What to eat in Istanbul when you have just had surgery
Turkish cuisine is unusually well suited to post-operative eating, soft, warm, protein-rich and rarely spicy.
After dental work
Mercimek çorbası (red lentil soup), sütlaç (baked rice pudding), hummus, yoğurt and soft börek. Avoid anything with seeds or crusty bread for the first days, and skip the ubiquitous glass of hot tea until numbness has fully worn off.
After bariatric surgery
Broths, ayran diluted with water, puréed soups and, later, grilled fish and chicken. Turkish restaurants will happily serve a plate of grilled protein without the accompanying bread mountain if you ask.
After facial or nasal surgery
Nothing that requires wide opening of the mouth or heavy chewing for the first week. Soups, yoghurt, eggs and slow-cooked meat dishes are ideal. Avoid very hot food, which increases swelling.
Things worth trying when you are recovered
Meze plates with rakı, a proper Turkish breakfast, balık ekmek by the Galata Bridge, and pistachio baklava, the last one preferably after your dentist has signed you off.
The Ones People Actually Ask.
Is the tap water safe?
Istanbul tap water is chlorinated and safe for washing, but almost everyone drinks bottled, including locals.
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What Stands Behind The Plan.
