Introduction of Turkey
If you were to travel through Turkey, sampling food along the way, you would be savoring a unique and rich cuisine that has been ranked among some of the best cooking in the world. And you would be tasting a bit of Turkish history. Along the coast of the Aegean Sea, for example, olives and seafood—foods commonly associated with Greek cuisine—are popular. Around 900 B.C., Greeks inhabited this coast, where they established the settlements of Ephesus, Miletus, and Troy. The newcomers brought along the traditions of their homeland, including favorite recipes.
Head eastward along the Mediterranean Sea and food begins to take on the flavors of the Middle East. Dishes such as kebabs (chunks of lamb, beef, or chicken roasted on skewers), hummus (pureed chickpeas, sesame paste, and garlic dip), kısır (small patties made from bulgur, parsley, and spicy tomato paste), and muhammara (a spicy red pepper and nut spread) become more prominent. During the time of the Turkish Ottoman Empire (1453–1909), Turks ruled all or parts of modern-day Middle Eastern countries such as Iraq, Syria, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt. They also ruled parts of many other countries, such as Russia and Hungary.
But it was in Ïstanbul, the former center of the Ottoman Empire, where the recipes traditionally thought of as Turkish originated. In the vast kitchens of the Topkapı Palace, cooks dreamed up new dishes in hopes of delighting the sultan, the great ruler of the empire. Ottoman cooks were fortunate to have a wealth of fresh vegetables, fruits, nuts, and meats from which to create the most enticing foods. Traders from China and India traveled through the Ottoman Empire on a network of trade routes, bringing spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, and cumin, many of which found their way into traditional Ottoman recipes. Eventually these recipes became popular throughout the empire, and they remain favorites among Turks in modern times.
Regional Cooking of Turkey
The history of food in Anatolia stretches back to advanced agricultural civilizations such as the Hittites, who lived in the region in 7000 to 6000 B.C. Some foods—such as eggplant, tomatoes, kebabs, and bread—are everywhere in Turkey. But the way these foods are prepared varies from region to region, depending upon local preferences and additional ingredients available.
Turkey is divided into seven climate regions, each of which makes its own contributions to the country’s cuisine. The Marmara region includes Ïstanbul and the communities surrounding the Sea of Marmara. This small swath of land, where the cultures of Europe and Asia blend, is the place to savor favorite Turkish or international foods. Marmara is known for its Ottoman specialties, including fried, baked, stuffed, or roasted eggplant; kebabs; and Turkish delight, a popular candy. Seafood, such as the famous fish sandwiches sold on the banks of the Bosporus in Ïstanbul and the region’s fried or stuffed mussels, is very popular. The city of Bursa, located on the southern shore of the Sea of Marmara, is home to the döner kebap, a specialty kebab made from lamb, beef, or chicken. The meat, cut from the skewer in thin slices, is served on pita bread (a traditional flat bread) with yogurt and tomato sauce. The Aegean region is known for its squid, which cooks typically fry in a light batter to make a dish called calamari. Fresh fish and shellfish, including stuffed mussels, are also particularly good here. Olives, oranges, artichokes, and figs are just a few of the fresh fruits and vegetables that grow locally.
Along the Mediterranean, several varieties of grilled fresh fish make savory main courses. Tandır kebab, skewered meat cooked in a clay oven, is a specialty in Antalya. In Alanya to the east, kuzu kaburga dolmasi, lamb ribs stuffed with nuts, shredded meat, rice, and vegetables, is a favorite local dish. This city is also famous for its jams. Mixed in with the usual jars of strawberry, sour cherry, and apricot varieties are preserves made from watermelons, carrots, pumpkins, roses, and even eggplants. The kebabs served in Adana—called Adana kebap—are spicier than those served in western Turkey, reflecting the Arabic influence of nearby Syria. To prepare Adana kebap, ground lamb is mixed with onion, paprika, and parsley, shaped into meatballs, skewered, and grilled.
North of the Mediterranean coast lies the region of Central Anatolia. Dishes based on pasta, pastry, or bread are especially popular in this part of the country. Gözleme, for example, can be savored throughout Anatolia. This pancake of phyllo dough (flaky pastry) is layered with spinach, onion, cheese, or other filling. It is folded, grilled, and served like a sandwich. To make börek, another regional specialty, cooks layer phyllo dough with meat or spinach in a clay pot (tandır) and bake until it is golden brown. Kayseri, a town in the Cappadocia region of Central Anatolia, is famous for pastirma, a preserved meat, and for mantı, tiny pasta dumplings stuffed with ground vegetables, lamb, or beef, and topped with a garlic-flavored yogurt sauce.
In Southeastern Anatolia, Syrian influence is strong. Here the food is spicy, and bulgur wheat replaces the rice that’s commonly served alongside main dishes throughout the rest of the country. Typical Arab dishes, including hummus, babaghannush (mashed baked eggplant mixed with yogurt and garlic), and muhammara are prominent. Eastern Anatolia has been home to the Kurdish people for centuries. Kürt köftesi, a dumpling made from bulgur, chopped onions, and fresh mint, is a traditional Kurdish dish. Van, a city that lies between Lake Van and the Iranian border, is famous for van otlu, a sharp, white cheese mixed with bits of grass. Egg dishes, such as çılbır—poached eggs served with yogurt—are especially popular in Van. Malatya is known for its sweet and abundant apricots. Many of the dried apricots available in markets across the country come from this region. Malatya’s pestil, dried apricots that have been mashed and flattened into thin sheets, is famous. Another popular treat is küme, pestil layered with nuts and rolled up into a log-shaped treat.
