As much as we remain in awe of Istanbul’s major tourist attractions like the Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, and the Grand Bazaar, this feature in our magazine is dedicated to our favorite places that require a little more effort to seek out, but that reward exploratory visitors tenfold. They can range from obscure Armenian churches, to out of- the-way galleries, to pretty wooden mosques, to this: a specialty food shop/café where you can practically taste history.
In an unassuming street in Vefa (a neighborhood in the Fatih district of Istanbul), the arched windows of Vefa Bozacısı, featuring wood paneling, lace curtains, old-fashioned bottles and marble bowls, make for an attractive window display that catches your eye. The rituals of this historic place also begin before you enter. As any connoisseur knows, boza is not complete without a topping of leblebi, and due to the particularly Turkish store custom of only specializing in one thing, Vefa Bozacısı doesn’t sell leblebi. Instead you have to visit the ramshackle shop across the street to get a paper bag full of this popular roasted chick pea snack. Then, like a secret agent smuggling a package across a border, you are ready to cross the street, step over the well-worn threshold and step back in time.
Inside, Iznik tiles decorate the walls in their typical shades of turquoise, cobalt blue, and bold reds. The floor is also tiled with geometric patterns in faded yellow, red, and green. Victorian mirrors and 1920s light fittings bedeck the wall, along with shelves and shelves of glass bottles containing liquids in a number of beguiling colors. The décor conjures images of an old fashioned apothecary, but marble tabletops serve to show that this is a classy café joint. Somewhat incongruously, the pillars are bejeweled with mirrored tiles causing them to resemble cylindrical disco-balls, but it all adds to the effect.
Behind the counter the affable bozacı scoops up jugs full of the mysterious viscous liquid from a giant vat, posing for photographs if you pull out a camera. He lines up glasses of this thick pale yellow drink, dusting them with cinnamon, ready to be served to many customers who pass through the door each day. Although other options are on offer - Ottoman style spiced tamarind sherbet drinks churn away invitingly, and both vinegar and nar ekşişi (a sour pomegranate sauce) are available to buy - regulars come here for just one thing: boza.
What is Boza?
Originating with the Turks in 10th century Central Asia, boza remains a popular drink in the regions spanning from Montenegro in the West to Kazakhstan in the East. Even though methods vary across regions, in Turkey it is made with fermented millet or bulgur wheat. Vefa Boza uses hulled millet, boiled in water and then poured into broad shallow pans. After being left to cool, it is sieved, and water and sugar are added. It has a unique sweet yet tangy flavor, served with a spoon because of its thick texture, and (as a result of its fermentation) an ever-so-slight alcohol well see elder relatives encouraging unwilling children to ‘drink up,’ because boza is a bit of an acquired taste, but if you ever were to acquire it, Vefa Bozacısı is the place to do so.
The Vefa Bozacısı Story
This is the shop where the grandfather of Turkish boza (and great-greatgrandfather of today’s owners), Hadji Sadik, first began production in 1876. This Albanian immigrated to Istanbul in 1870 and soon after opened his business. Vefa Bozacısı quickly became a favorite of the sultans, as well as the aristocrats who populated the area at the time, taking over the Armenian vendors who used to peddle boza door-to-door. He trained his son in the practice and Vefa has remained a family business, despite growing immeasurably. You can now find Vefa Bozacısı franchises all over the city but this is the original, and carries with it the weight of history. As if to prove that point, enclosed in a glass dome, purposefully out of reach of inquisitive hands, sits a glass, used by the founder of the Turkish Republic, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, dated 1937.
Whether you like the idea of ‘drinking’ fermented millet with a spoon or not, it’s worth seeking out this gem. Sit a while and watch the come and go of regulars from nattering headscarved ladies, to pensive old men, to whole families with young children in tow. It doesn’t require any great leaps of the imagination to let your vision slip softly out of focus to find yourself in Istanbul of yesteryear. Vefa Katip Çelebi Caddesi No. 104, Fatih; P: (0212) 519 49 22
Read More: The Guide Istanbul » Vefa Bozacısı: Would You Like Some Nostalgia With That? http://www.theguideistanbul.com/news/view/1505/vefa-bozacisi-would-you-like-some-nostalgia-with-that/#ixzz2mzKLwrQJ
