Discover Tantuni: Mediterranean Street Food

Tantuni comes from Mersin on the Mediterranean coast, where it appeared in the 1960s before finding a second home in Istanbul. Small cubes of beef (sometimes chicken) are cooked fast on a wide, flat iron griddle with cumin, red pepper flakes, and each shop's own spice mix, then rolled in thin lavash bread. The cooking is loud and quick. The spatula clatters against the griddle in a steady rhythm, and you can usually hear a good tantuni shop before you see it. The result is cheap, portable, and meant to be eaten on the spot.

What it is

• The filling: finely chopped beef (sometimes chicken) quickly cooked with cotton-seed oil, water and spices on a wide, shallow pan.
• The wrap: rolled in thin lavaş bread with tomato, onion, parsley and a squeeze of lemon.
• The style: fast, cheap and spicy; locals often eat two.

Where to try it

• Small tantuni shops in Beşiktaş, Kadıköy and around Taksim
• Late at night, when it is a favourite after an evening out

Tips

• Order ‘acılı’ for extra spice.
• Try it ‘ekmek arası’ (in bread) or as a plate (porsiyon).
• Drink ayran or şalgam (turnip juice) with it, as people do in Mersin.

More Istanbul street food

Hungry for more? See the Istanbul guide for more dishes, or explore the food streets of Kadıköy. A guided food tour is the easiest way to taste many dishes in one afternoon.

Photo: Ümit şimşek, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons