Post by thracian08 on Aug 26, 2009 13:45:31 GMT -5
Turkish cuisine is largely the heritage of Ottoman cuisine, which can be described as a fusion and refinement of Central Asian, Middle Eastern and Balkan cuisines. Turkish cuisine has in turn influenced those and other neighbouring cuisines, including that of western European. The Ottomans fused various culinary traditions of their realm with influences from Middle Eastern cuisines, along with traditional Turkic elements from Central Asia (such as yogurt), creating a vast array of technical specialities- many with strong regional associations.
A cup of Turkish coffee Taken as a whole, Turkish cuisine is not homogeneous. Aside from common Turkish specialities that can be found throughout the country, there are also many region-specific specialities. The Black Sea region's cuisine (northern Turkey) is based on corn and anchovies. The southeast—Urfa, Gaziantep and Adana—is famous for its kebabs, mezes and dough-based desserts such as baklava, kadayýf and künefe. Especially in the western parts of Turkey, where olive trees are grown abundantly, olive oil is the major type of oil used for cooking.The cuisines of the Aegean, Marmara and Mediterranean regions display basic characteristics of Mediterranean cuisine as they are rich in vegetables, herbs, and fish. Central Anatolia is famous for its pasta specialties, such as keþkek (kashkak), mantý (especially from Kayseri) and gözleme.
A specialty's name sometimes includes that of a city or region, either in or outside of Turkey, and may refer to the specific technique or ingredients used in that area. For example, the difference between Urfa kebab and Adana kebab is the use of garlic instead of onion and the larger amount of hot pepper that kebab contains.
Culinary customs
Döner kebab sandwich served in a thick pita. This type is rare in Turkey and is mostly found in western European countries.
Breakfast
A typical Turkish breakfast consists of cheese (beyaz peynir, kaþar etc.), butter, olives, eggs, tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers, reçel (jam/marmalade; a preserve of whole fruits) and honey usually consumed on top of kaymak. Sucuk (spicy Turkish sausage), pastýrma, börek, simit, poðaça and even soups can be taken as a morning meal in Turkey. A common Turkish speciality for breakfast is called menemen, which is prepared with roasted tomatoes, peppers, olive oil and eggs. Invariably, black tea is served at breakfast. Coffee has affected Turkish culture so much that the Turkish word for breakfast, "kahvaltý" literally means "before coffee" (kahve 'coffee' altý 'before' or 'under').
Summer cuisine
In the hot Turkish Summer, many prefer a lighter meal consisting of seasonal vegetables and fruits. A summer meal is usually made up of fried vegetables (such as eggplant, potatoes, zucchini, and green peppers) served with yoghurt, tomato sauce, sheep's cheese, cucumbers, tomatoes, watermelons, melons, or summer helva (lighter and less sweet than regular helva).
Use of fruit
In the Ottoman cuisine, the combination of fruit with meat was quite frequent. Plums, apricots, dates, apples, grapes, and figs are the most frequently used fruits (either fresh or dried) in Turkish cuisine. For example, komposto (compote) or hoþaf (from Persian khosh âb, literally meaning "nice water") are among the main side dishes to meat or pilav. Dolma and pilaf usually contain currants or raisins. Etli yaprak sarma (vine leaves stuffed with meat and rice) used to be cooked with sour plums in Ottoman cuisine.
Simit is a circular bread with sesame seeds.
Use of eggplant
Eggplant (Turkish: patlýcan) has a special place in the Turkish cuisine. It is combined with minced meat in karnýyarýk. As a speciality of eastern Turkey, there are patlýcan kebabs, such as Tokat Kebab, a specialty of Tokat province, and Antep's eggplant kebab. In a large number of mezes, side-dishes, and main courses -such as þakþuka, patlýcan salatasý ("eggplant salad", an eggplant purée/dip), patlýcan dolma ("filled eggplant"), hünkâr beðendi (eggplant purée prepared with cheese and traditionally served with lamb stew), imam bayildi, and moussaka- eggplant is the major element. In Antalya province it is used for making eggplant jam ("patlýcan reçeli") .
