Blog.
At Fairies’ Cuisine, we explore the deeper meaning of food: How it connects us to memory, place, and life’s rhythms. Through family stories of seasonal dishes, preservation methods, and forgotten flavours, we uncover the quiet rituals behind traditional recipes shaped by the kitchens of Istanbul and the greater Eastern Mediterranean. Alongside these reflections, we offer gentle guidance for modern homecooks looking to plan, preserve, and build a kitchen rhythm rooted in tradition.
Fairies’ Cuisine invites you on a journey to return to intuitive living, one meal at a time.
When Food Stopped Following the Seasons
There is a particular kind of hesitation that happens in front of the produce wall…
When Did Christmas Become About Buying Things to Prove Love?
Somehow, a holiday about light, generosity, and togetherness became the time of year we panic-buy our way into proving we care…
Baklava’s Forgotten Beginnings: Ancient Technique Behind the Crispy Layers
Discover how baklava evolved from early Central Asian layered pastries to the refined Ottoman masterpiece we know today…
In Memory of Atatürk: November 10th, 2025
Specialties of Minorities in Istanbul: An Introduction
Istanbul’s cuisine is not a story of invention but of conversation, where Thracian settlers, Greek tavern-keepers, Armenian bakers, Jewish exiles, Kurdish migrants, and Ottoman courts all left their mark on the city’s table.
6 Universal Methods of Preservation
Preserving food wasn’t a hobby. It was survival, celebration, and creativity all at once.
How a Nomadic Staple Became the Yogurt in Your Fridge
Before it was a health trend, yogurt was medicine, snack, and staple: fermented on horseback, shared across empires, and still echoing in every spoonful today.
The Art of the Vine: How Grapes and Leaves Shape Anatolian Cuisine
From leaves to molasses, from sour to sweet — the grape vine carries 10,000 thousand years of Anatolian wisdom into every season.
Onion in Turkish Cuisine
In ancient Mesopotamia, onions were written into cuneiform tablets as food and medicine. In Egypt, they were…
Simit: Istanbul’s Crispy Soft Icon
The warm scent of freshly baked simit drifts through Istanbul’s winding streets, mingling with the rhythmic calls of simitçi and the hum of the city’s soul…
Yoğurt and Dairy in Turkish Culture: An Introduction
Fresh milk was sacred for Turkic nomads, but its true magic lay in its transformation into a variety of products that could sustain them through the harshest of climates in…
Salep: A Warm Embrace in the Bosphorus Chill
From copper kettles on street corners to cozy cafes, this orchid-root drink is a symbol of wintertime in the city, where...
New Year’s In Istanbul
Istanbul, where East and West collide. The ancient metropolis awakens to New Year's...
Boza: A Tangy Sweet Controversy in Istanbul
How can a simple, cozy winter drink spark tales of spiked cauldrons and debates over faith? One sip of this fermented delight…
In Memory of Atatürk: November 10th, 2024
The world mourns the loss of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the visionary leader who transformed…