Ethnic Cuisine: Turkey
Introduction
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Turkey is a unique republic located on the eastern end of the Mediterranean. While most of her citizens are Islamic, the government of Turkey is both democratic and secular. Turkey has always been the meeting point for European and Middle Eastern neighbors, becoming an important link between east and west. Consequently, her customs and cuisine are modern, and at the same time historic. Turkey has often been called the crossroads of Europe. Over the centuries the Hittites, Seljuks, Persians, Greeks and Romans have ruled the area.
The Turkish Diet
It was during the rise of the Ottoman Empire, (1453-1909) which at its height (1453-1650) extended into Eastern Europe, Egypt, and Inner Asia, that the genius of Turkish cooking had its greatest influence. Centuries of Ottoman empire rule helped to spread Turkish cuisine and ingredients into Eastern Europe and throughout the Middle East. Many well-known recipes show an influence from Turkish cuisine: yogurt salads, fish in olive oil, stuffed vegetables and vine leaves, and syrupy filo dough desserts.
Turkish food is regarded as one of the world's great cuisines. Today, travelers are discovering Turkey, and dining well. The Mediterranean diet, which includes Turkey's, is considered a healthy diet to follow. "Everyone loves Turkish food," a ceramics dealer confided in Istanbul's Grand Bazaar.
Despite the influence of western foods and even fast food chains in the larger cities, Turkey zealously preserves her culinary heritage. In the last decade, chefs of main hotels and international food symposiums have helped to re-introduce Turkish cuisine to the world, educating her citizens about a proud food heritage.
Blessed with a huge country that straddles Europe and Asia, Turkey's varied geography provides a seasonal climate that allows tea cultivation in the cool north and hot pepper and melon plantings in the south. The Black Sea, Sea of Marmara, Aegean, and southern Mediterranean provide Turkey with boundless fish and shellfish. Turkey is one of the few countries in the world that has been self sustaining, producing all its own food.
Vineyards are cultivated for the famous yellow sultana raisins and wine. In southern cities, it is customary to see grapevines trailed upwards along apartment balconies, providing shade and fruit at each level. Herds of sheep and goats proliferate. Lamb and chicken are the main meats. Forbidden in Islam, pork is absent. Under classic ruins of Roman columns, ancient olive, fig, and pistachio trees embellish a beautiful landscape, adding to the air of antiquity.
The Ottoman courts passed laws to regulate the freshness of food. Modern Turkish food is notably fresh. Leftovers are uncommon in a household. Newly baked bread is a staple. Seasonal vegetables and fruits abound, and are served during the height of their growing periods. Turks love their famous eggplants, spring peaches, summer figs, fall quince, and delight throughout the year in olives, dried apricots, and all type of nuts. Turkey exports most of Europe's hazelnuts, or filberts.
To dine on Turkish food is to dine on centuries old recipes. Ancient Greeks introduced wine cultivation in Anatolia, eastern Turkey. The Persians introduced sweets, sugar, and rice. Skewered and roasted meats, the famous shis-kebab, show the nomadic heritage; as do flatbreads which are baked upon an overturned griddle called a sac. The sac is similar to a flattened wok. "Yogurt" is a Turkish word, her most famous contribution to world cuisine. Yogurt made its way north to Bulgaria and Eastern Europe during the Ottoman occupation. Olive oil production is thousands of years old and part of the whole Mediterranean culture.
In Topkapi, the sultan's palace in Istanbul, chefs perfected these dishes with specialized recipes. Chefs would spend whole careers refining recipes such as pilafs, milk puddings, and desserts. Certain villages were known for producing chefs who would work in the palace. As a result of this imperial cuisine, the general population had a raised expectation and appreciation for excellent food. This appreciation continues today.
It is common in the markets to taste before you buy. Holes cut into melons allow the shopper to taste first. Delivery boys bring tea on copper trays to shoppers while they sample the peppers, spices, and fruits. Sacks of linden tea, dried fruits, sea sponges, henna, jars of amber honey, olives, and spice blends compete for attention.
As a traveler in Turkey, or a cook here at home, recipes are easily identifiable and not difficult to prepare. The beauty of Turkish cooking is in its affordability, use of fresh ingredients, and ease of basic cooking techniques. Dishes are simply presented, not hidden under sauces, or excessive presentations. Classic recipes from centuries of palace and home cooking are well known to all home cooks. The most common seasonings are: dill, mint, parsley, cinnamon, garlic, and the lemony sumac. Yogurt is a common side condiment. Another southern condiment is Aleppo pepper flakes, or "pul biber." This semi moist, hot, flaked red pepper is sprinkled upon foods before eating. Vegetarians and meat eaters easily find much to choose from on the menu.
Turkish cuisine also has many specialties and variations: there are at least forty ways to prepare eggplant alone. Unique are the strings of dried, hollowed out eggplant. It is reconstituted and stuffed with rice in winter. Honeys, preserves, nut mixtures, and cheeses round out a menu.
The first meal of the day is breakfast. A typical Turkish breakfast is fresh tomatoes, white cheese, black olives, bread with honey and preserves, and sometimes an egg.
Lunch often will include a rice or bulgar pilaf dish, lamb or chicken baked with peppers and eggplant, and fresh fish grilled with lemon. A popular lamb cut is prizolla. These are extra thin cut lamb chops which are seasoned with sumac, thyme, and quickly grilled. Favorites include sucuk, a spicy sausage, and pastirma, a sun dried cumin-fenugreek coated preserved beef. It is sliced thin much like pastrami. For lunch or dinner, soups are central in Turkish cuisine. In addition to the famous red lentil soup, there is a well-known soup with the exotic name of Wedding Soup made with lamb shanks in an egg broth.
Dinners will most commonly start with mezeler, (singular, mezze) or appetizers. Mezeler are Turkish specialties, showing off the originality and skill of a restaurant. Roasted pureed eggplant, fine chopped salads, miniature filled pasta called "manti," pepper and turnip pickles, mackerel stuffed with pilaf, sardines rolled in grape leaves, and "kofte", spiced lamb meatballs, all tantalize the diner.
One unique specialty of Turkish cuisine is the "zeytinagli" or olive oil course. Foods such as peppers or tomatoes are prepared with olive oil. These are typically served at room temperature.
Dessert is commonly melon and fresh fruit. Desserts made with filo dough, puddings of rose water and saffron, are favored. Another favorite is dried apricots drenched in syrup, stuffed with buffalo milk cheese and garnished with pistachio nuts. All sweets are usually served with Turkish coffee. Turks are credited with the spread of coffee throughout their empire and later Europe.
During the day the popular drink is tea, served in crystal tulip shaped glasses. Chai houses are popular among the village men, while coffee houses cater towards the young moderns in cities. Two popular winter drinks are: cinnamon flavored sahlep, a drink made from powdered iris root, and boza, a fermented barley drink. Raki, an anise liqueur is the national drink of Turkey. Sour cherry juice, turnip juice, rose tea and "elma chai", apple peel tea are all popular.
In restaurants, the waiter will help the traveler select a meal, with breads and olives always available. Put your dinner into the hands of the restaurant and you will not be disappointed. Regional specialties abound, ask for them. In southern Turkey, Adana is famous for "Adana kebab" a spiced minced meat. Istanbul is known for "midye" or pilaf stuffed mussel meze. The Aegean region near Izmir, is known for its figs, fish, and peaches. In some restaurants, lemon cologne is available after dining to pour over hands as a refreshing cleanser.
Unique specialties of Turkish cuisine make souvenirs from a trip. "Lokum," a gelled sweet often mixed with hazelnuts or pistachios, is cut into cubes and rolled in powdered sugar. In the United States it is commonly called Turkish delight. Rose, banana, and eggplant liqueur are savored. Sweet hot red pepper paste, Muhammara, notes the Arabic influence. Rose petal or sour morello cherry jam, fig and quince preserves are popular. Pulverized Turkish coffee, black Risi chai or tea, and raki are happy reminders of alfresco dinners. A thicker version of filo dough, called, "yufka" can be found in middle eastern markets. All these food specialties are so loved, import grocers of Turkish foods keep them available in the United States for the expatriate and nostalgic traveler. All can be brought back, or purchased in the states to recreate a memorable meal.
Turkish Words and Phrases
The following listings, recipes and texts will further your understanding of this cuisine, whether planning for a future trip, or to enjoy at home. "C" is pronounced "j" in Turkish. The Turkish alphabet uses letters with the cedilla, or tail. For pronunciation purposes, the spellings have changed here from the cedilla "c" or "s" for example: to "ch" and "sh" for phonetic purposes.
ashure
a pudding made of cereals, dried and fresh fruits, nuts, sugar and spices, referred to as "Noah's pudding."
ayran
a drink of beaten yogurt, cold water and salt.
beyaz penir
a medium soft brined cheese.
borek
filled pastries in various shapes, baked, fried, or grilled.
cacik
grated cucumber with diluted yogurt, garlic, salt, sprinkled with dill and olive oil.