Meats
In some regions, meat, which was mostly eaten only at wedding ceremonies or during the Kurban Bayramý (Eid ul-Adha) as etli pilav (pilaf with meat), has become part of the daily diet since the introduction of industrial production. Veal, formerly shunned, is now widespread. The main use of meat in cooking remains the combination of minced meat and vegetable, with names such as kýymalý fasulye (bean with minced meat) or kýymalý ýspanak (spinach with minced meat, which is almost always served with yoghurt). Alternatively, in coastal towns, cheap fish such as sardines (sardalya) or hamsi are widespread, as well as many others with seasonal availability. Poultry consumption is common, consisting almost exclusively of chicken, including eggs. Milk-fed lambs, once the most popular source of meat, comprise a small part of contemporary consumption. Kuzu çevirme, cooking milk-fed lamb on a spit, once an important ceremony, is rarely seen. A predominantly Islamic country, pork plays no role in Turkish cuisine.
Dairy products
Yoghurt is an important element in Turkish cuisine.[3] In fact, the English word yoghurt or yogurt derives from the Turkish word yoðurt. Yoghurt can accompany almost all meat dishes (kebabs, köfte), vegetable dishes (especially fried eggplant, courgette, spinach with minced meat etc.), meze and a speciality called mantý (folded triangles of dough containing minced meat). In villages, yoghurt is regularly eaten with rice or bread. A thicker, higher-fat variety, süzme yoðurt or "strained yoghurt", is made by straining the yoghurt curds from the whey. One of the most common Turkish drinks, ayran, is made from yoghurt. Also, yoghurt is often used in the preparation of cakes, some soups and pastries.
Turkey produces many varieties of cheese, mostly from sheep's milk. In general, these cheeses are not long matured, with a comparatively low fat content. The production of many kinds of cheese is local to particular regions. The following is only a selection.
Beyaz peynir is a salty cheese taking its name from its white color ("white cheese"). It is analogous to Greek feta. This is produced in styles ranging from unmatured cheese curds to a quite strong mature version. It is eaten plain (e.g. as part of the traditional Turkish breakfast), used in salads, and incorporated into cooked foods such as menemen, börek and pide.
Çökelek is one of two types of unsalted white cheese, made by boiling the whey left over from making beyaz peynir. There are many regional varieties of çökelek. Some are eaten fresh while others are preserved, either by storage in goatskin bags or pottery jars, or by drying in the sun. Kurut and keþ are regional names for dried bricks of yoghurt made from low-fat milk or from çökelek made from buttermilk.
Lor is the other type of unsalted white cheese, similarly made from the whey left over from kaþar manufacture. Lor is used in traditional desserts made from unsalted cheese like höþmerim.
Kaþar is Turkey's other ubiquitous cheese, a moderately fatty sheep's cheese similar to the Greek kasseri. Less matured kaþar, called fresh kaþar, is widely consumed as well.
Kaþkaval is a wheel-shaped yellow sheep's cheese, similar to fresh kaþar. The name is probably of Turkish origin.
Tulum is a sheep's cheese preserved in an animal skin bag (Turkish: tulum, which is also the word for a traditional bagpipe). There are regional varieties of tulum peynir in such areas as Ýzmir, Ödemiþ and Erzincan.
Otlu peynir ("herbed cheese") is produced in many areas, chiefly in East Anatolia. Traditionally sheep's or goat's milk is used, but more recently cow's milk otlu peynir has been produced. The type of herb used varies by region: in Van wild garlic is traditional; Bitlis otlu peynir contains a damp-loving herb known as sof otu. In other areas horse mint (Mentha longifolia) and Pimpinella rhodentha are used.
Hellim (Greek: halloumi) is a salty, firm-textured cheese, generally with some mint added, made in Cyprus. In Turkey, it is common that hellim is fried in a pan with some olive oil.
Gravyer (analogous to Swiss gruyere) is produced in Turkey as well. Among others, Kars is famous for its graviera.
Mihaliç peyniri or Kelle peyniri is a hard sheep's cheese that can be grated, like Parmesan cheese. Sometimes goat or cow milk is used. It is a specialty from Balýkesir.
Örgü peyniri, "braided cheese", is a specialty from Diyarbakýr.
Çerkez peyniri, "Circassian cheese".
Lets not forget Kaymak - yum. My father's side of the family has a Kaymak dessert in Balikesir. It's eaten with torsu or pickles to take away the sweet taste. A thin layer of yufka is placed inbetween.
