Yesterday, I visited the Istanbul Culinary Institute to meet its founder, Hande Bozdoğan. Since one of my stories is about the cuisine of Istanbul, Ms. Bozdoğan talked to me about eating in Turkey.

The Institute is in its fifth year of operation, usually hosting a very small class of students. The culinary students run the restaurant hosted in the Institute, and they gain experience running almost every aspect of the restaurant. Bozdoğan said the Institute owns a farm outside the city, so the restaurant uses fresh fruits and vegetables grown there. Each day the menu changes – whichever ingredients are fresh and in season are featured in the menu, and the students are responsible for featuring those ingredients in the day’s menu. This, Bozdoğan said, is a key element in Turkish food: Eating seasonal food in its prime.