Istanbul Culinary Institute

The Istanbul Culinary Institute is a professional training and production center dedicated to the teaching and dissemination of Ottoman/Turkish cuisine nationally and globally. It combines educational, cultural and commercial objectives within a comprehensive concept that includes a cooking school, the training restaurant Enstitü, wine and coffee bars, as well as a gourmet food store featuring Istanbul Culinary Institute’s own products. It also supports occasional public events (films, lectures and exhibitions), a newsletter and publications about culinary cultures of Turkey and the world at large.

As frequently observed by Turks and foreigners alike, contemporary Turkish cuisine is the heir of the diverse culinary culture of the Ottoman Empire, extending over the eastern Mediterranean from the Balkans to the Middle East. While the Istanbul Culinary Institute is founded upon the rich culinary traditions of this vast region, its main mission is not to revive the forgotten dishes and tastes of the Empire, but rather to present Ottoman/Turkish cuisine as a “living tradition” -a practical repertoire of familiar, well-tested, fine foods that can be prepared simply and tastefully for contemporary lifestyles, with easily available ingredients and in accordance with today’s cultural, aesthetic and hygienic standards.