from local markets rather than the big shops. As an expat, you can too!
Produce
The best produce are found at the local farmers' market! These generally take place once a week in almost every town throughout Türkiye. You can find most of your pantry shopping needs there. But generally, you want to only buy fruits and greens in the farmers' market. Your second-best bet for the freshest produce will be your local greengrocer, which is called the “Manav” in Turkish. If you live in a smaller town, the local Manav will roam your town with a truck or a cart and sell their produce that way. This is a good tip to know as an expat, only for in season fruits and veggies. If you want something that is off season, you have to go to bigger supermarket chains.
Cheese and olive
If you are lucky enough to live in a town that has a charcuterie, these shops are your best bet for purchasing the highest quality of cheeses and olives, and they will let you taste them no less. Look for shops called "Şarküteri"! They offer a wide selection of foreign cheeses and sauces. Again, you can always find some at the supermarket.
Meat, chicken, eggs
I loved local meat shops in Turkey myself. Known as Kasap in Turkish, They offer a wide selection of fresh meat products. For eggs, check your local bakkal or shop. Usually, some of the local dairy shops sell fresh eggs as well.
Nuts and spices
Nuts are an integral part of Turkish cuisine. You can buy them from local nut vendors known as Kuruyemiş. Similarly, spices, which are also available in wide scale at farmers’ markets, have a type of shop in Türkiye devoted to them called “Aktars,” and thus these are spice shops. They also sell herbs and herbal remedies.