Van Trip

Kitchen Friends held its first Van gastronomy and culture tour last week. The group had the opportunity to explore the historical, geographical, and gastronomic riches of the Van region—a cradle of civilizations—which span a vast area from Lake Van and the Nemrut crater lake all the way to Ahlat, during a comprehensive four-day trip, and were introduced to incredible gastronomic treasures. Due to the high concentration of livestock farming in Van, which is situated at a high altitude, milk and dairy products take center stage; and participants experienced the rich Van breakfast, featuring herb-flavored cheese, clotted cream, honey, murtuğa, butter, cacık, kavut, as well as rose jam, ilitme, and çörek, among many other items. The unique herb culture of this region, home to a wide variety of herbs, leaves its mark not only on its geographically indicated cheese but also on the entire culinary culture, from pilafs to meat dishes. We received valuable information about the pearl mullet, which lives in the soda-rich waters of Lake Van, from Professor Elvan Ocak, one of the esteemed faculty members at Yüzüncü Yıl University. The fish, which can be enjoyed fresh and fried in season, is typically preserved in salt these days due to the fishing ban currently in effect during its spawning season. We tasted the region’s Erciş Karası wine at Yaban Kolektif and participated in a workshop where we learned about the differences between Van-style and Hakkari-style Kurdish meatballs. Following a Van-style breakfast and a rice pudding feast at Metin Usta, we enjoyed a lunch at Kuşhane where we got to know the Van table in all its aspects and couldn’t get enough of the flavors, followed by meals featuring a wide variety of meats at Adem Şef and an elegant dinner at the Menua restaurant in Tariria, which brings a fresh new vibe to Van. At Kuşhane, everything is cooked over a wood fire, simmering slowly just as it should. The use of herbs was masterful, and we sampled many regional dishes such as zeyturin soup, stuffed dried eggplant and tomatoes with meat, keşkek helise with meat, and lamb stew over bulgur with gari herbs. Tariria is a meticulously crafted venue, from its lakeside gardens offering breathtaking sunset views to its bar’s cocktails and wine list. At the on-site Menua restaurant, we were treated to a special menu featuring highly original flavors—such as herb-and-cheese-stuffed pide and Van fish carpaccio—served by an exceptional team. “Friends of the Kitchen,” pioneers of culinary tourism in Turkey, returned to Istanbul with the satisfaction of having discovered and introduced yet another region—led by our valued guide and member, Müjde Tönbekici—and with the decision to visit Van again.