Soups
A Turkish meal usually starts with a thin soup (çorba). Soups are usually named after their main ingredient, the most common types being lentil, yoghurt, or wheat (often mashed) called mercimek çorbasý and tarhana çorbasý. Delicacy soups are the ones that are usually not the part of the daily diet, like (shkembe) Ýþkembe soup and paça çorbasý, although the latter also used to be consumed as a nutritious winter meal. Before the popularisation of the typical Turkish breakfast, soup was the default morning meal for some people.
Pastries
Tableside preparation of gözleme in a restaurant near AntalyaTurkish cuisine has a range of savoury and sweet pastries. Dough based specialities form an integral part of traditional Turkish cuisine.
The use of layered dough is rooted in the nomadic character of early Central Asian Turks. The combination of domed metal sac and oklahu/oklava (the Turkish rod-style rolling pin) enabled the invention of the layered dough style used in börek (especially in su böreði, or 'water pastry' , a salty baklava-like pastry with cheese filling), güllaç and baklava.
Börek is the general name for salty pastries made with yufka (phyllo dough), which consists of very thin layers of dough. Su böreði, made with boiled yufka/phyllo layers, cheese and parsley, is the most frequently eaten. Çið börek (also known as Tatar böreði) is fried and stuffed with minced meat. Kol böreði is another well-known type of börek that takes its name from its shape, as do fincan (coffee cup), muska (talisman), Gül böreði (rose) or Sigara böreði (cigarette). Other traditional Turkish böreks include Talaþ böreði (phyllo dough filled with vegetables and diced meat), Puf böreði. Laz böreði is a sweet type of börek, widespread in the Black Sea region.
Poðaça is the label name for dough based salty pastries. Likewise çörek is another label name used for both sweet and salty pastries.
Gözleme is a food typical in rural areas, made of lavash bread or phyllo dough folded around a variety of fillings such as spinach, cheese and parsley, minced meat or potatoes and cooked on a large griddle (traditionally sac).
Katmer is another traditional rolled out dough. It can be salty or sweet according to the filling.
Lahmacun (meaning dough with meat in Arabic) is a thin flatbread covered with a layer of spiced minced meat, tomato, pepper, onion or garlic.
Pide, which can be made with minced meat (together with onion, chopped tomatoes, parsley and spices), kashar cheese, spinach, white cheese, pieces of meat, braised meat (kavurma), sucuk, pastýrma or/and eggs put on rolled-out dough, is one of the most common traditional stone-baked Turkish specialities.
Açma is a soft bread found in most parts of Turkey. It is similar to simit in shape, is covered in a glaze with sesame seeds and is usually eaten as part of a
Dolma and sarma
Turkish style yaprak sarma.Dolma is a verbal noun of the Turkish verb dolmak 'to be stuffed', and means simply 'stuffed thing'. Dolma has a special place in Turkish cuisine. It can be eaten either as a meze or a main dish. It can be cooked either as a vegetable dish or meat dish. If a meat mixture is put in, it is usually served hot with yoghurt and spices such as oregano and red pepper powder with oil.
Zeytinyagli dolma (dolma with olive oil) is the dolma made with vine leaves cooked with olive oil and stuffed with a rice-spice mixture. Such a type does not contain meat, is served cold and also referred to as sarma, which means "wrapping" in Turkish. The word "sarma" is also used for some types of desserts, such as fýstýk sarma (wrapped pistachio). If dolma does not contain meat, it is sometimes described as yalancý dolma meaning "fake" dolma. Dried fruit such as figs or cherries and cinnamon used to be added into the mixture to sweeten "zeytinyaðlý dolma" in Ottoman cuisine. Vine leaves ("yaprak") could be filled not only with rice and spices but also with meat and rice, in which case it is served hot with yoghurt etli yaprak sarma.
Melon dolma along with quince or apple dolma was one of the palace's specialities (raw melon stuffed with minced meat, onion, rice, almonds, peanuts, cooked in an oven). In contemporary Turkey, a wide variety of dolma is prepared. Although it is not possible to give an exhaustive list of dolma recipes, courgette ("kabak"), aubergine ("patlýcan"), tomato ("domates"), pumpkin ("balkabaðý"), pepper ("biber"), cabbage ("lahana") (black or white cabbage), chard ("pazý") and mussel ("midye") dolma constitute the most common types. Instead of dried cherry in the palace cuisine, currants are usually added into the filling of dolma cooked in olive oil. A different type of dolma is mumbar dolmasý, for which the membrane of intestines of sheep is filled up with a spicy rice-nut mixture.
A cup of Turkish coffee Taken as a whole, Turkish cuisine is not homogeneous. Aside from common Turkish specialities that can be found throughout the country, there are also many region-specific specialities. The Black Sea region's cuisine (northern Turkey) is based on corn and anchovies. The southeast—Urfa, Gaziantep and Adana—is famous for its kebabs, mezes and dough-based desserts such as baklava, kadayýf and künefe. Especially in the western parts of Turkey, where olive trees are grown abundantly, olive oil is the major type of oil used for cooking.The cuisines of the Aegean, Marmara and Mediterranean regions display basic characteristics of Mediterranean cuisine as they are rich in vegetables, herbs, and fish. Central Anatolia is famous for its pasta specialties, such as keþkek (kashkak), mantý (especially from Kayseri) and gözleme.
A specialty's name sometimes includes that of a city or region, either in or outside of Turkey, and may refer to the specific technique or ingredients used in that area. For example, the difference between Urfa kebab and Adana kebab is the use of garlic instead of onion and the larger amount of hot pepper that kebab contains.
Culinary customs
Döner kebab sandwich served in a thick pita. This type is rare in Turkey and is mostly found in western European countries.
Breakfast
A typical Turkish breakfast consists of cheese (beyaz peynir, kaþar etc.), butter, olives, eggs, tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers, reçel (jam/marmalade; a preserve of whole fruits) and honey usually consumed on top of kaymak. Sucuk (spicy Turkish sausage), pastýrma, börek, simit, poðaça and even soups can be taken as a morning meal in Turkey. A common Turkish speciality for breakfast is called menemen, which is prepared with roasted tomatoes, peppers, olive oil and eggs. Invariably, black tea is served at breakfast. Coffee has affected Turkish culture so much that the Turkish word for breakfast, "kahvaltý" literally means "before coffee" (kahve 'coffee' altý 'before' or 'under').
Summer cuisine
In the hot Turkish Summer, many prefer a lighter meal consisting of seasonal vegetables and fruits. A summer meal is usually made up of fried vegetables (such as eggplant, potatoes, zucchini, and green peppers) served with yoghurt, tomato sauce, sheep's cheese, cucumbers, tomatoes, watermelons, melons, or summer helva (lighter and less sweet than regular helva).
Use of fruit
In the Ottoman cuisine, the combination of fruit with meat was quite frequent. Plums, apricots, dates, apples, grapes, and figs are the most frequently used fruits (either fresh or dried) in Turkish cuisine. For example, komposto (compote) or hoþaf (from Persian khosh âb, literally meaning "nice water") are among the main side dishes to meat or pilav. Dolma and pilaf usually contain currants or raisins. Etli yaprak sarma (vine leaves stuffed with meat and rice) used to be cooked with sour plums in Ottoman cuisine.
Simit is a circular bread with sesame seeds.
Use of eggplant
Eggplant (Turkish: patlýcan) has a special place in the Turkish cuisine. It is combined with minced meat in karnýyarýk. As a speciality of eastern Turkey, there are patlýcan kebabs, such as Tokat Kebab, a specialty of Tokat province, and Antep's eggplant kebab. In a large number of mezes, side-dishes, and main courses -such as þakþuka, patlýcan salatasý ("eggplant salad", an eggplant purée/dip), patlýcan dolma ("filled eggplant"), hünkâr beðendi (eggplant purée prepared with cheese and traditionally served with lamb stew), imam bayildi, and moussaka- eggplant is the major element. In Antalya province it is used for making eggplant jam ("patlýcan reçeli") .
Meats
In some regions, meat, which was mostly eaten only at wedding ceremonies or during the Kurban Bayramý (Eid ul-Adha) as etli pilav (pilaf with meat), has become part of the daily diet since the introduction of industrial production. Veal, formerly shunned, is now widespread. The main use of meat in cooking remains the combination of minced meat and vegetable, with names such as kýymalý fasulye (bean with minced meat) or kýymalý ýspanak (spinach with minced meat, which is almost always served with yoghurt). Alternatively, in coastal towns, cheap fish such as sardines (sardalya) or hamsi are widespread, as well as many others with seasonal availability. Poultry consumption is common, consisting almost exclusively of chicken, including eggs. Milk-fed lambs, once the most popular source of meat, comprise a small part of contemporary consumption. Kuzu çevirme, cooking milk-fed lamb on a spit, once an important ceremony, is rarely seen. A predominantly Islamic country, pork plays no role in Turkish cuisine.
