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İzmir, a Vegan-Friendly City
İzmir and its surroundings are very rich in fruit, vegetables and natural produce. Its varied local markets are known for healthy vegetable dishes, and this abundance carries over to vegetarian and vegan food. İzmir stands out for its vegetarian and vegan-friendly dishes and for the cafés and restaurants that serve them.
In recent years, vegetarianism and veganism have been on the rise all over the world, and businesses are now more attentive to them. In İzmir, too, the number of places with vegetarian and vegan menus is growing fast, and many of them are becoming well known. Besides these places and the special dishes they serve, İzmir also stands out for the local markets in its districts and its wide variety of vegetables and herbs.
The Aegean region, and İzmir at its heart, is known for its variety of herbs, vegetable-based dishes and high-quality olive oil. Healthy eating is practically the city's motto; İzmir is one of the few cities in the world that has made it part of daily life. This is why vegetarians and vegans have a very wide range of options in İzmir.
Some of İzmir's vegetarian and vegan-friendly dishes include: haricot beans with arapsaçı, green beans in olive oil, sour Cretan squash (ekşili Girit kabağı), stuffed courgette flowers, kabak pabucaki, kenger, stuffed celeriac, börek with herbs, cheese and spinach, gözleme, stuffed artichokes, vine leaves stuffed with rice in olive oil, cabbage rolls with vegetables, radish greens salad, cibes, radika salad, purslane salad, wild mustard salad, sarmaşık salad, samphire, nettle salad, sautéed helvacık greens, Jerusalem artichokes with wheat, Rum ezmesi with cheese, kabak tarator, grilled artichokes, an Aegean herb platter, Cunda ezme...
You can find countless varieties of Aegean herbs and fresh, healthy vegetables and fruit at all the district markets. In particular, you should visit the Bostanlı Organic Market, which stands out for its size and variety; the Tire Tuesday Market, one of the largest open-air markets in Turkey; the Foça Earth Market, the only Turkish member of the Earth Market network, which has 28 members in 8 countries worldwide; the 110-year-old Ödemiş Saturday Market, one of the largest in the region with 650 producers and 1,200 traders; and the Kaleiçi Organic Market in the Sığacık neighbourhood of Seferihisar, Turkey's first Cittaslow (slow) town.
Places serving vegetarian and vegan food can be found in every neighbourhood and district of İzmir. Within the city, Alsancak and Karşıyaka offer the most options. Coastal districts such as Çeşme, Urla and Seferihisar also have plenty to choose from. Some are so popular that it is a good idea to book in advance.
The variety of food on offer is as striking as the number of places. Menus feature vegan breakfasts, vegan mantı, vegan lahmacun, vegan burgers, smoothie bowls, vegan snacks, salads, raw cheesecakes and all kinds of drinks. There are even places serving vegan döner, baklava and rice pudding. Some places stand out for offering hundreds of varieties of gözleme. There is also plenty of choice when it comes to coffee and ice cream. Some places also sell products such as soy mince, soy meat, vegan yoghurt, vegan cheese, vegan butter, hummus, falafel and meat-free sucuk.
And a small note for those who say they are neither vegetarian nor vegan: these cafés and restaurants are not only for vegetarians and vegans. They are also good choices for people with diabetes, those on a gluten-free diet, people with food allergies or insulin resistance, athletes and anyone on a diet.
