Time
is of the essence, as Ibn'i Haldun wrote, "The religion of
the King, in time, becomes that of the people," which also
holds for the King's food. Thus, the 600-year reign of the Ottoman
Dynasty and a seamless cultural transition into the present day
of modern Turkey led to the evolution of a grand cuisine through
differentiation, the refinement and perfection of dishes, and
the sequence and combination of the meals in which they are found.
It is quite rare when all three of the above conditions are met,
as they are in French, Chinese and Turkish Cuisine.Turkish cuisine
has the added privilege of being at the cross-roads of the Far
East and the Mediterranean, resulting in a long, and complex history
of Turkish migration from the steppes of Central Asia (where they
mingled with the Chinese) to Europe (where their influence was
felt all the way to Vienna). Such unique characteristics and extensive
history have bestowed upon Turkish cuisine a rich selection of
dishes all of which can be prepared and combined with others to
create meals of almost infinite variety, but always in a non-arbitrary
way. This led to a cuisine that is open to improvisation through
development of regional styles, while retaining its deep structure,
as all create works of art do. The cuisine is also an integral
aspect of the Culture. IL is a part of the rituals of everyday
life. it reflects spirituality, in forms that are specific to
it, through symbolism and practice. Anyone who visits Turkey or
has a meal in a Turkish home, regardless of the success of the
particular cook, is sure to notice the uniqueness of the cuisine.
Our intention here is to help the uninitiated employ Turkish food
by achieving a more detailed understanding of the repertoire of
dishes and their related cultural practices as well as their spiritual
meaning.
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Early
historical documents show that the basic structure of Turkish cuisine
was ,already established during the Nomadic Period and in the first
settled Turkish States of Asia. Culinary attitudes towards meat,
dairy products, vegetables and grains that characterized this early
period still make up the core of Turkish thinking. Early Turks cultivated
wheat and used it liberally), in several types of leavened and unleavened
breads either baked in clay ovens, fried on a griddle, or buried
in embers. "Manti", (dumpling), and "Bugra,"
(the ancestor of "börek," or filled pastries, named
for Bugra Khan of Türkestan) were already among the much-coveted
dishes of this time. Stuffing not only the pastry, but also all
kinds of vegetables was common practice, and still is, as evidenced
bv dozens of different types of "dolma". Skewering meat
as well as other ways of grilling, later known to us as varieties
of "kebab," and dairy products, such as cheeses and yogurt,
were convenient staples of the pastoral Turks. They introduced these
attitudes and practices to Anatolia in the 11th century. In return
they met rice, the fruits and vegetables native to the region, and
hundreds of varieties of fish in the three seas surrounding the
Anatolian Peninsula. These new and wonderful ingredients were assimilated
into the basic cuisine in the millennium that followed. |
| Anatolia
is the region known as the "bread basket of the world."
Turkey, even now, is one of the seven countries in the world which
produces enough food to feed its own populace and still his plenty
to export. The Turkish landscape encompasses such a wide variety of
geographic zones, that for every two to four hours of driving, you
will find yourself in a different zone amid all the accompanying changes
in scenery, temperature, altitude, humidity, vegetation and weather.
The Turkish landscape has the combined characteristics of the three
oldest continents of the world (Europe, Africa, and Asia) and an ecological
diversity surpassing any other country along the 40th latitude. Thus,
the diversity of the cuisine has taken on that of the landscape with
its regional variations. In the eastern region, you will encounter
rugged, snow-capped mountains where the winters are long and cold,
along with the highlands where the spring season with its rich wild
flowers and rushing creeks extends into the long and cool summer.
