I'm Vidar Bergum, a food writer based in Istanbul.

I made Istanbul my home in 2015. Since then, I’ve travelled and eaten my way through the cuisines and food cultures of Turkey, the Middle East and beyond.

On the way, I’ve published three best-selling cookbooks in my native Norway (the first was also translated to German) and I keep a recipe blog at A kitchen in Istanbul. You can read more about my story here.

Join me in exploring the food and cultures of Turkey, the Middle East & beyond:

What to expect if you subscribe

Meze is my English language home for the recipes, stories and kitchen tips I’ve collected over the years.

I currently send out free newsletters 3–4 times a month, one of which is a brand new recipe. The remainder

Paying subscribers get 3 exclusive bonus recipes per month.

Why get a paid subscription?

I’ve spent years immersing myself in the local food cultures, constantly travelling, researching, tasting, eating and recipe testing. I’ve written several books on the topics I cover and edit all my work relentlessly, whether it’s a short newsletter or a book.

In short: This is my job.

Paid subscriptions enable me to take time away from other projects and dedicate the time necessary to research, write, edit and publish new articles and unique recipes every week.

Becoming a paying subscriber is completely optional. I fully understand that not everyone can or wants to take one up – or that you simply have too many other subscriptions to add another one to your pile.

If you enjoy my newsletters, however, I hope you’ll consider a paid subscription. In addition to supporting my work (and helping secure the continuation of the newsletter), you’ll also get three bonus recipes monthly, as well as access to the full paid recipe archives.

Note: The perks, format and balance of free/paid may change over time. The main thing you're paying for, is to contribute to keeping the newsletters coming. Free and paid ones.