Flavors of Turkey: a culinary journey through tradition and taste

Mouthwatering. Without a doubt this trip truly is a taste of Turkey. We visited the Marmara, Aegean and Central regions, and each had their own culinary identities. I felt fully immersed in both the foodie and historical aspects of Turkey, from wine-tasting in Cappadocia - believed to be where wine-making originated almost 7,000 years ago - to sampling Istanbul's diverse street food.

There were 13 people in our group which included families, friends, couples and solo travelers of all ages, from late teens to late 60s. This Turkey small group tour is ideal for solo travelers, because there are so many group activities which opens up all manners of conversation. It's a brilliant opportunity to explore a country with like-minded people.

Turkey is such a huge country that it's classed as being in both Europe and Asia. I didn't have any idea how large Turkey was until this trip! During the longer drives, I took in the changing, diverse landscapes, from ski resorts and Pamukkale's travertine terraces to (extinct) volcanoes and bustling cities.
 

Istanbul is a huge, fascinating capital city, with a diverse population of 18 million. The traffic is constantly moving, and traveling by boat on the Bosporus Strait is a popular way of getting around and out of the city.

We had a cookery class in Selçuk, a town halfway between Istanbul and Cappadocia. We made various local specialties, including rice and vegetables rolled in fig leaves, grated courgettes with herbs and spices (fried in oil), salads, lentil soup... it was a hands-on way to discover the flavors of Turkey as well as getting to know our group better.

My highlight of the trip was visiting the Basilica Cistern in Istanbul. Istanbul has always been an important city - especially geographically - and while at war they needed to preserve food and water sources. Deep underground are these huge (and I mean huge) water systems which you can still visit today. They're supported by hundreds of beautiful columns that each have their own story. These columns were lifted from across Turkey to support the Basilica Cistern, meaning you can see columns of different ages, architectural styles and designs. For example, one column was taken from the Temple of Artemis - one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World - in Ephesus, somewhere we visit later on in the trip.

Being exposed to these stunning columns was mind-blowing. They're illuminated by different colors, making it appear almost like an underground light show. Today, various art exhibitions are held around the columns. The entire experience at Basilica Cistern truly took my breath away.