Would you like a cold beverage with that?

Turkey's tap water isn't terrible, but you are advised to drink bottled water, which we do, buying it in big bottles and jugs each day before our bus journey.

But sometimes it is nice to have something other than water.  I have never been much of a fan of fizzy drinks, so the ubiquitous Coke/Pepsi option doesn't interest me.  Besides, I'm in Turkey. What could I drink here that I can't find anywhere else?

Sour cherry juice is almost always an option for breakfast and I have become a fan.  I buy cartons for the road, and toss it down wherever I can find it.

There are other juices too.  One day we were treated to a traditional meal in Bursa and were given two choices of juice: raspberry and a sort of honey drink.  Delicious.


A choice that is on every menu everywhere is Ayran.  This is served cold and sometimes frotherd up so that it looks like a milkshake but is in fact a thick milk-based drink.  Most of the time it tastes like buttermilk, and occasionally it tastes more like yogurt.

The wine industry in Turkey is growing, and some of it is very nice - sort of crisp and clean tasting.

And of course there is beer.  Every country in the world seems to produce their own lager, no matter how poor or remote.  In Turkey it happens to be Efes which tastes delicious at the end of a hot day.

Every meal ends with chai (tea) but Turkish coffee is an alternative.  It's pretty strong stuff, generally sweetened regardless of your instructions, but always served well, as if it were a occasion.

 

 

We start our evenings with raki, but one magical night were given a shot of something that tasted a bit like Japanese lum wine.

 

So there's no reason to ever get thirsty in Turkey!