Coffee Flavored Sparking Water At Nazar Market

Coffee-flavored soda is one of those ideas that would sound forced if I heard it from Coca-Cola but seemed rakishly exotic in a Turkish grocery store.

Sarikiz actually makes coffee-flavored mineral water -- along with a green bottle of the mineral water on its own.  It's a real coffee flavor in a small bottle.  Not the milkshake that Starbucks sells as a bottled frappachino.  It's a carbonated soft drink with the refreshing pull -- especially if you're just looking for something different like buying the Turkish sour cherry nectar and mixing it with sparkling water.

Nazar Market in Coumbia sells all of these items along with a variety of other Turkish, Middle Eastern and Persian foods.  Consider checking out their refrigerator to accompany a sandwich from Bon Fresco Sandwich Bakery, which sells spectacular sandwiches and breads right across the parking lot.

If nothing else, consider the bottles if you want a coversation starter for guests.  Nazar Market sells small cases along with the single bottles in the fridge.  The bottles -- with their small size, real bottle caps and Turkish provenance -- would add a little flair to a buffet or a dinner party, but still provide flavors that should please almost anyone.  I had meant to buy a case of the mineral water for Mrs. HowChow's office party, but I just realized that fell through the cracks when we hosted the party last month.