Yuvalaça is one of the traditional dishes I grew up eating in Seferihisar. I do not make Yuvalaça myself, so I did not want to present this recipe as if it came from my own…
Posts Published byMustafa ÖZAY Hello, I’m Mustafa Özay, the creator of ChefTurko. I grew up in Seferihisar, İzmir, and studied agricultural engineering at Adnan Menderes University. My academic journey continued into doctoral studies, and my background in agriculture has shaped the way I think about ingredients, sustainability, local production, and food culture. On ChefTurko, I share authentic Turkish recipes, regional dishes, and the traditions behind Turkish cuisine with readers around the world.
Hello, I’m Mustafa Özay, the creator of ChefTurko. I grew up in Seferihisar, İzmir, and studied agricultural engineering at Adnan Menderes University. My academic journey continued into doctoral studies, and my background in agriculture has shaped the way I think about ingredients, sustainability, local production, and food culture. On ChefTurko, I share authentic Turkish recipes, regional dishes, and the traditions behind Turkish cuisine with readers around the world.
Gut Health: Probiotics, Prebiotics, and Everyday Food Habits
Gut health has become one of the most widely used terms in modern nutrition. It appears on food labels, supplement bottles, social media posts, and wellness articles. However, the term is often used so broadly…
Tipping in Turkey: How Much to Tip at Restaurants, Hotels & Taxis
Tipping in Turkey is voluntary, but that does not mean tipping culture is absent. In my experience, whether people tip — and how much they leave — depends heavily on the type of place, the…
Istanbul Street Foods – When You Come to Istanbul, You Must Try It
Istanbul, a city that straddles two continents, is as famous for its historic architecture and vibrant culture as it is for its diverse and delicious street food. When you visit Istanbul, sampling the street food…
Cag Kebab: What It Is, How It’s Made & How It Differs from Doner
Cag kebab — written cağ kebabı in Turkish — is one of those dishes that can look familiar at first and then turn out to be quite different once you watch how it is cooked…
Kefir: What It Is, How I Make It & How I Choose It
Kefir is a tangy fermented milk drink made with a living culture of bacteria and yeasts. I have been drinking it for years, and I have also made it at home with reusable grains. That…
Turkish Ayran – The Quintessential Yogurt Drink
Turkish ayran is one of the simplest yet most recognizable drinks in Turkish cuisine. At its core, it requires only yogurt, cold water, and a little salt. The result is a lightly tangy, savory yogurt…
Armola Cheese: Seferihisar’s Traditional Dairy Heritage
Armola cheese is one of the local foods I associate most strongly with Seferihisar. I spent years making Armola in our family dairy and delicatessen. That work showed me how strongly the final result depends…
Seferihisar Lavender Festival: A Local Guide to Turgut Village
The Seferihisar Lavender Festival is one of the few local events around my hometown that I can recommend from first-hand experience. I was born and raised in Seferihisar, and I attended the lavender harvest festival…
Fish in Turkey: Popular Turkish Fish and How They’re Eaten
Fish in Turkey changes noticeably by region and season. Along the Aegean coast, where I grew up in Seferihisar, the fish I know best are sardines, sea bream, sea bass and red mullet. Their availability…
Turkish Food Culture: Journey Through History and Regions
Turkish food culture is more than just kebabs and baklava. It is a rich and diverse cuisine that reflects the history, culture, and geography of Turkey and its people. In this blog post, we will…
Turkish Kumis: The Magic of a Deeply Rooted Beverage
Kumis, also written as koumiss or qymyz, is a traditional fermented drink made primarily from mare’s milk. Lactic acid bacteria and yeasts work together during fermentation, giving the drink its characteristic acidity, light carbonation, and…