Dairy products
Yoghurt is an important element in Turkish cuisine.[3] In fact, the English word yoghurt or yogurt derives from the Turkish word yoðurt. Yoghurt can accompany almost all meat dishes (kebabs, köfte), vegetable dishes (especially fried eggplant, courgette, spinach with minced meat etc.), meze and a speciality called mantý (folded triangles of dough containing minced meat). In villages, yoghurt is regularly eaten with rice or bread. A thicker, higher-fat variety, süzme yoðurt or "strained yoghurt", is made by straining the yoghurt curds from the whey. One of the most common Turkish drinks, ayran, is made from yoghurt. Also, yoghurt is often used in the preparation of cakes, some soups and pastries.
Turkey produces many varieties of cheese, mostly from sheep's milk. In general, these cheeses are not long matured, with a comparatively low fat content. The production of many kinds of cheese is local to particular regions. The following is only a selection.
Beyaz peynir is a salty cheese taking its name from its white color ("white cheese"). It is analogous to Greek feta. This is produced in styles ranging from unmatured cheese curds to a quite strong mature version. It is eaten plain (e.g. as part of the traditional Turkish breakfast), used in salads, and incorporated into cooked foods such as menemen, börek and pide.
Çökelek is one of two types of unsalted white cheese, made by boiling the whey left over from making beyaz peynir. There are many regional varieties of çökelek. Some are eaten fresh while others are preserved, either by storage in goatskin bags or pottery jars, or by drying in the sun. Kurut and keþ are regional names for dried bricks of yoghurt made from low-fat milk or from çökelek made from buttermilk.
Lor is the other type of unsalted white cheese, similarly made from the whey left over from kaþar manufacture. Lor is used in traditional desserts made from unsalted cheese like höþmerim.
Kaþar is Turkey's other ubiquitous cheese, a moderately fatty sheep's cheese similar to the Greek kasseri. Less matured kaþar, called fresh kaþar, is widely consumed as well.
Kaþkaval is a wheel-shaped yellow sheep's cheese, similar to fresh kaþar. The name is probably of Turkish origin.
Tulum is a sheep's cheese preserved in an animal skin bag (Turkish: tulum, which is also the word for a traditional bagpipe). There are regional varieties of tulum peynir in such areas as Ýzmir, Ödemiþ and Erzincan.
Otlu peynir ("herbed cheese") is produced in many areas, chiefly in East Anatolia. Traditionally sheep's or goat's milk is used, but more recently cow's milk otlu peynir has been produced. The type of herb used varies by region: in Van wild garlic is traditional; Bitlis otlu peynir contains a damp-loving herb known as sof otu. In other areas horse mint (Mentha longifolia) and Pimpinella rhodentha are used.
Hellim (Greek: halloumi) is a salty, firm-textured cheese, generally with some mint added, made in Cyprus. In Turkey, it is common that hellim is fried in a pan with some olive oil.
Gravyer (analogous to Swiss gruyere) is produced in Turkey as well. Among others, Kars is famous for its graviera.
Mihaliç peyniri or Kelle peyniri is a hard sheep's cheese that can be grated, like Parmesan cheese. Sometimes goat or cow milk is used. It is a specialty from Balýkesir.
Örgü peyniri, "braided cheese", is a specialty from Diyarbakýr.
Çerkez peyniri, "Circassian cheese".
Lets not forget Kaymak - yum. My father's side of the family has a Kaymak dessert in Balikesir. It's eaten with torsu or pickles to take away the sweet taste. A thin layer of yufka is placed inbetween.
Soups
A Turkish meal usually starts with a thin soup (çorba). Soups are usually named after their main ingredient, the most common types being lentil, yoghurt, or wheat (often mashed) called mercimek çorbasý and tarhana çorbasý. Delicacy soups are the ones that are usually not the part of the daily diet, like (shkembe) Ýþkembe soup and paça çorbasý, although the latter also used to be consumed as a nutritious winter meal. Before the popularisation of the typical Turkish breakfast, soup was the default morning meal for some people.
