Pickled Honeydew in Istanbul: Don't Knock It 'Till You Try It

Pickled honeydew may sound like an odd arrangement, but it's surprisingly delicious, and among the vast array of pickled treats one can sample on our Two Markets, Two Continents walk in Istanbul.

A Burst of Green in Queens

We spied a burst of green – different varieties of cilantro as well as other herbs – on our Queens walk. While the borough doesn’t have the same large markets as some of the other cities we operate in, you can still find plenty of smaller fruit and vegetable stands sprinkled throughout the area.

An Ancient Doughnut Hole in Athens

Loukoumades are considered to be one of the oldest recorded pastries (and desserts, for that matter) in the world – in fact, the ancient Greek poet Callimachus and philosopher Aristotle wrote about them. Nowadays, these photogenic fried-dough balls are particularly Instagram-worthy. Snap your photo before they get gobbled up!

Native Dish

Based on NYC Media’s new food TV series, “Native Dish: United Flavors of NYC,” Culinary Backstreets brings you a behind-the-scenes look at some of the New Yorkers featured in these short videos. The series, which aims to celebrate New York City immigrants from all over the world, focuses on one individual and one dish at a time as a means through which to explore the myriad cuisines represented in the city and the people who make them. This month, we are spotlighting Upi Yuliastuti, an Indonesian immigrant from the Pandang region of Sumatra, who has been the chef at Upi Jaya restaurant for 15 years. Through her daughter Tika, we hear about Upi's dedication to her kitchen, her desire to share Indonesian food with the city and what sets her beef rendang apart from all the other eateries in town.

Freshly Ground Coffee in Porto

While on our Beyond the Barrell culinary walk, we popped into an old-school coffee shop for a cup of strong brew. Rustic spots such as this one are not far from century-old opulent Parisian-style cafes, sometimes staffed by tuxedoed waiters – it’s all part of the complexities and contrasts of life in Porto, which we dig into on our full-day culinary exploration.

A Powerful Greek Breakfast

Pictured is an invigorating Greek breakfast of yogurt, honey and walnuts at a local institution. This is how we begin our culinary walk of downtown Athens!

Taking time for vermut in Barcelona

On our Bodega culinary walk in Barcelona, we visit the neighborhood bodegas where locals meet up for vermut and wine, as we learn how to (and how not to) use the porró.