Livestock farming is prevalent. Butter, yogurt, cheese, honey, meat
and cereals are the local food. Long winters are best endured with
the help of yogurt soup and meatballs flavored with aromatic herbs
found in the mountains, followed by endless servings of tea. The heartland
is dry steppe with rolling hills, and endless stretches of wheat fields
and barren bedrock that take on the most incredible shades of gold,
violet, and cool and warm greys, as the sun travels the sky. Along
the trade rotates were ancient cities with lush cultivated Orchards
and gardens. Among these, Konya, the capital of the Selcuk Empire
(the first Turkish State in Anatolia), distinguished itself as the
center of a culture that attracted scholars, mystics, and poets from
all over the world during the 13th century. |
The
lavish cuisine that is enjoyed in Konya today, With its clay-oven
(tandir) (tanduri you know) kebabs, böreks, meet and vegetable
dishes and helva (halva) desserts, dates back to the feasts given
by Sultan Ala ad Din Keykubat in 1.237 A.D.
Towards
the west, one eventually reaches warm fertile walleys between cultivated
mountainsides, and the lace-like shores of the Aegean where nature
is friendly and life has alwavs been easygoing, Fruits and Vegetables
of all kinds are abundant, including, best of all, sea food! Here,
olive oil becomes a staple and is used both in hot and cold dishes.
The
temperate zone of the Black Sea Coast, to the north, is protected
by the high Caucasian Mountains and abounds in hazelnuts, corn and
tea. The Black Sea people are fishermen and identity themselves
with their ecological companion, the shimmering "hamsi"
a small fish similar to the anchovy, There are at least forty different
dishes made with hamsi, including desserts! Many poems, anecdotes
and foIk dances are inspired by this delicious fish. |
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The
southeastern part of Turkey, is hot and desert-like offering the
greatest variety of kebabs and sweet pastries. Dishes here are spicier
compared to all other regions, possibly to retard spoilage in hot
weather or as the natives say, to equalize the heat inside the body
to that outside!
The
culinary center of the country is the Marmara Region, including
Thrace, with Istanbul as its Queen City. This temperate, fertile
religion boasts a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, as well
as the most delicately flavored lamb. The variety of fish that travel
the Bosphorus surpasses that of other seas. Bolu, a city on the
mountains, supplied the greatest cooks for the Sultan's Palace,
and even now, the best chef's in the country come From Bolu. Since
Istanbul is the epicenter of the cuisine, a survey of the Sultan's
kitchen is required to understand it... |
The importance of culinary art to the Ottoman
Sultans is evident to every visitor to Topkapi Palace. The huge
kitchens were housed in several buildings under ten domes. By the
17th century some thirteen hundred kitchen staff were housed in
the Palace. Hundreds of cooks, specializing in different categories,
such as soups, pilafs, kebabs, vegetables, fish, breads, pastries,
candy and helva, syrups and jams, and beverages, fed as many as
ten thousand people a day, and, in addition, sent trays of food
to others in the city as a royal favor. The importance of food has
also been evident in the structure of the Ottoman military elite,
known as the Janissaries. The commanders of the main divisions were
known as the Soupmen, other high ranking officers included the Chief
Cook, the Scullion, the Baker, and the Pancake Maker, though their
duties had little to do with food. The huge cauldron used to make
pilaf had a special symbolic significance for the Janissaries, and
was the focal point of each division. The kitchen was at the same
time the center of politics, for whenever the Janissaries demanded
a change in the Sultan's Cabinet, or the head of a grand vizier,
they would overturn their pilaf cauldron. "Overturning the
cauldron," is an expression still used today to indicate a
rebellion in the ranks. It was in this environment that hundreds
of the Sultans' chefs, who dedicated their lives to their profession,
developed and perfected the dishes of the Turkish cuisine, which
was then adopted in from the Balkans to southern Russia, and reaching
as fir as North Africa. Istanbul was then the capital of the world
and had all the prestige, so its ways were imitated. At the same
time, it was supported by an enormous organization and infrastructure
which enabled all the treasures of the world to flow into it. The
provinces of the vast Empire were integrated by a system of trade
routes with caravanserais for refreshing the weary merchants and
security forces. The Spice Road, the most important factor ii-i
culinary history, was under the full control of the Sultan. Only
the best ingredients were allowed to be traded under the strict
standards established by the courts.