cezve
a tapered cup with long handle for making Turkish coffee.
dolma
any filled or stuffed vegetable. The term means to stuff, the most famous filled grape leaves
helva
a sweetmeat dessert of flour, semolina, butter, sugar, milk, and nuts.
kadayif
finely shredded pastry used to make a dessert. It looks like shredded wheat cereal.
kavurma
lamb cut into small cubes, braised and browned, for use in stews.
kofte
any dish made with ground meats, or bulgar and rice meat mixture; skewered, baked, and fried versions exist.
leblebi
roasted and dried chickpeas used an appetizer much like salted nuts; yellow salted, unsalted, white or mastic leblebi is common.
lokum
Turkish delight, made of sugar, cornstarch, gelatin, grape juice and flavoring agents.
manti
small pastries filled with minced meat, similar to ravioli, but very small.
oklave
: a long smooth rolling pin, tapered, 24-32 inched long, used to roll flatbreads and filo.
oturma
similar to stuffed vegetables, only fried, and filled with browned spices then simmered.
pastirma
heavily spiced sun dried beef
pekmez
grape molasses used like molasses
pide
a flattened, oval bread served plain, or meat filled. "Turkish pizza"
pilaki
a bean dish cooked in olive oil, served cold with lemon.
piyaz
any kind of dried bean salad with egg and vegetable.
sach
the curved griddle used to cook yufka, filo, or borek
pilaki
a bean dish cooked in olive oil, served cold with lemon
piyaz
any kind of dried bean salad with egg and vegetable
sarma
any dish of wrapped leaves of grape, or cabbage; fillings are either minced meat or rice.
sucuk
a preserved meat product similar to pepperoni, made of lamb and beef.
sumak
the ground berries of the edible sumac, used to give a tart lemon taste to food.
sis kofte
commonly known as shis kebab in the west, pieces of meat or kofte formed around skewers and grilled
tandir
a beehive shaped oven in the wall or free standing, used to cook pide and other breads.
tatlisi
the Turkish work for sweets, or desserts.
terbiy
a sauce of egg with lemon juice, used in some koftes, dolmas and vegetable dishes.
yufka: ready made thin flatbread made upon a sac.
General Food Terms
aci: hot or bitter
ak ekmek: white bread
anchuez: anchovy
armut: pear
aschi: cook
az pishmish: rare
az shekerli: slightly sweet
badem: almond
baharat: spices
bal: honey
balik: fish
bardak: drinking glass
beyaz: white, as in white beans
beyaz sharap: white wine
bezelye: pea
biber: pepper
biftek: beefsteak
bira: beer
buz: ice
buzlu chay: ice tea
buzlu su: ice water
ceviz: walnut
cay: tea
chig: raw
chilek: strawberry
chorba: soup
dereotu: dill
dolma: stuffed vegetable
domates: tomato
dondurma: ice cream
ekmek: bread
ekshi: sour
elma: apple
erik: plum
et: meat
fasulye: bean
findik: filbert or hazelnut
fincan: cup
gazo: soda drink
gul: rose
guvech: earthenware casserole
ham: green
ham sheker: brown sugar
havuc: carrot
hazirlop: hard-boiled
hiyara: cucumber
incir: fig
ishkembe: tripe
kahvalti: breakfast
kahve: coffee
kakao: cocoa
kara: black
kara biber: black pepper
karanfil: clove
karides: shrimp
karnibahar: cauliflower
karpuz: watermelon
kavun: melon
kayisi : apricot
kekik: thyme
kizartma: browned in oil
kozleme: grilled
kuru: dried
kuzu: lamb
limon: lemon
lokanta: restaurant
mantar: mushroom
maydanoz: parsley
meyve: fruit
misir: corn
mutfak: kitchen or cuisine
muz: banana
nane: mint
nar: pomegranate
orta: medium, as in medium sweet coffee
orata shekerli: medium sweet, as in sweetened coffee
pancar: beet
pane: breaded
pazar: farmer's market
peynir: cheese
pilaki: dish with olive oil and onions, served room temperature
recheli: jam
sakiz: the resin from the mastic tree, Turkish term
sarimsak: garlic
sicak: hot
soguk: cold (silent g)
sulu yemek: home cooking
sut: milk
sarap: wine
sheftali: peach
seker: sugar
shishe: bottle
tava: frying pan, food which had been breaded and fried
taze: fresh
tuz: salt
un: flour
uzum: grape
yarim porsiyon: half, a regular size portion
yeshil: green as in green peppers
yeshil zeytin: green olive
yumurta: egg
zeytin: olive
zeytinagli: olive oil
Recipes
Eggplant Salad (patlican salatasi)
Serves 4 as main dish, 6 as appetizer
This classic dish is famous -- charring adds a smoky flavor. In Arabic versions, tahini, sesame paste, is used.
3 large eggplants, unpeeled
2 tbsp. lemon juice
1/3 cup olive oil
salt to taste
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 cups plain yogurt
Pierce the eggplants with a fork. Place them in a dry iron skillet over a high burner or under the broiler. If you can cook over charcoal, even better. Turn them and continue cooking for half an hour until the skin is charred on all sides and the eggplant is soft. Place on a plate to cool. Cut the eggplant lengthwise, and scoop out the pulp, avoiding the skin. Squeeze out the excess moisture, and mash with a fork. In a large bowl or processor, place the eggplant, and other spices with yogurt. Blend until it is a puree. Place on a bowl and garnish with olive or tomato slices. Chill for 1/2 hour before serving. This will keep for several days.
Shepherd's Salad (choban salatasi)
serves 6
A classic Turkish salad, very refreshing. Have all the vegetables cut into similar sized dice. English cucumbers work best, remove seeds from the larger ones.
2 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced
2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded and diced
3 small green peppers, wax peppers or other mild hot green pepper.
6 radishes thinly slices
1 white onion., sliced into rings, or three green onions white part only, sliced
1/2 C flat Italian parsley, finely chopped.Dressing:
6 tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Mix dressing and gently toss just before serving.
Lentil and Mint Soup (ezo gelin chorbasi)
serves 6
Red lentils are available in import markets of India or the Middle East. Dried mint, not fresh is used for the topping.
1 C red lentils, soaked in water for one hour and drained
8 C chicken stock
1 onion, grated
1/4 C rice or bulgar
2 T tomato paste, diluted in 1/4 cup cold water.
1/4 C butter
salt to taste
1 tsp. paprika
1 T dried mint
Place lentils, stock, onion, rice or bulgar, tomato paste, butter, and salt into a sauce pan. Cook stirring occasionally on very low heat until lentils are tender and soup is creamy. (about one hour or less) Add paprika and mint, and let soup simmer for 5 minutes before serving.
Lamb Casserole (kuzu guvec)
serves 6
1/2 lb. green beans, trimmed, cut into 3" lengths
3 large tomatoes, skinned and cut into wedges
1 medium eggplant, peeled, and slices crosswise
1/4 lb. okra (optional) tops trimmed
2 medium zucchini, slices
3 green bell peppers, seeded and cut into eighths
2 onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 T butter
2 lb. lamb, cut into one inch cubes
1/2 C water
2 bay leaves
2 medium potatoes sliced into 1/2" thick rings
salt and pepper
1 T butter
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. SautÈ onions and garlic in butter in a large pot. Add meat, saute for 15 minutes. Add water and bay leaves. cover, simmer until the meat is tender. Transfer the meat mix into a casserole. Arrange potatoes in a layer on top of the meat then, place remaining vegetables in layers over the potatoes. Add salt and pepper, dot with butter, cover and bake in a medium 350 degree oven until vegetables are tender. Add hot water if necessary. Serve hot as a man course with pilaf and salad.
Cream Stuffed Apricots (kaymakli kuru kayisi)
serves 6
This is a simple and unusual dessert. Marscapone sweet cheese replaces the hard to find Turkish kaymak.
1 lb. dried apricots.
2 1/2 C sugar
3 C water
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 lb. heavy whipped cream or marscapone
3/4 C grated pistachio nuts
Soak apricots in cold water overnight and drain. Heat sugar and water together over medium heat for ten minutes, then add
apricots. Cook until apricots are tender and syrup is formed. Add lemon juice and remove from heat. With a perforated spoon. transfer apricots to a plate to cool. With a spoon, half open the apricots and fill the inside with the cream or cheese. Arrange the apricots, slit side up on a platter, pour over them as much syrup as they absorb. Garnish with the grated nuts.
Retail Sources for Turkish Ingredients
Evren Sunny Grocery
45-26-43 Avenue
Sunnyside, N.Y. 11104
(781) 937 6256
(800) 734 5636
http://turkishconnection.com/sunny.html
Turkish Grocery
2705 Colombia Pike
Arlington, Virginia 22204
(703) 685-4075
http://turkishconnection.com/grocery.html
Terrie Wright Chrones divides her time teaching about art history, Turkish food, culinary history, and planning her next "culinary research trip."