Specialty Stores: Turkuaz Market

Cary, NC – Turkey and the Mediterranean in general has its own climate and is at the intersection of many other cultures, meaning it has a lot of unique food options. The new Turkuaz Market in Downtown Cary has a wide selection of these unique foods, hard to find many other places in North Carolina.

Turkish Treats

Turkuaz Market on N Harrison Avenue in Downtown Cary opened in early August 2017. Emre and Fulya Eyupoglu, owners along with family members Sibel and Erol Eyupoglu, said they were inspired to open the market after the difficulty of finding their favorite Turkish foods in the area.

“If we opened our own store, we could bring products in from all over,” Emre Eyupoglu said. “It’s hard to get these products to reach all areas.”

Eyupoglu said around 90 percent of the products they sell now come from Turkey but they want to make it an international market and are planning to expand to include regions such as Russia.

“Customers can order in anything and we can get it to them if we do not have it in store,” Eyupoglu said. “We want to adapt to customers’ wishes.”

Among the products carried at Turkuaz Market are popular coffees and teas, as well as glasses for Turkish-style coffee and tea, and many varieties of Turkish delights. In addition to hot drinks, there are cold drinks such as unique fruit sodas and ayran, a very popular yogurt-based drink in Turkey.

There are also many grains and nuts in store, and Eyupoglu said they are planning to expand their nut selection, as it is a big part of the Turkish diet.

Dishes and Recipes

Turkuaz Market sells foods you can take home to prepare but there are also homemade Turkish cookies and salads you can order and eat right in the store, from orzo salads to cinnamon sesame sticks. The store also does catering for events.

“And we can give out the recipes to anyone who is interested,” said Fulya Eyupoglu.

Other prepared foods at Turkuaz Market include cooked eggplant, dried soujouk beef and fresh baklava and kadaifi. Shoppers can also buy other Mediterranean products for use at home, such as different kinds of feta and other white cheeses nectars and jams made with sour cherry.

“Not many other places have sour cherry foods,” said Emre Eyupoglu.

With the variety of foods in stock, Eyupoglu said they have options for vegans, diabetics and other dietary restrictions.

Turkuaz Market is located at 203 N Harrison Ave. , Suite 110, in Downtown Cary.


Story and photos by Michael Papich.