Top 11 Foods to Bring from Home

These days more and more imported items can be found somewhere here in Istanbul.  But finding these items often involves a wild goose chase and, to top it all off, they normally cost an arm and a leg.  So experienced expats know that the best way to have a touch of home away from home is to bring it yourself — or have your visiting friends and family stow it away in their suitcases.  The things that people crave from their homelands could fill pages and pages, but here is a list of the top 11 items people tend to bring with them:

foods to bring from home
Marmite may be hard to find in Istanbul, but luckily cats are not.

1. Pork products in all its deviations

2. A favorite cheese

3. Peanut butter

4. Marmite/Vegemite

5. Vanilla extract and maple syrup

6. Spice packets (think taco or harissa), curry pastes and stir fry sauces

7. Wine and whiskey

8. Baked/tinned beans, dried black beans

9. Hot chocolate, Milo, specialty teas, coffee

10. Favorite snacks like salt and vinegar crisps/chips, granola bars, Reese’s Pieces, digestive biscuits, marshmallows

11. Superfoods like chia seeds, mate, or hemp seeds, spelt flour

I’m sure we’re leaving something off the list. Let us know in the comments what foods and products you like to bring from home!

Annie Özsaraç is a contributor to Yabangee

Annie is a Washington State native who spent time in South Korea and Guatemala before moving to Turkey. With plans to stay for a few years before moving on to the next teaching adventure, 13 years later, she is still happily teaching high school English and is married with twin boys. She dreams of being a photographer, but for now is more than content with what the universe has served up.

10 COMMENTS

  1. Great list! You can find a lot of this stuff at Milka in Kadıköy, along with a decent selection of Asian products. It’s pricey, but sometimes you NEED Jif peanut butter.

    Caferağa Mh., Moda Cd No:112, Kadıköy

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