Instagram-Worthy Feast: Kumpir

Kumpir starts with an enormous baked potato, roughly the size of a football. The flesh is scooped out, mixed with butter, cheese, and sometimes mayonnaise until creamy, then piled back into the skin. Then comes the toppings bar: pickles, corn, Russian salad, sausages, and much more, with most stands offering dozens of choices. The Ortaköy waterfront is the best-known place for kumpir, and the colorful results later made it a social media favorite. One potato is a full meal, so come hungry.

What it is

• The base: a big baked potato, mashed with butter and cheese inside its skin.
• The toppings: you choose from corn, olives, pickles, sausage, peas, Russian salad, sauces and more.
• A photo favourite: the colourful, overflowing potato is perfect for pictures with the mosque and bridge behind.

Where to try it

• Ortaköy: the classic kumpir stands by the mosque
• Shopping malls and Kadıköy also have kumpir counters

Tips

• Don’t pick every topping; a few good ones taste better.
• One kumpir is enough for two light eaters.
• Pair it with waffles, another Ortaköy street favourite.

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: Zorro2212, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons