About me
About me
My name is Ági Tóth, I am the founder of the Nar Gourmet brand and an expert in Turkish cuisine. Since 2005, I have been traveling through the countryside of Turkey. For five years, I organized Hungary's first regular program series showcasing Turkish culture, and for 2.5 years, I was the cultural director of the Yunus Emre Institute’s Turkish Cultural Center in Budapest.
Promoting Turkish cuisine started as a hobby with a blog, but it quickly became my profession. Thus, writing was replaced by cooking, event organizing, and storytelling. Today, my guests receive a complex experience from me, which is more than just tasting exotic flavors. Each occasion is a true flavor journey, spiced with special gastronomic stories, whether it's a home restaurant lunch, an all-morning breakfast, a cooking class, or a themed dinner at my favorite restaurants or event venues.
Why? The response is easy. But the response has many answers starting with the word ‘because’. Because fresh orange juice from Turkish street vendors has the most beautiful yellow I have ever seen. Because the foam on a latte made by the best barista is not as perfect as the foam on a fresh ayran (salty yogurt drink). Because if you are ever ’slapped on the face’ by the smell of fresh fish sandwich sold at the seafood market in Istanbul, you will never forget that experience. Because the scent of freshly baked simit (sesame ring) bought on the crowded streets of Istanbul at dawn is the finest pastry scent for me. Because none of the raviolis I have tried in my life was as delicious as the mantı (stuffed pasta bun with yogurt and paprika butter poured over it) made by a friend of mine in Cappadocia. Because there is no other desserts in which the sugar syrup and the melted cheese make such a perfect match as in künefe, which is a type of sweets made of vermicelli in syrup and unsalted cheese. Because it was in Istanbul where I ate the first dessert in my life that was made of chicken breast. Because I think the coolest fast food is kumpir, whole baked potatoes stuffed with vegetables, mayonnaise salad and frankfurters. Because never in my life have I seen such amazing and enormous roasted chestnuts like on İstiklal Caddesi in Istanbul. Because the deep red Turkish tea stops the time for everyone and allows them to sit on a little bench and do nothing special just look at people on the streets for hours. Because I cannot imagine better things than having a typical Turkish breakfast for hours and hours. Because for the true Gaziantep pistachio baklava the right description is not that it is ’way too sweet’ but on the contrary, it is absolutely divine. Because no rainbow is as beautiful in color as the thousands of spices on the stands of the Spice Bazaar.
Oh, yes, and one more thing before I forget.
Because my mission is to have more and more people discover that Turkish cuisine means much more than just döner and baklava!
Tóth Ági
Nar Gourmet