One of the things I most enjoyed about Istanbul was the immense variety of fast food and street food. You never need to go to a restaurant in the city - the food will come to you.

In some cases quite literally. If you keep your eyes open in the area around the Grand Bazaar, around lunchtime, you can see waiters dashing across the street, carrying plates loaded with takeaway meals. Almost every courtyard has a little cubbyhole with a cay (tea) maker, and waiters scurry about carrying glasses of tea on little metal trays, or scouting for orders from the market stalls.

“Simit! Simit!” - that cry is almost as typical of Istanbul’s noisescape as the call of the muezzin. A sesame seed covered soft bread ring, simit is the commonest of the snacks sold in the streets of the city. Some simit sellers have a sort of spear with the simit stacked on it. Others carry a pile of simit on a tray on their heads. Some have gone for a modern solution - a little barrow on bicycle wheels.

Borek is another of the fast foods. In cafes, you’ll see huge wheels of cheese borek, but in the street, you’ll find ‘cigara borek’, little sticks of borek. I actually prefer these - they’re crispier and less fatty.

You’ll find roasting chestnuts in some places. One guy does a roaring trade near the bus stands at Eminonu. Elsewhere, you can find corn on the cob slowly roasting. Most vendors stick to a single food - but there is one stall near Ayasofya that does both of these.

A sweet tooth is easily satisfied. Fried dough strips soaked in sweet syrup cost a lira (around a dollar). You’ll soon learn to suck the syrup as you bite, or risk the syrup running down your chin. Or try gozleme, pancakes with sugar (they come in savoury versions too).

Thirsty? Stop at one of the barrows loaded with oranges, pomegranates, and a stainless steel squeezer, and you can get a glass of juice squeezed while you wait.

Doner kebab and fish sandwiches (balik ekmek, or ‘fish bread’) are not street food - they’re a little higher on the evolutionary ladder. But you can order at a window and take them to eat elsewhere. And like the street food they’re cheap; we paid 3 lira on average.

İ saw some of that in many picures too,but there is always that question in my head,is it safe to eat from people on the streets ?!! :-S

Canli, regarding your concern about Turkish street food: rely on your female instinct and common sense.
While in Mexico I would never ever eat their street food. Turks are very, very clean people.

Well,actually i'd be eager to try it,it looks WONDERFUL even at photos
So,if you say its ok,then my dear Ros,İT İS OK

What about the stuffed mussels? They are delicious!

Canli, I repeat and urge you: DO USE YOUR COMMON SENSE and don't rely on my words. I would be careful eating sea food from street vendors. Simit is safe and corn on the cob is very safe and chestnuts.

how about döner ? do we eat from streets too,or there is well known shops for it ?!
İ mean here we have,x shop is famouse of great döner,shop x famous of great kebap,ama shop z köfte is better
things like that i mean

Doner is always safe, because it is cooked.

Don't want to scare you, just in case you travel to other lands like Mexico:

Amoebic dysentery is transmitted through contaminated food and water. Amoebae spread by forming infective cysts which can be found in stools and spread if whoever touches them does not sanitize their hands. There are also free amoebae, or trophozoites, that do not form cysts.

Amoebic dysentery is well known as a "traveler's dysentery" because of its prevalence in developing nations, or "Montezuma's Revenge" although it is occasionally seen in industrialized countries

Yes,also Hepatitis A i guess,can be transformed from food ?!
Yes?!

I didn't have a problem eating simit bought from a street stall, but I'd never try things like mussels or kokorec. Not only because I don't like them but also because it's hard to judge if meat is fresh and prepared in a hygienic way. The same goes for doners.

Besides, travellers are advised to be careful even as far as fruit and veggies are concerned. Not for fear of serious illnesses but because of different bacterial constitution of our stomachs. For this reason, many people end up with "Sultan's (or Pharao's if we're in Egypt) disease" not because the food was bad, but because our stomachs' bacterial flora differs.

Of course, some people are more resistant than others so, if you hardly ever experience stomach problems then I wouldn't be extra careful. Also, I heard that a shot of strong alcohol daily helps to keep Sultan/Pharao away Like Rosie said - it's all a matter of trusting your common sense.

actually, the main concern when you get food from a street vendor is what the stuff is made of. Did you know the cheap doner you can find in the streets of Istanbul doesn`t include any real meat? Instead, It`s made of soy meat though it`s illegal.

Why should manufacturers disguise soya as vegetarian meat anyway? Surely a contradiction. I must remember Daydreamers tip of a strong shot of alcohol to ward off stomach upsets however, you can't be too careful these days.

Some of us can overcome certain obstacles and exercise tolerance, nothing is perfect in life, hey, why not go with the flow, I also had to get used to the squat toilets in Turkey.

Squat toilets can be a shock to people who are used to a sit-down type toilet, and may be difficult to use for the unwary, especially if on trains or ships.

