Selin still works as an Individual Travel Consultant for Turkey  and can give advice, help custom design itineraries , pick best guides ,reserve luxirious accommodations and enhance your travel to Turkey.

Annie Gelmuyden Pertan is born and raised in Istanbul, Anna Maria Geelmuyden hails from a multi-cutural heritage and is fluent in English, French, Turkish and Greek.
She got her Candidat Magister from the Department of History and Philosophy at the University of Oslo, Norway and her Bachelor of Arts in Art History at the Departement of Literature and Humanities at Sorbonne, Université de Paris, France. In 1974, she started working as an Art Director for films, and soon segued into physical production as well as production design, earning several awards in the process.  She also has worked on numerous  food commercials.

She has done the production design for a cookbook, RECIPIES FROM PRINKIPO ISLAND . The book won the Gourmand Best First Cookbook 2005 Award in local competition in Turkey, and later the Best Local Cookbook in the World Award.Annie leads our market visits and organizes home hosted dinners at her typical Turkish house next to the Pera Market.

FROM THE PRESS AND THE WEB

LISA LINDBLAD TRAVEL DESIGN

QANTAS

DAILY EXPRESS

STARS AND STRIPES

INSAITABLE CRITIC GAEL GREENE

FOOD AND TRAVEL    

SOME COMMENTS FROM OUR GUESTS

• I found out about Selin and Turkish Flavours from the Luxe series of travel guides. She was listed under a section of the guide that covered things that should not be missed. The guide was right.
  
  We did two experiences with Selin. The first one was a cooking lesson and dinner at her wonderful apartment and the second was an excursion that covered visiting the spice market, the market in Kadikoy and then a fabulous lunch to follow.
  
  The cooking lesson or experience was exactly what we were hoping for. We are serious "foodies" and had done something similar in Bologna at a family's home. Aside from learning about the recipes and techniques, it really grounds you in the culture and Istanbul life in a way that cannot happen outside of someone's home. We made a number of courses all the while learning about Turkish foods and drawing on Selin's vast knowledge of the region and culture. There really is no substitute for having someone show you the secrets of how to prepare dishes. Learning from a cookbook pales in comparison. After we prepared the meal, we sat down to a leisurely dinner where we got to enjoy the fruits of our labor and learn more about Istanbul. While Selin is strident in her beliefs, she also proved to be the most reliable source of info on the right kind of restaurant recommendations and how best to use the time that we had to see what we wanted to see. I would argue far more reliable than our hotel!
  
  The tour of the two markets was also great as Selin has relationships with the most interesting sellers and you get to learn about all the different spices, produce and other foods in a way that would be impossible if you are just on your own. It's like she cuts out the noise and you are left with the best places to buy stuff vs. trying to figure it out on your own and hoping for the best. She can also answer the myriad questions that a foodie might have about all the different foods that you come across. After visiting two markets, my backpack was stuffed full of wonderful vacuum-sealed packages of spices and grains you just can't get even in NYC.
  
• We finished the second day with a lunch at one of the best places in Kadikoy called Ciya. While this is a place we had heard of, the experience of going there with Selin was entirely different than what we would have experienced on our own. She has a personal relationship with the restaurant and chef which allowed her to arranged a special lunch with our tastes in mind. Being able to sit and talk with the chef afterwards was icing on the cake.
  I would highly recommend Selin and Turkish Flavours to anyone that wants to get a more personal connection with Istanbul and Turkish food. With her, you get to benefit from years of experience, knowledge and relationships throughout Istanbul that you just can't get from a guide or elsewhere. She seems to genuinely love food and cooking which made spending time with her one of the highlights of our trip.From a comment on Trip Advisor

• My wife and I recently visited Turkey and were scrambling at the last minute to fill holes in our itinerary. As we were traveling with a small band of like-minded foodies, we set our sights on a culinary day tour. Unfortunately, we were informed by many tour operators that the weekend we had targeted was Labor Day and due to past unrest (rioting), tours had been cancelled. Of everyone I contacted, Seline at Turkish Flavours was by far the most accommodating. Although last minute and despite the Labor Day madness, she managed to schedule our group for personal tours of both the Spice Market and Kadikoy Street Market. Seline normally uses taxis and ferries, but due to the demonstrations, hired a private van to take us from place to place. The tour itself was the highlight of our stay in Istanbul. We managed to eat our way through most of the city, sampling mussels, salted fish, fruits, various spices and sweets, followed by a long, magnificent lunch at an Anatolian restaurant on the Asian side, where Seline had arranged a special, multi-course tasting menu for our group. Fantastic meal. Seline’s guidance and knowledge of the city and the individual purveyors in the markets proved invaluable. If you love food, this is the quickest and most comprehensive way to introduce yourself to the tastes of Istanbul. We finished our day at Seline’s lovely, historic apartment, where we cooked an authentic Turkish dinner with friends, old and new. Both my wife and I thoroughly recommend Turkish Flavours.Michael Murphy,USA

• It has taken me this long to get the fuzziness out of my head!  I have been really jet lagged so today is the first day back at my computer.Thank you so much for the wonderful two days spent with you.  I wish I weren’t so tired so that I could have done more shopping with you.  Everything that you told me to buy, I have not regretted and wished that I had more space in my luggage.  I don’t think we could have fit anything more in the three pieces we had.  I carried two more bags filled  with our purchase onto the plane.  JP also stuffed his bags full and he will be using his Ottoman spice tonight with beef. I have cooked the Kisir, the smoked eggplant and made pilav and used the ottoman spice twice with beef.  I used the Janissary spice in an egg omelette which was also very tasty.   I will make the bell pepper stuffed with rice for dinner tonight.  So you see I have cooked Turkish every day since I got home.  Tim loves it and we enjoy the Turkish sweets after every meal.  You do have a unique service and I will recommend you to all our friends who do travel to Turkey.   Once again, many thanks for your kind hospitality, for the many memories and for the cooking class. Maxine Boscher,Sydney
• We have thoroughly enjoyed your hospitality and learning a little about your life in Istanbul. Thank you for opening your house to us and for being patient with my children.Warm regards,Bronwyn,Geofrey,Elizabeth,Edward Brown -Brisbane, Australia via Hong Kong
• Thank you for sharing your house of knowledge.. in a kind and delicious way!You made both our trip of my birthday very memorable.Please keep in touch. Ps .Putting on pepper caps was so much fun!And we will protect the secret of the pumpkin dessert! Merci beaucoup c'etait trés belle! Monica Samec & Barry Rawn - Canada/Netherlands
• Thank you very much for your hospitality!It was great to learn how to make BÖREK !Hoi Ning and Sebastien - Berlin - Germany
• Great class! Great food! Great time!Susan Russell - Chicago- USA
• Our experiences in Turkey will remain forever etched in our memories( supplemented by many photos)because of your planning.We've had an incredible time,enjoying every location ,hotel and meal - the best being our "team" lunch that we cooked with you today. We wish the very best with Turkish Flavours and will recommend you to our travelling friends in the U.S. Warm regards, Maureen & Hil Brodie, Davis California- Kay Daniels& Steven Shpall - Palo Alto ,California
• It has been a highlight of our visit to Istanbul to meet you and share your insights in to the markets and wonderful ingredients of your city. It was a privilege to visit your home, learn about your tours ( and meet and play with Yoyo). We look forward to welcoming you in New Zealand. Mavis Airey- New Zealand
• Thank you for an exciting 2 days. Your knowledge and enthusiasm is so great to share with us. Your apartement is warm and lovely. See you in Usa soon. All the best Chef Jaxon - Park City - Utah
• A pleasure, Selin ,to meet you and cook with you. Thank you for showing us all the markets,shops and most especially ,your home. Molly + Walton Rutherford - Roanoke ,Virginia
• At last, we managed to get away from our busy cooking school in Belgium to enjoy our 6th wedding anniversary and... to cook even more!! Selin is the most concerned hostess and culinary guide, a relaxed, good and precise cook. I am so impressed with what we've seen- tasted-cooked and eaten- a true delight. I 'll be back for much much more of this! A million thanks! Inge & Jurgen - Belgium
• Thank you so much for a wonderful day welcoming me in to your home. I loved the market tour! An I loved learning how to cook a Turkish meal. I look forward to making a Turkish feast for my friends and family at home. Many thanks for your gracious hospitality. Judy Kuskin- USA
• What a wonderful time I have had spending the day with you, cooking and talking and learning about Istanbul. I can take back the recipes and stories to Tokyo and share them with my friends. Cheers and all the best.     Teri Weaver - Tokyo
• This has been the most wonderful experience, and I can make everything at home. Thank you for welcoming me in your home and sharing your secrets. Ti aspetto a Roma! Maureen Fant - Rome
• Thank you for a wonderful addition to our experience in Turkey. We enjoyed the opportunity to learn about this important part of Turkish Culture. The food, the company, and the hostess were wonderful.                    Joanna & Andrew Laytin - USA
• It's a pleasure to spend time doing something you love to do in good company. The food was wonderful and I can only hope to replicate it at home. Patty&Jeffrey Meissner - USA
• Another wonderful experience that will be added to many memories of Istanbul. Your hospitality was lovely and the food we prepared delicious. Thank you for everything. Stacey Bowen- USA
• Thanks for a fabulous day and being so accommodating. Your knowledge,techniques and warm personality helped make this a great experience! Will think of you every time I cook a Turkish dish at home or eat in a Turkish restaurant. Hugs. Koren Borges USA
• Melissa and I wanted to learn a little about Turkish Cooking, but instead we were welcomed in to your beautiful home, entertained, given advice on all things Turkish AND learned about Turkish Cooking! What a wonderful honeymoon this has been. You have been a highlight. My wife now wants to do what Selin does for a living. Thank you. Monty&Melissa Oppenheim- USA 

LINKS

ESBELLİ EVİ

SLOW FOOD

ERENLER SOFRASI - BODRUM

GUL EVI - SAFRANBOLU

FRUIT HERITAGE

MAUREEN FANT

CHOCOLATIER DAVID LEBOVITZ'S GREAT PARIS BASED FOOD BLOG

KITCHEN ARTS & LETTERS

INSAITABLE CRITIC

Our tours are operated with the collaboration of Başarantur and Argeus Tourism and Travel companies.