Prepared Baby Food

Prepared bottled baby food in Turkey is readily available and comparable to what you would find in North America or Europe in so far as there is generally no added sugar, the ingredients are pure and organic versions can be found.  The pureed fruits and vegetables come in small glass jars.  Imported brands are harder to find and you will need to be in a major city if looking for them.

Two major Turkish brands of baby food are Hero (made by Ulker) and Hipp.  Some small differences you may want to be aware of when planning a trip with a baby or moving here:

1.  The vegetables, with the exception of carrots, tend to be mixed and often have vegetables not often used in North American or European baby food such as cucumber, onion and celery.
2.  Olive oil is added to many of the pureed vegetables, which is seen as healthy.
3.  With the exception of apple and peach, fruit tends to be blended as well and can involve fruits not often seen in North American or European baby food such as mango, grapes or blueberry.

As for price, the bottles of baby food seem to be sightly more expensive than in North America, costing anywhere from 1.25 TL to 2.25 TL a bottle.

Restaurants in Ankara: Balikcikoy

BalikCikOy is a fish restaurant that is popular  in Ankara and provides a relaxed atmosphere and a typical Turkish fish restaurant experience.  Usually your group will be seated and immediately served without the aid of menus.  Appetizers will be brought automatically for the table, followed by the main course of the day and concluded with fruit platters and sweets.  Enough food to feed the group will be served and will be served "family style".  It is traditional for raki to be drunk with fish dinners and copious amounts will be available to you while you dine.  The most accessible Balikcikoy restaurant is on Abay Kunanbay Cd. in TunalI.  To get there, walk 10 minutes south on Ataturk Blvd from Kizilay until you reach TunalI Cd. and Swan park on your left.  Turn left, or east, onto TunalI and then turn right onto Abay Kunanbay Cd. at the McDonalds. There is a McDonalds on the corner.  The second restaurant location is in the suburb of UmitkOy at 8. Cd. No: 73 Galeria  Yani.  Enjoy!

KurtuluS Park in Ankara

KurtuluS park in Ankara is a leafy, tree filled park with a small pond at one edge.  This park is full of picnic tables, has skating in the winter, ping pong tables in the summer, a running track, snack shops, and outdoor gym equipment.  The ping pong is 2 TL for an hour of paddle and ball rental.  It can be accessed from the Kolej metro stop on the green line; 2 stops east from Kizilay.  To reach this park walking from Kizilay, head east up Ziyah Gokup Blvd for 15-20 minutes.     Enjoy!