The Eastern Anatolian city of Gaziantep is known for its pistachios and for its syrupy sweet baklava, a flaky dessert made with honey and pistachios or other nuts. Pistachios are included in many local specialties, including fıstıklı kebap—spicy, ground meat rolled in crushed pistachios and then cooked—and künefe, a rich, gooey dessert consisting of two thin, syrupy layers of dough stuffed with cheese and topped with chopped pistachios.
Along the Black Sea coast, anchovies are popular—so popular that they even make their way into local desserts. Hamsi tatlısı is a sweet pastry made from anchovies, flour, eggs, and fruit preserves. The salty fish also flavors more traditional, savory dishes such as pilaf (rice that is sometimes mixed with vegetables and spices) and börek. The Laz people in this area are known throughout Turkey for baking a distinctive corn bread. Their neighbors the Hemßin are famous for making wonderful pastries and puddings. In fact, many of the renowned pudding shops in Ïstanbul are Hemßin businesses.
Holidays and Festivals of Turkey
Although Turkey is 99 percent Muslim, many of the country’s holidays are secular in nature. Mustafa Kemal, known as Atatürk (Father of the Turks) founded the Turkish Republic in 1920. This revered leader shaped modern Turkey, making it more Westernized and secular than much of the rest of the Muslim world. He made many changes in Turkey, including replacing Arabic script with the Latin alphabet, introducing a Western-style legal system, and ending religious education
in Turkish schools.
In 1923 Atatürk made April 23 National Independence Day. Six years later, Turks observed the first Children’s Day on April 23, a tradition that has continued ever since. Children’s Day acknowledges the important role children play in the future of all nations. On this day, hundreds of children from throughout the world arrive in Turkey. They stay with families in Turkish homes, sample Turkish foods, and experience
Turkish culture. On November 10, the anniversary of Atatürk’s death, Turks observe a moment of silence to remember this great leader. Turks host a number of other festivals throughout the year. Many events, such as the International Film Festival in the spring and the International Ïstanbul Festival in the summer, attract lovers of art films, opera, ballet, and other performances to Ïstanbul. Festivals such as the Cappadocia Wine Festival in Ürgüp and the watermelon festival in Diyarbakır celebrate bountiful harvests.
Celebrating New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day (January 1) is popular in Turkey. People wish friends and family a happy New Year by sending greeting cards, e-mailing, or telephoning a few weeks before the holiday. It’s very common for people to exchange small gifts on New Year’s Day. People celebrate much like they do in the United States, by throwing parties and listening to music. Turks also watch television over the holiday, when local channels typically broadcast their best programs.
For religious Turks, Ramazan—called Ramadan in many other Islamic countries—is the most significant holiday. Ramazan takes place during the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, the holiest time of the year. The holiday commemorates the time when Muhammad, the most important prophet in the Islamic faith, received his first messages from god, called Allah in Islam. During this sacred month, Muslims who are in good health fast by not eating or drinking from sunrise to sunset. (Pregnant women, the elderly, and children do not fast.) To prepare for the daylong fast, people eat a big meal, called imsak or sahur, before dawn. The meal, which typically consists of soup, bread with jam, olives, pastries, dates, and tea, provides energy for the daylight hours.
Just as the sun is setting, it is a tradition for children to go to the neighborhood bakery to buy freshly baked pita. The children wait in line, holding coins tightly in their fists. The baker gives each child a hot pita wrapped in paper so it doesn’t burn their hands. On the way home, children may sneak a bite of the pita.
The muezzin (a Muslim who chants the call to prayer from a mosque, or Islamic house of worship) calls out an end to the fast at sunset. Ïftariyelik, a snack commonly consisting of dates and olives, satisfies people’s hunger until the main meal, called iftar, is served. Men traditionally go to the mosque to pray while the women prepare the food. And what a feast it is! Soup, pastirma cooked with eggs, kebabs, börek made with lamb or spinach, pilaf, and vegetables such as green beans and eggplant commonly fill the table. The customary Ramazan dessert is güllaç, a mouthwatering pastry made from rice wafers, sweetened milk, rose water, and walnuts.
Three days of celebration, called Íeker Bayramı, end the monthlong Ramazan fast. Most religious Turks try to return home to visit family for Íeker Bayramı. In preparation for the holiday, people shake out the carpets, scrub the floors, and dust the furniture, ensuring that everything is in order for visiting family and friends. People dress in their best clothes and feast on sweets such as baklava, sütlâç (rice pudding), and ßeker pare (syrup-topped shortbread cookies). Dried apricots, pistachios, dates, almonds, and savory dishes made from beans and lentils are also part of the Íeker Bayramı feast. Yuvarlama, a soup made with chickpea dumplings, is the traditional dish made to celebrate the holiday in Southeastern Anatolia. On Íeker Bayramı, children look forward to more than just the fabulous food—adults traditionally shower them with gifts and candies.
Another widely celebrated holiday in Turkey is Kurban Bayramı, the feast of the sacrifice. Families, even those who are not devout Muslims, celebrate the holiday by having a professional butcher slaughter a sheep for them. Blood from the animal is dabbed on children’s foreheads for luck. The family typically keeps some of the meat and donates the rest to the poor. The Mevlana Festival is an Islamic event that takes place each December in Konya. This is the one time of year when visitors can watch the whirling dervishes—members of a religious sect within Islam—spin in a mesmerizing, age-old dance.
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