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Overview

Cooking on Turkey's Aegean Coast

Sunset over the sea in TurkeyAlong the southwestern coastline of Turkey on the Bodrum peninsula, discover Ortakent, which means ‘middle town.’ The translation is an appropriate one here, for it’s a place where the Aegean Sea meets the Mediterranean, where gorgeous coastline meets sleepy hamlets and sun-dappled paths. Soak up the sun during your cooking vacation in this walker’s paradise, where the small village of Ortakent is full of hand-crafted stone houses that offer breath-taking views of not only the Aegean Sea but also Gokova Bay and the Island of Kos. Just 20 minutes from the city of Bodrum, Ortakent is the perfect place to relax and discover the wonders of Turkish and Mediterranean cuisine on an authentic cooking vacation in Turkey.

Check out also the authentic olive harvest itineraries, available for 2 or 6 nights in November and December!


Latest Review

I gave this trip 5 stars
Hope
Washington
Trip taken July 2016
Wonderful experience in Turkey, a safe and beautiful destination. Was met at the airport by my attentive hostess and her artist husband and spent a great week learning about and enjoying Turkish food and wine. The area is beautiful, the accommodations comfortable and the hostess, a former restaurant owner, willingly shares her knowledge of the culture and food of the region. She also supports the slow food movement and local organic growers. I will certainly return to the area and encourage everyone to visit Bodrum as well. Easy to get to from London and Munich! I also purchased one of my host's paintings which will remind me of the trip whenever I see it on my wall.

Trip Details

Enjoy 4 cooking classes during your cooking vacation. Turkish cuisine may be considered international — as it fuses Middle Eastern, Balkan, and Central Asian cuisine — but it does rely heavily on vegetables, olive oil and garlic just like other Mediterranean cuisines. Traditions run deep here, and no one is better versed in sharing those traditions than your host and chef for the week, English-speaking Aslihan. As a graduate of Istanbul Bosphorus University, Asli majored in both business administration and hospitality management. After working as an executive in the hospitality industry for many years, she opened a restaurant in Ortakent and started organizing Turkish cooking classes. She will teach you all about healthy Aegean cooking, which includes a lot of vegetables cooked in olive oil, and traditional Turkish dishes with a twist. Your week’s classes will include:

  • ‘meze’ (appetizers) and a ‘borek’ (main course)
  • Turkish rice pilaf with lamb, vegetables, and fish
  • homemade ‘dolma’ (traditional stuffed vegetables)
  • Turkish desserts, including baklava

Itinerary

Fresh fish on a culinary tour of TurkeyDay One

During the summer, local cultural events may change this itinerary.

  • Transfer from either Bodrum airport or the cruise port to your home for the week, about 10 minutes away.
  • Tonight, a welcome dinner introducing you to the coastal cuisine of southwestern Turkey, where the essential ingredients are olive oil, herbs, fresh vegetables, and seafood.
  • Overnight.

Eating outside on a culinary tour of TurkeyDay Two

  • Turkish breakfasts are famous and full of variety. You will be impressed your first morning with eggs, fresh milk, many kinds of jams, cheeses, breads, and more.
  • Bodrum is the capital of the famous Blue Voyages or Blue Cruises, during which gulets – traditional wooden yachts – are used to cruise to small bays in the area, where guests can then enjoy beautiful blue waters of the Mediterranean. Today you will cruise along the bays of Bodrum on a blue cruise, and the captain will prepare a colorful menu that you will enjoy on the water. (In the winter, or during inclement weather, an alternate excursion will be substituted.)
  • In the evening visit a local vineyard that in 2015 won the price for best Shiraz of the year, and enjoy a fancy wine and food pairing dinner.

Freshly baked bread on your culinary tour of TurkeyDay Three

  • Breakfast.
  • Off to the local market of a small fishermen’s wharf, where small local farmers bring their produce. Help select the ingredients for the day.
  • Your first Turkish cooking class will include five recipes for “meze” (appetizers) and a “borek” (main course).
  • Lunch based on what you have prepared.
  • In the late afternoon, drive to a small village where local ladies make flat bread and homemade yogurt with milk from cows they have freshly milked.
  • On the way home, stop at another local vineyard and enjoy a tasting of local products.

Vegetables at the market in TurkeyDay Four

  • Breakfast.
  • Although almost every day sees a farmers’ market in the area, Tuesday is “THE” market day for locals. Visit the most vibrant market in Milas, the ancient Mylasa. Visit the various stalls, meeting the fishermen, butchers, cheesemongers, and farmers, and taste some street food for lunch.
  • It would be a shame not to visit the ancient city of Mylasa while you are there, with its renovated archeological museum and Becin Castle.
  • This evening, your cooking class will feature Turkish Rice Pilar with vegetables, lamb, and fish – and you will realize how similar it is to the Spanish Paella.
  • Dinner to follow with Bodrum wines.