Guilds
played an important role in the development and sustenance of the
cuisine. These included hunters, fishermen, cooks, kebab cooks,
bakers, butchers, cheese makers and yogurt merchants, pastry chefs,
pickle makers, and sausage merchants. All of the principal trades
were believed to be sacred and each guild traced its patronage to
the saints. The guilds set price and quality controls. They displayed
their products and talents in spectacular parades through Istanbul
streets on special occasions, such as the circumcision festivities
for the Crown Prince or religious holidays.
Following
the example of the Palace, all of the grand Ottoman houses boasted
elaborate kitchens and competed in preparing feasts for each other
as well as for the general public. In fact, in each neighborhood,
at least one household would open its doors to anyone who happened
to stop by for dinner during the holy month of Ramadan, or during
other festive occasions. This is how the traditional cuisine evolved
and spread, even to the most modest corners of the country.
A survey of the types of dishes according to their ingredients may
be helpful to explain the basic structure of Turkish cuisine. Otherwise
there may appear to be an overwhelming variety of dishes, each with
a unique combination of ingredients and its own way of preparation
and presentation. All dishes can be conveniently categorized: grain-based,
grilled meats, vegetables, seafood, desserts and beverages. Before
describing each of these categories, some general comments are necessary.
The foundation of the cuisine is based on grains (rice and wheat)
and vegetables. Each category of dishes contains only one or two
types of main ingredients. Turks are purists in their culinary taste,
that is, the dishes are supposed to bring out the flavor of the
main ingredient rather than hiding it under sauces or spices. Thus,
the eggplant should taste like eggplant, lamb like lamb, pumpkin
like pumpkin, and so on. Contrary to the prevalent Western impression
of Turkish food, spices and herbs are used very simply and sparingly.
For example, either mint or dill weed are used with zucchini, parsley
is used with eggplant, a few cloves of garlic has its place in some
cold vegetable dishes, and cumin is sprinkled over red lentil soup
or mixed in ground meat when making "köfte" (meat
balls). Lemon and yogurt are used to complement both meat and vegetable
dishes as well as to balance the taste of olive oil or meat. Most
desserts and fruit dishes do not call for any spices. So their flavors
are refined and subtle. There are major classes of meatless dishes.
When meat is used, it is used sparingly. Even with the meat kebabs,
the "pide" or the flat bread is the largest part of the
dish alongside vegetables or yogurt. Turkish cuisine also boasts
a variety of authentic contributions to desserts and beverages.
For
the Turks, the setting is as important as the food itself. Therefore,
food-related places need to be considered, as well as the dining
protocol. Among the "great-food places" where you can
find ingredients for the cuisine are the weekly neighborhood markets
("pazar") and the permanent markets. The most famous one
of the latter type is the Spice Market in Istanbul. This is a place
where every conceivable type of food item can be found, as it has
been since pre-Ottoman times. This is a truly exotic place, with
hundreds of scents rising from stalls located within an ancient
domed building, which was the terminus for the Spice Road. More
modest markets can be found in every city center, with permanent
stalls for fish and vegetables. The weekly markets are where sleepy
neighborhoods come to life, with the villagers setting up their
stalls before dawn in a designated area to sell their products.
On these days, handicrafts, textiles, glassware and other household
items are also among the displays at the most affordable prices.
What makes these places unique is the cacophony of sounds, sights,
smells and activity, as well as the high quality of fresh food,
which can only be obtained at the pazar. There is plenty of haggling
and jostling as people make their way through the narrow isles while
vendors compete for their attention. One way Lo purify body and
soul would be to rent an inexpensive flat by the seaside for a month
every year and live on fresh fruit and vegetables from the pazar.
However, since the more likely scenario is restaurant-hopping, here
are some tips to learn the proper terminology so that you can navigate
through the cuisine (just in case you get the urge to cook a la
Turca) as well as the streets of Turkish cities, where it is just
as important to locate the eating places as it is the museums and
the archaeological wonders. |
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