Here's something you might be interested in.
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed
Big Screen — Movie commentary
Blurt — Music's inside track
Booze News — San Diego spirits
Classical Music — Immortal beauty
Classifieds — Free and easy
Cover Stories — Front-page features
Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes
Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts
Feast! — Food & drink reviews
Feature Stories — Local news & stories
Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore
From the Archives — Spotlight on the past
Golden Dreams — Talk of the town
The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it
Letters — Our inbox
Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites
Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans
Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists
Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news
News Ticker — News & politics
Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated
Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna
Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated
Poetry — The old and the new
Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers
Reading — The hunt for intellectuals
Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails
San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds
SD on the QT — Almost factual news
Sheep and Goats — Places of worship
Special Issues — The best of
Street Style — San Diego streets have style
Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves
Theater — On stage in San Diego this week
Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative
Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work
Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego
Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads
Your Week — Daily event picks
Istanbul Spice Market
Fresh spices stacked high at the Egyptian Bazaar in Istanbul.
Making my way through thick crowds of people slowly walking, talking on cell phones and holding shopping bags, I found the mounds of spices in the marketplace in Istanbul, Turkey.
I'd arrived to buy various spices in this legendary market known as the Egyptian Market, which conjured up stories of historical spice routes. With centuries of bustling activity around the Golden Horn port connecting Europe and Asia, commerce spread throughout the West, expanding trade routes as far as the New World. Istanbul's allure as a center of trade is still palpable today.
Bins of colorful spices were heaped high like mini-pyramids in many of the narrow stalls along the main walkway. I finally chose Inanc Baharat in stall number 39, probably because of his engaging personality and the way he honed in on American tourists. The talkative, energetic man informed me that he's known as “Spice Boy.”
I showed him my list of must-buy spices and he quickly led me from container to container, saying, "Lady, taste this spice, mine are the freshest."
He loaded plastic bags with more than I requested and then vacuumed-sealed each one. Thankfully I remembered to have him write the names of turmeric, paprika, black peppercorns, Turkish pepper, sumac, red chili flakes and curry on each bag. Stealthily, he slipped in a bag of an unknown mixture and I felt like I had just been jostled at the carnival.
The grand price was $130; noticing me taken aback, he repeated, "Lady, these are the freshest spices," and then gave me a gift of Turkish Viagra, which got a big laugh. Contemplating whether I paid too much, I decided it was worth it – those back home would be delighted by the flavorful spices.
And that they were. I gathered friends and family and spread out all the bags. No one could resist sniffing the multi-colored gems and rubbing them to release aromatic oils. All were in awe of the mystical elements known to have healing properties and enliven the senses.
Excitedly, one friend said she’d make curry chicken, another roasted lamb. It was as if the bags were filled with gold and frankincense. They later commented that the combination of flavors and scents turned their food into special dishes. It was worth the price to bring such treasures of the ancient world to friends' kitchens.
A pinch at a time, the magic of the Spice Route has lasted through the ages,.
Here's something you might be interested in.
Istanbul Spice Market
Istanbul Spice Market
Fresh spices stacked high at the Egyptian Bazaar in Istanbul.
Making my way through thick crowds of people slowly walking, talking on cell phones and holding shopping bags, I found the mounds of spices in the marketplace in Istanbul, Turkey.
I'd arrived to buy various spices in this legendary market known as the Egyptian Market, which conjured up stories of historical spice routes. With centuries of bustling activity around the Golden Horn port connecting Europe and Asia, commerce spread throughout the West, expanding trade routes as far as the New World. Istanbul's allure as a center of trade is still palpable today.
Bins of colorful spices were heaped high like mini-pyramids in many of the narrow stalls along the main walkway. I finally chose Inanc Baharat in stall number 39, probably because of his engaging personality and the way he honed in on American tourists. The talkative, energetic man informed me that he's known as “Spice Boy.”
I showed him my list of must-buy spices and he quickly led me from container to container, saying, "Lady, taste this spice, mine are the freshest."
He loaded plastic bags with more than I requested and then vacuumed-sealed each one. Thankfully I remembered to have him write the names of turmeric, paprika, black peppercorns, Turkish pepper, sumac, red chili flakes and curry on each bag. Stealthily, he slipped in a bag of an unknown mixture and I felt like I had just been jostled at the carnival.
The grand price was $130; noticing me taken aback, he repeated, "Lady, these are the freshest spices," and then gave me a gift of Turkish Viagra, which got a big laugh. Contemplating whether I paid too much, I decided it was worth it – those back home would be delighted by the flavorful spices.
And that they were. I gathered friends and family and spread out all the bags. No one could resist sniffing the multi-colored gems and rubbing them to release aromatic oils. All were in awe of the mystical elements known to have healing properties and enliven the senses.
Excitedly, one friend said she’d make curry chicken, another roasted lamb. It was as if the bags were filled with gold and frankincense. They later commented that the combination of flavors and scents turned their food into special dishes. It was worth the price to bring such treasures of the ancient world to friends' kitchens.
A pinch at a time, the magic of the Spice Route has lasted through the ages,.
Comments