Merhaba! My name is Lily Dickenson, and I am so excited to take you on this journey with me! When writing this, I have been in Turkey for about three weeks, and living abroad has been amazing so far. I’ve made friends with both my fellow Fulbrighters and my coworkers at school, learned a little Turkish and eaten some incredible food that I can’t wait to share with you!
On my first official night in Ankara, our group went out to dinner together where we ordered kumpir, a Turkish-style loaded baked potato. I was nervous ordering at my first Turkish restaurant because the entire menu was in Turkish, so I just chose the first kumpir listed! Mine came with pickles, corn, butter, olives and sucuk, which is a Turkish sausage made from beef.
I was a little anxious at first since I didn’t know exactly what was in my kumpir, but I ended up loving it! I shared the experience with two friends who were also trying it for the first time, which made it even more fun. The restaurant was packed with Ankara locals, so our group had to sit in different areas. My friends and I found a ledge near the restaurant where we ate our kumpir and got to know each other while enjoying this delicious new dish.
