Kumpir

Kumpir is a large baked potato, split open, mashed with butter and cheese and topped with a choice of fillings. It is best known as street food from Istanbul, especially along the Ortaköy waterfront, where stalls serve it hot to passers-by.

What it really is

A big floury potato is baked whole until the flesh is soft. It is opened, and the inside is mashed with butter and grated kaşar cheese, which melts into the hot potato. The stall then adds the fillings the guest chooses, most often sweet corn, pickles and black olives, with other toppings offered at different stalls. The potato is the base, and the toppings change from stall to stall.

Kumpir is a full meal in one potato, not a side. Its size and cheese make it filling.

How it's served

• Hot, in a paper tray or wrap, eaten with a fork or spoon.
• With the toppings laid out at the stall so the guest can choose.
• As street food, usually at stalls and carts rather than at a table.

How to write it on the menu

• Name the potato and the cheese: baked potato with butter and kaşar cheese.
• Flag milk, since the butter and cheese both contain it.
• List every topping offered, since they vary; for example sweet corn, pickles and black olives.
• List any sauce or meat topping separately, and check its allergens before naming it.