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The Taste Istanbul blog.

Essays and reading on Istanbul food culture, the editorial position behind the app, and what we're building. New posts on Tuesdays and Fridays.

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Illustrated editor's desk in an Istanbul apartment at golden hour, with notebook, tea glass, paper map and basil pot

6 May 2026 · 6-minute read

Why we built a food guide that doesn't track you

Most travel apps quietly track you. We chose not to. Here's the engineering that backs the claim, and why the economics of an honest free travel app actually work.

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Coming soon

The next three posts are in the editing pipeline. We publish on Tuesdays and Fridays.

The 10 dishes you must eat in Istanbul — a seasonal guide to the dishes worth crossing the city for, and where to find each one.
Best baklava in Istanbul, ranked and explained — the Karaköy reference, the Sultanahmet survivors, the Üsküdar Asian-side annex, and what to ask for at the counter.
Walking food tours of Istanbul: which one's right for you — a frank guide to the sixteen tours in the app, who each one is for, and the order to take them in.

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