Shopping in Turkey

Bakkal
You will get across to Bakkal almost every corner at inner city life. The children can meet their needs (!) such as chewing gum, chocolate, candy, biscuit, coke etc. while the parents can make their its and bits such as bread, newspaper, milk or anything that they have just out of stock at that moment.

Bakkals usually opens at 6:30-7:00 (if you get up early go and buy a warm bread just arrived from the bakery, be careful not to burn your hand!) and they are closed at 22:00 or 23:00 upon the demand of the district. Don’t forget to talk a few minutes with the owner (about the weather, children or football matches), although you may find it scattering at the beginning you’ll enjoy later, because he thinks you are a member of the family and tries to ease your living abroad.

Bread: ekmek, bottle: sise, butter: tereyag, flour: un, cheese: peynir, coffee: kahve, egg: yumurta, ice cream: dondurma, jam: reçel, margarine: margarin, milk: süt, lawfat milk: yagsiz süt, diyet süt, or light süt, olive: zeytin, black olive: siyah zeytin, green olive: yesil zeytin, olive oil: zeytinyag, pasta: makarna, pickles: tursu, rice: pirinç, salt: tuz, sugar: seker, tea: çay, water: su, mineral water: soda or madensuyu, yoghurt: yogurt

Kasap
Kasap is where you can have your daily meat, chicken and offal namely butcher. Be sure you can find one in your district and also most of the supermarkets have butcher departments. Your orders are brought to your address by the apprentices of Bakkal, Manav and Kasap and don’t forget to give a small tip.
Veal, beef: Dana, Lamb: Kuzu, Chicken: Tavuk, No-fat, lean: yagsiz, Tenderloin: bonfile, steak: antirkot biftek, Rump roast: dana nuar, ground beef: kiyma, small stew beef: kusbasi, large stew beef: gulas, chop: pirzola, leg: but, foreleg: kol, breast (for chicken): gögüs or tavuk bonfile, chicken thigh: tavuk budu, chicken wing: tavuk kanadi, boneless: kemiksiz

Manav
Again between the streets you’ll meet Manav (green grocer) who sell fruits-vegetables. You can consider them as fruit, vegetable-selling bakkals. Bakkal, Manav and Kasap are the people who know the district best. Keep in mind that shopping at Manav is with terms of kilograms while you may buy fruits and vegetables by pieces at markets. For exotic food we recommend you to try supermarkets.
vegetable: sebze
artichokes: enginar, asparagus: kuskonmaz, bean: fasulye, Brussels sprout: Brüksel lahanasi, cabbage: lahana, carrot: havuç, cauliflower: karnibahar, corn: misir, cucumber: salatalik, eggplant: patlican, garlic: sarimsak, green bean: yesil fasulye, green pepper: yesil biber, leek: pirasa, lettuce: marul, yesil salata, mushroom: mantar, okra: bamya, onion: sogan, pea: bezelye, potato: patates, radish: turp, red pepper: kirmizi biber, tomato: domates, zucchini: kabak
fruit: meyva
apple: elma, apricot: kayisi, banana: muz, cherry: kiraz, sour or black cherry: visne (sour and darker, used for jam and juice), grapefruit: greyfurt, melon: kavun, orange: portakal, peach: seftali, pear: armut, pineapple: ananas, pomegranate: nar, strawberry: çilek, tangerine: mandalina, watermelon: karpuz

Balikçi
Fish sellers were taking their places next to bakkal, manav and kasap, however unfortunately it is almost impossible to see fish sellers between the streets of the districts. Now they are located at Çarsis. If you have good relations with the fish seller, it means you are the one who eats the freshest and delicious fish of Istanbul. When you buy fish from Balikçi the gutting and cleaning of the fish by the attendant is included in the price. However it is customary to tip him (if not the owner of the shop) depending on the work involved.

You can find various kinds of fish according to season . There is a saying that fish can only be eaten on the months that have “r” in it, that is January, February, March, April, September, October, November and December. Due to the restrictions of fishing during the summer months most of the fish sellers convert their counters to sell water melon or close them until the end of the restrictions. Most of the supermarkets have fish departments. Moreover while speaking of fish Balik Pazari in Istanbul and Sakarya Çarsisi in Ankara should not be skipped.

