Aşure (Noah's Pudding): 5 Best Places to Try It in Istanbul
Aşure (Noah's Pudding) blends wheat, beans, chickpeas, dried fruit, and nuts. The 5 best places to try it in Istanbul, from Saray Muhallebicisi to Beyaz Fırın.
Aşure, also called Noah’s Pudding, is one of the oldest desserts in Turkish cuisine. The name comes from “Ashura,” the Arabic word for “tenth,” because the dish is traditionally prepared on the Day of Aşure, the tenth of Muharrem, the first month of the Islamic calendar.
Aşure is cooked across Turkey and in many of the surrounding countries, and in Istanbul the dessert shops below keep it within reach. For the full eating map of the city, start with our Istanbul food guide.
History of aşure
The story goes that Noah’s Ark came to rest on Mount Ararat in northeastern Turkey, and the family on board celebrated with a dessert. Their supplies were nearly gone. So they cooked what was left, mostly beans, grains, and dried fruit, into one pot, and that pot became aşure.
The traditional version is built on seven main ingredients: wheat, rice, beans, chickpeas, sugar, dried fruit, and nuts. It stands apart from most Turkish desserts because it contains no animal products at all.
To explore Istanbul through its food beyond a single dessert, go with a local who can connect what is in the bowl to the markets, neighborhoods, and traditions around it.
All 5 aşure spots on one map
Open the map to see which of these sit near each other, and which are worth the trip across town.
1. Saray Muhallebicisi
Saray Muhallebicisi has stood on Istiklal Street since 1949, and it serves some of the best aşure, puddings, and cakes in Istanbul. Start with the aşure before the rest of the dessert case pulls you off course.
2. Sütiş Emirgan
This 70-year-old cafe sits in the scenic neighborhood of Emirgan. The aşure is the reason to come, and the menu backs it up with Turkish main courses and other desserts, so it works as a full meal rather than a quick stop.
3. Beyaz Fırın
Beyaz Fırın is a generations-old bakery with many branches across Istanbul, and it has been serving one of the best aşure in the city for years. Whichever neighborhood you are in, a branch is rarely far.
4. Bolulu Hasan Usta
Bolulu Hasan Usta is one of Turkey’s best-known dessert brands, and Turkish milk puddings are its specialty. At this famous chain you can order an authentic aşure next to the puddings and cake. If the milky side of the case wins you over, our guide to the best sütlaç in Istanbul covers that territory shop by shop.
5. Zeynel Muhallebicisi
Zeynel Muhallebicisi focuses on muhallebi, the family of Turkish milky desserts, which makes it a reliable place to order aşure. Save room for the orange and fig pudding the shop is famous for.
Where to go from here
Aşure has been cooked in Turkey for centuries, a pudding born from emptying the pantry into one pot. The five shops above are where we send people who want to taste it in Istanbul.
