ORHAN PAMUK’S ISTANBUL -- 26

NEW YORK TIMES WORDS/STEVE WRIGHT IMAGES

A few steps away we ducked into Vefa Bozacisi, another of his favorite places. 

Founded in 1876, the shop, a cozy establishment with leather banquettes and antique mirrors, specializes in boza, a fermented wheat drink that originated in southern Russia. 

Mixed with water and sugar and sprinkled with cinnamon, the creamy, butterscotch-colored concoction is served in glasses that were lined up by the dozens on polished wooden counters.

Beside shelves of pomegranate vinegar, a case reverently displayed the shop’s most valuable heirloom: a silver boza cup used here in 1927 by Kemal Ataturk.

-Joshua Hammer