Herbs and Spices

We, Turks, are great fans of culinary spices. Cinnamon, bay leaf, nutmeg, pepper, peppermint, paprika and sesame seeds are some of our favorites. Istanbul is also famous with its Spice Market. Most of the tourists go there to buy and see the diversity. People can find numerous colors and flavors over there.

However, when it's about herbs I dont't see the same diversity. Parsley, dill, mint, spring onion and rucola are must-haves in Turkish cuisine but we don't have thyme, chives, rosemary, coriander, and others. Perhaps it's because Turkish cuisine isn't suitable for them. One way or another, they're very healthy and I love almost all of them. They cheer up my dishes.