Pastries
Tableside preparation of gözleme in a restaurant near AntalyaTurkish cuisine has a range of savoury and sweet pastries. Dough based specialities form an integral part of traditional Turkish cuisine.
The use of layered dough is rooted in the nomadic character of early Central Asian Turks. The combination of domed metal sac and oklahu/oklava (the Turkish rod-style rolling pin) enabled the invention of the layered dough style used in börek (especially in su böreði, or 'water pastry' , a salty baklava-like pastry with cheese filling), güllaç and baklava.
Börek is the general name for salty pastries made with yufka (phyllo dough), which consists of very thin layers of dough. Su böreði, made with boiled yufka/phyllo layers, cheese and parsley, is the most frequently eaten. Çið börek (also known as Tatar böreði) is fried and stuffed with minced meat. Kol böreði is another well-known type of börek that takes its name from its shape, as do fincan (coffee cup), muska (talisman), Gül böreði (rose) or Sigara böreði (cigarette). Other traditional Turkish böreks include Talaþ böreði (phyllo dough filled with vegetables and diced meat), Puf böreði. Laz böreði is a sweet type of börek, widespread in the Black Sea region.
Poðaça is the label name for dough based salty pastries. Likewise çörek is another label name used for both sweet and salty pastries.
Gözleme is a food typical in rural areas, made of lavash bread or phyllo dough folded around a variety of fillings such as spinach, cheese and parsley, minced meat or potatoes and cooked on a large griddle (traditionally sac).
Katmer is another traditional rolled out dough. It can be salty or sweet according to the filling.
Lahmacun (meaning dough with meat in Arabic) is a thin flatbread covered with a layer of spiced minced meat, tomato, pepper, onion or garlic.
Pide, which can be made with minced meat (together with onion, chopped tomatoes, parsley and spices), kashar cheese, spinach, white cheese, pieces of meat, braised meat (kavurma), sucuk, pastýrma or/and eggs put on rolled-out dough, is one of the most common traditional stone-baked Turkish specialities.
Açma is a soft bread found in most parts of Turkey. It is similar to simit in shape, is covered in a glaze with sesame seeds and is usually eaten as part of a
Dolma and sarma
Turkish style yaprak sarma.Dolma is a verbal noun of the Turkish verb dolmak 'to be stuffed', and means simply 'stuffed thing'. Dolma has a special place in Turkish cuisine. It can be eaten either as a meze or a main dish. It can be cooked either as a vegetable dish or meat dish. If a meat mixture is put in, it is usually served hot with yoghurt and spices such as oregano and red pepper powder with oil.
Zeytinyagli dolma (dolma with olive oil) is the dolma made with vine leaves cooked with olive oil and stuffed with a rice-spice mixture. Such a type does not contain meat, is served cold and also referred to as sarma, which means "wrapping" in Turkish. The word "sarma" is also used for some types of desserts, such as fýstýk sarma (wrapped pistachio). If dolma does not contain meat, it is sometimes described as yalancý dolma meaning "fake" dolma. Dried fruit such as figs or cherries and cinnamon used to be added into the mixture to sweeten "zeytinyaðlý dolma" in Ottoman cuisine. Vine leaves ("yaprak") could be filled not only with rice and spices but also with meat and rice, in which case it is served hot with yoghurt etli yaprak sarma.
Melon dolma along with quince or apple dolma was one of the palace's specialities (raw melon stuffed with minced meat, onion, rice, almonds, peanuts, cooked in an oven). In contemporary Turkey, a wide variety of dolma is prepared. Although it is not possible to give an exhaustive list of dolma recipes, courgette ("kabak"), aubergine ("patlýcan"), tomato ("domates"), pumpkin ("balkabaðý"), pepper ("biber"), cabbage ("lahana") (black or white cabbage), chard ("pazý") and mussel ("midye") dolma constitute the most common types. Instead of dried cherry in the palace cuisine, currants are usually added into the filling of dolma cooked in olive oil. A different type of dolma is mumbar dolmasý, for which the membrane of intestines of sheep is filled up with a spicy rice-nut mixture.