Turkish Tapas - Meze Cooking for Beginners in Istanbul
19 reviews
Experience hosted at home by
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2 Hours
English, Turkish, Portuguese
Hi, I’m İrem, and I’ll welcome you into my Istanbul home for a laid-back, laughter-filled meze workshop. This isn’t a cooking class in a studio — it’s a gathering around my kitchen table, just like we’d do with friends and family.
We’ll start with tea and some fresh seasonal fruit, and then dive into the wonderful world of Turkish mezes. I’ll guide you through making a colorful selection: maybe haydari with strained yogurt and dill, a silky hummus with roasted tahini, and some spicy acılı ezme or smoky eggplant salad — it always depends on what’s fresh and what we feel like making. As we chop, stir, and taste, I’ll share stories about where these dishes come from and how they’ve been part of our everyday rituals for generations.
Once the table is full, we’ll sit and enjoy our creations with fresh bread and good conversation. You’ll leave with your heart full, your belly happy, and your own meze recipes to recreate the memory.
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What do our guests say?
What a lovely evening! Our host was an absolute sweetheart. We made Turkish coffee and four different Turkish mezzes—such a fun and delicious experience. It was the perfect way to spend our 8-hour layover. It was also really special to chat with someone native to the country and learn a bit about her traditions and culture.
01.04.25
Cherron_R
This evening İrem showed me how to make four common Turkish meze.
Haydari (cheese and yogurt)
- The mint is dried and fried in butter but the dill is fresh, chopped and sprinkled in.
Babaganuș (smoked aubergine and parsley)
Kabak Tarator (fried shredded courgette with yogurt)
Havuç Tarator (fried shredded carrot with yogurt)
01.07.24
Bob_S