I have recently been introduced to yet another of Istanbul's culinary delights: waffles. Of course, this isn't exactly what springs to mind when you think of classic Turkish cuisine, and I don't think it is, but, as with everything here, the Turks have made it their own.
You don't have to go out of your way to find these elaborate treats; you see places advertising waffles on more or less every street. However, there is one particular place who's waffles seem to have attained almost legendary status among the expats of Istanbul, and that's Ortakoy, a waterfront district on the European side. There you'll find a line of about ten stands that devote themselves entirely to creating the best waffles in town.
As you gaze down with gluttonous eyes at the store front display of imaginative and delicious fillings you can choose from, it's hard to stop yourself from salivating a little. After eventually settling on banana, kiwi, strawberries, chestnut paste, chopped pistacio, chopped peanuts, nutella and hazelnut spread, the vendor dollops the batter into the waffle maker, then slathers it with a generous layer of the spreads and piles on the fillings of choice. He then rolls it up to make a sort of wrap. It is almost impossible to keep waffle-eating a neat process; I soon got myself into a gooey mess.
I think I could happily eat these every day of my life. Although not without investing in some wet-wipes first.
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