The word “ıslak” means “wet” in Turkish, which makes perfect sense for this classic street food — though it is far more appetising than it may sound at first.
The islak hamburger, or “wet burger”, is a soft bun with a thin beef patty that is steamed and thoroughly soaked in a garlicky tomato sauce. These small, moist sandwiches are usually kept in glass steam cabinets ready to serve, and most people eat more than one at a time. When I lived in Istanbul, I used to get my islak burgers from my favourite snack bar, Marmaris Büfe, founded in 1964 (“büfe” is the Turkish word for a snack bar).
However, the most famous seller of the original islak burger is Kızılkayalar (another famous büfe) in Taksim Square, where the tomato-soaked islak burger first started. Pro tip: order it with melted cheese.
