Izmir’s Aegean cuisine is a celebration of fresh ingredients, olive oil, and seafood, shaped by centuries of cultural influences. The city’s rich culinary heritage blends the traditions of Cretan, Albanian, Thessaloniki, and Bosnian migrants, Sephardic Jews, Levantines, Greeks, Armenians, and native Izmirites, creating a unique and flavorful gastronomy.
Thanks to fertile soils that yield an abundance of herbs, vegetables and fruits year-round, including olives for olive oil, surrounded by seas teeming with seafood, Izmir has maintained a unique culinary heritage for centuries.
More specifically, the ancient city of Urla, home to the Klazomenai olive oil workshop dating back to the 6th century BC, underscores the deep-rooted connection to olives as nature's biggest gift to the Aegean.
For many travelers, food is the highlight of any journey, and Izmir offers an unforgettable experience in this regard. Start your day with local specialties like Gevrek, Boyoz, Kumru, and Tulum Cheese. Olive oil then takes center stage in dishes such as artichokes, stuffed vine leaves, pinto beans, herb salads, cibes, and roasted eggplant. Meat lovers can savor regional favorites like Ödemiş, Tire, and Bergama meatballs, as well as çöp şiş, kokoreç, and assorted cold cuts. For the sweet finale, indulge in Şambali (sweetened semolina), Lokma (fried pastries in syrup), or Almond Kazandibi (caramelized milk pudding).
Street food is an essential part of Izmir’s culinary culture, with must-try delights like Kumru, Boyoz, Lokma, Midye (stuffed mussels), Kokoreç, and Söğüş (cold cuts). Spices also hold a special place, adding depth and character to every dish. Izmir’s food scene is a journey of taste, tradition, and history, making every bite an experience to remember.
Izmir Metropolitan Municipality initiated the Peninsula Project with the sustainable rural tourism goals. The initiative practices several projects, including Gastronomy Tourism, where agriculture and tourism intersect. The practices are united under the Peninsula Tour Routes; including Vineyard and Olive Routes which address the visitors by appealing to their taste buds where they can tour around the vineyards and even wine tasting. The Peninsula Project, as a whole, also promotes the gastronomy tourism by the virtue of thematic markets, agricultural training and local product geographical marking registries. At the eco-bazaars in the villages and districts along the route, fresh fruits and vegetables can be tasted and local delicacies can be discovered.
The olive, an eternal sacred tree of ancient mythology, has been cultivated in the İzmir region since antiquity, spreading westward from there. İzmir is home to ancient olive trees, the world’s oldest known olive oil press, and the first modern olive oil workshop in the ancient city of Klazomenai in Urla. The İzmir Peninsula, a key destination for olives, offers a rich journey through districts like Güzelbahçe, Çeşme, Seferihisar, Menderes, and Selçuk, where you’ll find olive oil workshops, factories, mashing sites, historic wells, windmills, and scenic terraces, all highlighting the region’s deep-rooted olive culture.
Located in the west of İzmir and south of Urla, the Vineyard Road connects the region’s producers, making Urla a top destination of ever developing viticulture. With a wine tradition dating back to antiquity, Urla boasts a unique terroir shaped by its peninsula location, ideal climate, moist soil, and iodized air. Its wineries carry on traditional cultivation of international grape varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Shiraz, and Chardonnay, alongside indigenous grapes such as Bornova Misketi, Sultaniye, and Boğazkere. The ancient Urla Karası, once nearly lost, has been revived, along with other rare local varieties like Foça Karası and Gaydura, preserving Urla’s rich winemaking heritage.
Geographical indications highlight a product's connection to a specific locality, area, or region, emphasizing its geographical origin and fostering trust and desirability. By protecting products renowned for their quality, tradition, regional raw materials, and unique local characteristics, geographical indication registration safeguards these cultural treasures. For sustainable gastronomy tourism, preserving local culinary heritage and supporting local communities and economic development are essential. İzmir exemplifies this with 33 geographically indicated gastronomy products, showcasing its rich and diverse food culture.
After years of hard work and wonderful responses from our international members, Délice plans to strengthen the network by extending its global presence.
Délice is seeking cities with a new and innovative approach to food & gastronomy and strong food culture. New members of this exclusive network will have the opportunity to share experiences and best practices worldwide, compare their different approaches, get inspired from each other, create partnerships and stay up to date on the moving trends regarding food & gastronomy.