Spanakopita enjoyed on a culinary vacation in TurkeyDay Five

  • Breakfast.
  • Morning cooking lesson on “dolma”, traditional stuffed vegetables filled with either rice or meat. You will make many variations and taste them all at lunch.
  • In the late afternoon, visit the Bodrum Peninsula, including the local museums, and finishing in the charming town of Gumusluk. This lovely town lies on the water and full of many seafood restaurants and live music. Depending on the time of year, you might visit a Jazz Bar for dinner and music or have dinner at a local restaurant followed by a Classic music concert.

Turkish pastries enjoyed on a culinary tourDay Six

  • Breakfast.
  • Visit a local goat farm where you will meet the farmers and hear about their lives while tasting their cheese and wine.
  • On the way back, stop to visit a lady farmer on her small farm to pick up some vegetables and herbs from her garden for your lunch.
  • Back at home, you will learn about Turkish desserts, including baklava and milk deserts.
  • Dinner is on your own. You might wish to make something for yourself at home – the kitchen is open – or head out to dine in Bodrum or nearby.

Day Seven

  • After breakfast, depart for Bodrum’s airport or port.

Trip Details

Included in the 6-Night Trip

Accommodations

6 nights accommodations in a double room

Food & Beverages

  • Daily breakfast
  • 5 lunches
  • 5 dinners
  • Beverages included with meals after cooking classes

Classes & Instructors

Enjoy 4 cooking classes during your cooking vacation. Turkish cuisine may be considered international — as it fuses Middle Eastern, Balkan, and Central Asian cuisine — but it does rely heavily on vegetables, olive oil and garlic just like other Mediterranean cuisines. Traditions run deep here, and no one is better versed in sharing those traditions than your host and chef for the week, English-speaking Aslihan. As a graduate of Istanbul Bosphorus University, Asli majored in both business administration and hospitality management. After working as an executive in the hospitality industry for many years, she opened a restaurant in Ortakent and started organizing Turkish cooking classes. She will teach you all about healthy Aegean cooking, which includes a lot of vegetables cooked in olive oil, and traditional Turkish dishes with a twist. Your week’s classes will include:

  • ‘meze’ (appetizers) and a ‘borek’ (main course)
  • Turkish rice pilaf with lamb, vegetables, and fish
  • homemade ‘dolma’ (traditional stuffed vegetables)
  • Turkish desserts, including baklava

Excursions

  • ‘Blue cruise’ on a gulet (wooden yacht) _(during winter or inclement weather and alternate excursion will be substituted)_
  • Winery visits
  • Market visits at the local wharf and in Milas
  • Excursion to see local women who make bread and yogurt
  • Visit of the ancient city of Mylasa
  • Bodrum Peninsual excursion including Gumusluk
  • Visit of a local goat farm and a small organic vegetable farm

Transfer Details

  • Round-trip transfers to/from Bodrum Milas airport

Not Included

  • Concert tickets
  • Beverages during meals out (except during wine tastings) and extra beverages

Accommodation Information

Most weeks, your home away from home will be the charming residence of your host and chef. The house features 4 bedrooms with private en suite baths (with showers, no tubs) as well as large balconies. Enjoy the shared living room and dining room, as well as the terrace where your cooking classes are held. (For some weeks other accommodations could be proposed – please contact us for details.)

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Pricing & Tour Dates



Sample* Pricing:
March through November

6-night Program

US$2450 per person based on double occupancy

  • Add US$480 for single occupancy (use of a double room by 1 person)

*Pricing can vary by week according to the number of participants and the accommodations needed. Please contact us for a detailed quote.

30% deposit due to confirm booking.

Balance payment due 60 days prior to tour start date. Questions? Please contact us!


Tour Dates

Available any week March through November for a minimum of 1 person.

2024
Please inquire for available dates.

Reviews

I gave this trip 5 stars
Hope
Washington
Trip taken July 2016
Wonderful experience in Turkey, a safe and beautiful destination. Was met at the airport by my attentive hostess and her artist husband and spent a great week learning about and enjoying Turkish food and wine. The area is beautiful, the accommodations comfortable and the hostess, a former restaurant owner, willingly shares her knowledge of the culture and food of the region. She also supports the slow food movement and local organic growers. I will certainly return to the area and encourage everyone to visit Bodrum as well. Easy to get to from London and Munich! I also purchased one of my host's paintings which will remind me of the trip whenever I see it on my wall.

We Can Help Plan It All

We Can Help Plan It All

Flights, additional nights and tours, Transportation, and Much More…

We might not be able to pack for you, but there are tons of things we can help with to make your vacation that much better.

Contact us for more information, or you can indicate your interest during check out and we will follow up directly!

Contact Us

 


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