Aegean Coast of Turkey - OLDWAYS - Cultural Food Traditions OLDWAYS

ON SALE: Make Every Day Mediterranean: An Oldways 4-Week Menu Plan E-BOOK SHOP NOW

ON SALE: Make Every Day Mediterranean: An Oldways 4-Week Menu Plan E-BOOK

Culinary Travel >
Past trips

April 29 – May 7, 2023

Small-Group Cooking Experience on the Aegean Coast of Turkey: Izmir, Ayvalik, & Istanbul

This small-group cooking experience on the Aegean Coast of Turkey with Oldways, Chef Ana Sortun, Chef Semsa Denizsel and Turkish food and wine expert, Banu Ozden was a first for us, and we loved every very special minute. We focused on personal experiences – cooking, wine, food and discovery — and covered a lot of ground. We started in Izmir and then moved onto Ayvalik (more specifically, to our wonderful hotel on the Island of Cunda, in the Avalik harbor) to Semsa’s home and school north of Ayvalik, the Cook’s Grove, and then back to Izmir, Ephesus, Urla and Alicati. A majority continued on for a spectacular Istanbul experience – history, culture, food and wine – everywhere we went.

Trip Highlights:

Chef Hosts: Ana Sortun, Oleana and Sofra Restaurants, Cambridge, MA, and Şemsa Denizsel, Cook’s Grove, Turkey

Expert Host: Banu Özden

Hands-on cooking at the Cook’s Grove school with Chef Şemsa Denizsel
Breakfast cooking class with Chef Ana Sortun
Market tours, and visit to a ﬁsh auction
Boat cruise in the Ayvalik harbor
Visit and lunch at a sustainable farm
Tastings of wine and traditional Turkish products in Izmir and Ayvalik
Fabulous meals in restaurants, and time to dine and shop on our own
Guided tour of the world class site, Ephesus
Guided tour of Topkapi and Hagia Sophia in Istanbul
Walking Food Tour with Banu in the Spice Market and in the market district of Kadıköy, an un-touristy section of Istanbul on the Asian side
Lunch at CIYA, the restaurant of Musa Dagdeviren
Bosporus Cruise