Fish: balik, trout: alabalik, red mullet: barbunya for big ones, tekir for smaller, sole: dil, frech anchovy/sprats: hamsi, prawn: karides, swordfish: kiliç, sea bass: levrek, blue fish: lüfer, red sea bream: mercan, salmon: somon

Fish of Turkish Seas
Turkey being a country of which three sides are surrounded by sea has been a fish paradise for years. And they were so cheap and considered as “food for poor”. However due to improper fishing methods and considering the number of fish is unlimited unfortunately both the variety and quantity of fish has recently been decreased. Therefore most fresh and delicious fish are found in reputable fish restaurants causing them to be believed as “food for rich”.
Following are the list of fish still available and the season when they are the most delicious.
Barbunya (red mullet), from April to July
Çinekop (young of blue fish) after October
Çipura (gilt-head bream), all throughout the year. The most famous Aegean Sea fish. However recently it has been raised at sea farms, therefore you can meet both sea and culture Çipura. Obviously, sea Çipura is the most delicious.
Dil Baligi (sole) all throughout the year. Fried is recommended.
Fener baligi (angler fish) all throughout the year.
Gelincik baligi (rockling fish) from May to August. Also known as gaya fish among the Jewish community. With the belief that being the first fish eaten after starving at Sinai desert it is considered sacred. It is a tradition of Jews to cook this fish on Fridays.
Gümüs baligi (sand smelt) February, March
Hamsi (anchovy), from December to February. Although small, one of the most famous Black Sea fish. Delicious with various cooking styles such as frying, steaming etc.
Iskorpit (scorpion fish), from May to July. Since it has poisonous thorns absolutely let the fisherman clean off.
Istavrit (horse mackerel), all throughout the year. It is very enjoyable to catch this fish during spring and summer on the pavements of Bosphorus coasts.
Izmarit (blotched picarel), from February to April. Again it is very enjoyable to catch this fish during spring and summer on the pavements of Bosphorus coasts.
Kalkan (turbot), from February to April. A Black Sea fish. The ones weighing 4-5 kg. are eligible. For it has thick spine and fishbone always let fisherman clean off.
Karagöz (sea bream), all throughout the year. One of the most delicious fish of Turkish seas.
| Kaya baligi (goby), all throughout the year.
Kefal (gray mullet) from January to March.
Kiliç baligi (sword fish), from August to April. One of the most delicious fish, but unfortunately it is almost impossible to find nowadays. Most fish served as Kiliç in the restaurants are shark or other white fish.
Kirlangiç (red gurnard), from April to September. One of the most precious fish soups of which is more than delicious.
Kofana (large bluefish), from September to January
Kolyoz (chub mackerel), from July to September
Levrek (sea bass), all throughout the year. This rare fish has recently been raised at sea farms; therefore you can meet both sea and culture sea bass. Of course sea levrek is more delicious.
Lüfer (bluefish), from September to January. The king of the Turkish seas.
Mercan (red sea bream), all throughout the year.Mezgit (whiting), all throughout the year. Can be seen on the stands of fish sellers almost every day.
Orfoz (grouper), all throughout the year.
Orkinos (tuna fish), a kind of fish that cannot be seen on the stands of fishermen. They are used for canning purpose only.
Palamut (bonito), from August to January. A black sea fish. Richer than other fish with vitamin A and D.
Sardalya (sardine), from July to October.
Tekir (striped goat fish), from February to July.
Torik (large bonito), from September to November.
Uskumru (mackerel), from November to January. Once the most popular fish of Marmara! However now you can only find the imported Norwegian mackerel. Most of the fishermen try to convince you that chub mackerel they sell is mackerel. Don’t believe.
Zargana (garfish, garpike), March and April

Fish Bazaar-Balik Pazari
The Grand Covered Bazaar displays a myriad of entising goods and is the center for gold and silver jewelry. The Spice Bazaar is the place where you can find almost any herb or spice known to man. A gleaming and wondrous arras of fish can be found at the Balik Pazari (Fish Bazaar), most fish restaurants in Istanbul purchase their fish here.
Nowhere in Turkey, not even Istanbul's Wholesale Fish Market, can compete with the rich variety of edible water-bound yummies that abound here. There is octopus from Bodrum, calamari from Antalya, shrimp from Çanakkale, grouper from Saroz Bay and delectable fresh "fruits of the sea."

And that's not all! You can also find any kind of meze, (the tasty dishes eaten as an appetizer with raki) here, especially kinds seafood mezes.

The Fish Bazaar also houses the most important fruit and vegetable market in Istanbul, with the freshest and widest variety of produce available. But the Fish Bazaar offers more than fresh fish and produce, with its brilliant sense of display and lively atmosphere; it is a fascinating place to explore.

This open market is filled with different sights and sounds, and its passages lead to yet another street filled with restaurants and drinking spots; a street that is an alternative destination on its own. Nevizade Sokagi (Nevizade Street) has scores of tables set on the street and accommodates patrons with the freshest fish in the city (brought over directly from the Bazaar) and loads of delicious mezes.

