In 10 days, I’ll be back
in Istanbul for a
short weekend get-away.
I’ve already started
making my list of Turkish
goodies to bring back to Poland
such as: cinnamon, pul biber, pistachios,
walnuts, beyaz peynir, kaymak, 1 kilo of
cocoa powder, Turkish olive oil soaps and more!
That means I’ll be paying
a visit to my favorite spice girl, Bilge Kadioglu, owner of Ucuzcular Baharat, No. 51 at
the Mısır Çarşısı (Egyptian Bazaar) in Eminönü. The store has been open since 1980, but the roots of this five-generation business date back to 1886. The name “Ucuzcular” comes from the Turkish word
for cheap or thrifty and harks back to the wholesale prices Bilge’s grandfather
offered his costumers back then.
I love visiting Ucuzcular
and being surrounded by the familiar and exotic flavors of Turkey! The herbal
tea blends, dried fruits and nuts and aromatic spices are enough to make my
head spin as soon as I walk inside.
Bilge is no ordinary
spice seller at the bazaar. She is a female running her successful family
business in a very male-dominated world. She is educated, enthusiastic and full
of spunk. I miss my nearly weekly visits to the market!
 |
| Bilge and me in 2012. I think we should get a better photo this year! |
During the three years I
lived in Istanbul, I got to know Bilge and many of her staff members as well as
her brother, Ahmet. Everyone always greeted me with a smile. They offered me
new spice blends to sample as well as a glass of Turkish çay. I would chat a bit with everyone as I made my
purchases, wait kindly in the background if the store got too busy and steal
the occasional Turkish Delight whenever I could!
As someone who cooks or
bakes nearly every day, I often needed to refill my spice supply. I preferred
to buy in smaller amounts because I knew I would be back soon. I have always
appreciated the quality of Bilge’s spices and teas as well as her honesty. When I had a bad cold, she would whip me up a special tea blend to soothe my sore throat.
To me visiting Bilge wasn’t
just about refilling my spice jars.
We developed a friendship
as we chatted over the spices and our daily musings. And that is something I
miss most of all!
Sonra görüşürüz!
NOTE: If you enter the
Spice Bazaar from the front entrance, walk through until the pathway Ts. Then,
turn left. Look for the blue sign of Ucuzcular on your lefthand side about
halfway down.
