In Turkey, the humble white bean is treated with reverence, placed on a culinary pedestal. Where else in the world are these legumes served, as Istanbul Eats puts it, by "chefs in tall toques carefully ladling out golden beans in a rich red gravy onto monogrammed flatware, served by waiters wearing bowties and vests. Even in the least formal of Istanbul’s beaneries, the guy manning the pot has the air of a high priest knowing that his incantations alone conjure something unusually delicious out of a simple dry white legume. This is no hobo fare."
For those interested in following Istanbul's bean trail, the EatingAsia blog has a recent post up listing some of their favorite "white beanerys." IstanbulEats' "investigative bean report" can be found here.
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