The Fish Bazaar is conveniently located in one of the most popular areas in Istanbul, the Çiçek Pasaji (Flower Passageway). Despite its name, the Çiçek Pasaji is not filled with flowers. Rather it is a walkway filled with a combination of small, unpretentious restaurants called Meyhane which specialize in alcoholic beverages and the types of food that go well with them. On weekend nights there are often street musicians to entertain those who have come there to unwind.

Çarsi
Misir Çarsisi, Istanbul
Also there is a “shop complex” covering a few streets and called Çarsi. The very best example of them is the Balik Pazari in Istanbul and Sakarya Çarsisi in Ankara. You meet several shops selling the same good. We are sure you first will be shocked by the liveliness, color, and the hullabaloo of the sellers but the other thing we are sure of is that shopping from the Çarsi’s will be one of your unbearable pleasures.
Kapali Çarsi is the most popular covered bazaar. The Misir Çarsisi, an old covered bazaar at Eminönü will lead you a different world by the spice sellers of hundreds of different spice, Caviar shop, dried fruit sellers, baskets made of wicker splints or canes, various old Turkish and Ottoman objects. Just next to it there is a Çiçek Pazari (Flower-market) settled at an open space area. You can find thousands of flower and vegetable seeds, agricultural chemicals, house and garden flowers, fruit and decorative trees, various kinds of birds, fish, cats and dogs.

The busy flea markets in Istanbul and Ankara offers you an astonishing assortment of goods, both old and new. Everyday presents new opportunities to poke about Sahaflar Çarsisi and Çinaralti just near Covered Bazar in Beyazit area and at Zafer Pasaji in Kizilay.

The Super Markets, Carrefour, Gima, Macro, Migros, Sok, Tansas, are open every day from 09:00 or 10:00 to 20:00 or 22:00. Most of these markets are also open during the holidays, except the first day of religious fests. These markets usually have 15 days promotion periods and some goods are really cheap during these periods. The list of the goods subject to sale are either listed at the entrance of the market or submitted to you in a printed piece of paper. They have also customer cards, offering different advantages and of course all credit cards are accepted

Migros, Tansas and Gima have web sites at internet for on-line shopping: however these sites are Turkish but they bring all the goods you ordered to your home or any other address given. Therefore if you don’t want to waste time on daily or weekly shopping now it’s time for you to learn some Turkish to save time!

The only cash-and-carry wholesale market is Metro. You can also find do-it-yourself, hardware department stores like Bauhaus, Praktiker, Tekzen and Koçtas.

Firin
Turks eat bread at every meal and love to buy their bread from firin (bakery) while it is still warm. Although bakkals, markets, pastry shops sell many kinds of bread wrapped in nylon bags, most locals prefer to buy the fresh bread that has come directly from the bakery. Recently the bread produced by Metropol Municipalities is sold at the Halk Ekmek booths that tend to be located near neighborhood bus stops. These breads are normal loaves but are subsidized and cheaper to buy.

Especially during Ramazan you are will see long queues for pide near Iftar time. We suggest you to spread butter on this warm pide and sprinkle some salt and pepper over it... it is absolutely delicious.

The bakers are usually from the Black Sea region and therefore naturally they bake the best corn bread. Moreover most well-known pastry shops offer various kinds of bread such as multi-cereal, olive, walnut in different forms.

Your kapici will sure give you address of the nearest bakery.

Pazar
It will be interesting to try the district Pazars for your fruit and vegetable shopping. They provide a great deal of economy for your budget while they may be amusing. As we have mentioned before there is certainly a Pazar set once a week near your district.
Pazar’s usually begin to be set at 9:00 and shopping is available until dark. You can have the freshest of all kinds of vegetables and fruits.

Recently clothing, decorative accessories for the every corner of your house (bath, kitchen, living room, bedroom etc.) are being sold at very reasonable prices at Pazars besides food.

Don’t get surprised when you see brands such as Valentino, Paul and Shark, Polo, Ralph Laureen or Lacoste; they are all phony, anyhow it is obvious when you see the price. Let’s remind they are quite qualified and no one can easily understand the difference but keep in mind that no imitation can replace the original.

Your Kapici exactly knows where and when the nearest Pazar is being set near your house. If you have a problem on this matter mymerhaba.com staff will try to help you.

Sabit Pazar

On many districts there are Sabit Pazar belonging to the Municipalities. These are small, covered streets having shops such as manav, delicatesman, spirits and cigarettes, butcher, pastry, and there are several counters at which fish, chicken and eggs and other household product are sold. They are a little bit more expensive then the weekly set Pazars but cheaper than the markets.
They are closed once a month, for example every first Tuesday of the month. Of course these days are different for every district. Don’t be surprised by the number of cats you will see at these pazars, every Sabit Pazar has a registered population of cats since the food sold are very attractive to them!