You are so funny, Libralady!

I remember the first time I saw those toilets - at a car park between Ankara and Istanbul. I thought I went into a toilet for men so I closed the cubicle door and went on in search of women toilet. To my surprise all toilets were like this. Well...although I'd never sit on a public toilet (the a la Franka/standard type), using the a la Turka was quite an experience

well..
First you started with street food and then toilet pictures..
My delicate stomach is getting upset here..
What is next?
a picture of a street food seller picking up his nose? or scratching his most awkward of spots?

No, it is not hamsi which is kind of small fish.

I like "watching" this thread, not just reading as there are pictures from toilets to fishes,

İ admit they are more safety,and healthier to use in public than regular,but its not easy :-S
Taking off trousers can be acceptable ,but shoes ?!

İ didnt mean you,i meant in general canım
Anyway,enough with this one lol
And thanks for the info too

Libralady, these mouthwatering Turkish "delights" might be more to your liking?
http://umami.typepad.com/umami/2008/03/i-love-simit.html

These toilets or holes in the ground are disgusting. I could never use the restroom this way. Give me a Depends!

gets easier the more times you use them ,its meant to be much healthier for the bowels anyway

If I was brought up that way, I wouldn't know any different. But yes, it would be a shock & an experience I'm sure if I had no other option. Couldn't they at least make a seat with a hole in it? Especially if you had to go #2. Sometimes it doesn't happen right away. God, I could see it now, sorry to get graphical. Just thinking of my muscles..

This was one of the main reasons my mother refused to go to Eqypt years ago. No toilet..

Bye the way, I don't see toilet paper either in this restroom? Please don't tell me......

They are my favourite toilets in public. I think especially for women...A lot cleaner. Or are you sitting on the seats of the public toilets??? I have always found the seat unnecessary as I'm not using it. They're just bothering me.

For the trousers, you have to fold them one or two times, or
as you're kneeling down, you have to pull them upward a bit, and then later that's all, they won't get any dirty :=) But the key point is, you have to kneel down completely, not just a bit like you're sitting on a seat, completely, and then you'll not have any muscle pain, or any problem about getting dirty.

Hopefully, in France, I can still find some, but very few.

when I was with my ex husband on one of his treking up mountain adventures I was caught short , I did the right thing dug a hole sqatted and even used leaves for my bum, im not proud it was either that orrrrrrrrrrrrr carry the package home with me, nowwwwwwwww im getting graphic

Just a matter of accepting)))and understanding.In a crisis time in my country we used to use newspapers..haha....more hygienic than water????

Generally there is one western toilet if there is more than one stall. I often will open every unoccupied stall to find the one! Really, I hate public toilets, upright or traditional, here in Turkey. I usually make sure i go at home before i go out to guarantee that i don-t have to use one! Now I know why they take off their shoes before they enter the house! After going to a public or restaurant bathroom i usually want to burn my shoes!!!!! AGGGHHH!!!

Such toilets are typical to the Eastern countries. You will likely find them in China, Russia, all Middle East (huh, including Egypt) and Africa. Then it looks like more than a half of the world uses such "hole" type of toilets

Nowadays as a Turkish integration example between east and west we use toilet paper.

But we didn't forget the water. There is a 4 steps process. Step 1: Use toilet paper. Step 2: Use water. Step 3: Use toilet paper as a dryer for known areas. Step 4: Use soap and water for hands and than get much cologne as possible.

We use for this left hand. For that reason we never use our left hand for eating something directly. Many religious people never eat with left hand even if with fork or spoon.

PS 1: This integration idea is not mine. I was read it in an Engin Ardıç's book (who famous columnist in Turkey)
PS 2: How did the matter come from "street food" to "public bog"? Can anyone tell me? If its foods hygenie matter than I must to say that Hepatitis and icterus never seen at Turkey over the world average.
Also see:
1-) http://www.who.int/csr/disease/hepatitis/whocdscsredc2007/en/index7.html
2-) http://www.who.int/topics/hepatitis/en/

Islamic hygienical jurisprudence

Islamic toilet etiquette
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://www.truthandgrace.com/muslimrestrooms.htm

Hmmm, I couldn't help but respond to the discussion on the toilet issue...though this thread is "Turkish Street food". (Maybe someone should start a new thread on "Toilet culture" )

When comparing to toilets of many other countries, Turkish ones are clean. Of course, Japanese toilets are always the champion on cleanliness. In fact I find the water supply next to the toilet seat or inside the toilet seat is a very good device. Toilet paper, rinsing water, toilet paper and then soap and water for hands is a more thorough cleaning process. It should be more hygienic too provided that they really clean the little tap inside the seat from time to time.

Once a Turkish friend asked me when visiting Hong Kong, "why there is no water tap at the toilet seat? How can you be clean just using toilet paper? We..there...are hairy..."