September-October 2014: Istanbul
the fishing ban has been lifted and now is the time for palamut/bonito – they should be firm to the touch and shiny to look at |
it’s hamsi time again! These are anchovies from the Black Sea |
Today I went to my weekly local pazar in Selami Çeşme, wondering whether the summer produce would have disappeared. But in fact, what I saw reflects perfectly the end of summer/ beginning of autumn and everything is still available!
this is one of my regular guys and his tomatoes are still looking OK – he thinks they are, at any rate! |
these are the very last of the borlotti beans though: make sure you buy some, pod them and freeze in plastic bags |
What is absolutely in right now is grapes/üzüm: sweet yellow seedless ones and big juicy purple and green ones. Now is the time for plums/erik too, several varieties are available and perfect for eating as well as cooking! Think tarts and crumbles!
It’s also the season for walnuts/ceviz:
ince kabuk means thin-shelled! The sign says ‘they have arrived!’ |
….and those peculiar things called hünnap – apparently we call them jujube! We saw them on sale in Paris also called hunnap so maybe it’s just we Brits who don’t know them! They have medicinal qualities ….
good for diabetes, heart, liver, cholesterol ….so says the sign! |
Now, two much more autumn/winter fruits were on sale today but it’s far too early for them to be interesting. I would say again, wait a few weeks at least so they can ripen: pomegranates/nar and persimmons/hurma.
the colour isn’t right: wait till they become more vibrantly orange Karadeniz means Black Sea |
By the way, keep away from figs: you will see them on the stalls but don’t be tempted. The season is over and they are tasteless.
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