Until recently, Istanbul’s culinary scene has largely remained patriarchal, but times are changing, writes Anya von Bremzen No bigger than chickpeas and blanketed with tangy yoghurt and sizzling spiced butter, the manti were so good, they could be inhaled by the dozen. My partner, Barry, and I devoured these lamb-filled Turkish dumplings , shaped into cute tufted shells, at Hatice Anne Ev Yemekleri, a homey spot in Istanbul’s Kuzguncuk neighbourhood. “There are so many unsung female cooks in this city,” said Benoit Hanquet as we saluted Merve Ataoglu, the restaurant’s kerchiefed manti-maker.
Hanquet, our guide for a culinary backstreets food tour of Istanbul, would later lead us on to Gule Kafe (fried doughnuts and crumbly sesame cookies) and Gunesin Sofrasi (a tasty mosaic of meze) — two more establishments serving delicious treats and overseen by women. READ MORE: Chasing a Plate ..
. in Istanbul Exploring a city through its diverse restaurants is always rewarding. But inspired by Hanquet’s tour, I decided on a subsequent Istanbul visit to focus just on kitchens run by talented women.
For all its glamour and international fame, Istanbul’s food world has until recently remained patriarchal — all dude celebrity chefs and swaggering ustas (masters) presiding over traditional specialties like baklava or kebab. “Men ran professional kitchens; women were expected to cook at home for their families ,” local food media star and cookbook author Refika Birgul sai.