Tales from the Road - Antioch, Turkey

Luckily, the culinary culture survived, even if businesses did not.

We began our tour of the area in the center of Antioch, where the devastation was greatest. With much of the rubble now cleared, the zone looked like pictures of Hiroshima after the nuclear blast in 1945. A few frames of buildings and a few trees remained, nothing more. Landmarks such as St. Pierre Church, Habbib-i Neccar Mosque, Mosaic Museum and the Long Bazaar were all affected by the earthquake.

Pictures cannot faithfully represent the impact the devastation has on you once you are on site. Still, the locals are resilient and will rebuild their city and culture. Indeed, the locals want visitors to come, rather than staying away for the time being. That is easier said than done, however, with only a couple of hotels partially open at the earthquake’s epicenter.



Our first treat was Kunefe at the café under the large oak tree. Here, the desert is made as it has always been – over an outdoor grill. Visitors can take photos and videos of the process. Once it is ready (after the signature flip), ground pistachios are applied liberally. Best not to make lunch plans afterwards, because kunefe can be filling.

We then headed to another eatery, which brought an assortment of dishes for us to try. The food is ready as soon as you arrive, so hungry eaters do not need to wait. Here we enjoyed the local hummus and bread, as well as a wide variety of other dishes.



We then walked around what was left of the local bazaar, trying a couple of breads and sweets along the way. Afterwards, we headed to one of the many construction sites located around Antioch. Here we met Queen, a nickname she must have earned because she is the queen of the kitchen. She put out a spread for us that was one of the best meals we had while in Turkey. 

After the amazing lunch, we visited St Peter's Church (pictured above), which was both the first Christian church as well as the first church carved out of a cave. The site has just reopened after the earthquake. From the elevation, you can see the extent of the devastation across Antioch.

From there, we visited the Altınözü region, and the Hazek Women Producers Cooperative, an organization with an array of job training initiatives for local women. At the facility, they have weaving, food production and wellness items production. And thankfully, credit cards are accepted! You won't be able to leave before buying some candied walnuts in jars, some woven bread baskets or some handmade soaps.

We then drove out to Antioche Vineyards (pictured below). This vineyard was established in 2007 and has gained recognition for its cultivation and production of wines from the Barburi grape, among others. Located in Topboğazı, Hatay, it offers a unique glimpse into the region's rich winemaking tradition, combining modern techniques with ancient grape varieties like Barburi. The wines are excellent, but you’ll need to find them for sale with a meal in a local restaurant, since the winery is not yet set up for visitors.

On the following day, we met colleagues at the Antioch Container Bazaar Visi, from where we proceeded to tour the environs, including the Samandağ Region and shore (Titus Tunnel, Hidirbey and Vakifli Villages). We also visited the waterfalls in the Harbiye region and met some local producers there. We picked up a few spices here, since our host guaranteed they would be fresher than in Istanbul.

The next day, we drove to Ankara where we visited the Antikya workshop, a commercial kitchen where recipes from the Antioch area are preserved in the form of quality products for purchase (pictured below). We walked away with the famous and rich tomato paste (including both regular and a spicy one), herbs, Turkish olive oil and some lovely cardamom and date cookies. The Antikya kitchen serves takeaway lunches, and also acts as a kind of a gourmet ingredient supply shop for those wishing to cook in the Antioch style. Despite the devastating earthquake, the region’s cuisine, recipes, hopes and dreams are preserved in the Antikya workshop.

From there, we proceed to dinner with the Ankara Gastronomy Society, a club of local business leaders who are also gourmands. The theme of the meal was innovative Antioch cuisine, which is another way a local group is helping to keep the Antioch culinary culture alive. The meal and conversation were extraordinary. One lovely and unforgettable dish was the poached artichoke served as a dessert.

All in all, our tour of the area opened our eyes to what is meant by “Turkish” cuisine. Apparently there are as many as 7 different regions, each with its own unique twist on what “Turkish” cuisine means. We loved the flavors of the Antioch/Hatay area, which will always be amongst our favorites. And more importantly, we were positively overwhelmed by the generosity and hospitality of the Turkish people in the region. Despite their numerous crises in recent years, they were still smiling. They were rebuilding their businesses. And they were continuing to dream of what their future will be like, once the dust has settled again.



We would like to extend a very special thanks to Akin Aydeger and his family for making this trip possible.