Turkish cuisine

The development and formation of modern Turkish cuisine is closely related to the lifestyle of the Turks themselves. Being true nomads who for many centuries moved to different regions of Central Asia in search of better lands, while collecting new food products and accumulating new ways of preparing them, they, thereby, enriched their cuisine.

At the same time, they learned how to properly store the available products and ensured that their year-round diet became as diverse as possible.

The history of Turkish cuisine began during the existence of the culinary traditions of the Turkic tribes, which, in turn, developed under the influence of Mediterranean, Iranian, Arab, Indian and Balkan and Caucasian cuisines.

To date, there are 3 periods of its development:

1. 1 Central Asian (up to 1038) Then the Turkic tribes came to one of the provinces of Turkey from Central Asia and brought with them mutton, horse meat, mare’s milk and bread, as well as modern kebab – meat fried on skewers, which at that time were replaced with swords.
2. 2 Closely associated with the formation of Sufism in Islam (XI-XIII centuries) It was the Sufis who recognized the kitchen as a sacred place and paid great attention to decorating dishes and setting the table. At the same time, Ates Bazi Veli lived and worked – the greatest cook, who was later buried in the mausoleum. From then until today, cooks have come to the place where he rests for a blessing and a pinch of salt, which, according to existing beliefs, will make all the dishes they cook tasty and healthy.
3. 3 Ottoman (1453-1923) This is the peak of the development of modern Turkish cuisine. It is inextricably linked with the formation and establishment of the Ottoman Empire itself and, in particular, with the years of the reign of Mehmed II. It was in his palace that a huge kitchen complex was located, divided into 4 zones, in each of which dishes were prepared for different strata of society. It is known that in the XVII century. here at the same time worked about 13 thousand chefs, each of whom specialized in the preparation of one single dish and did it brilliantly. Every day over 10 thousand people came to the palace not only to dine, but also to receive a basket of food as a gift as a sign of special respect.

At the same time, Turkish cuisine began to replenish with new products and dishes that were borrowed from the conquered territories.

Contemporary Turkish cuisine is extremely varied. The reason for this is not only its rich culinary heritage, but also the vast flora and fauna, as well as the dissimilarity of the country’s regions themselves. There are steppes rich in fields and hills where cereals and fruits are grown and rams graze. Fertile valleys with olives, desert areas, the inhabitants of which are famous for their ability to cook kebabs and sweets. And also the territories located near the Caucasus Mountains, which can boast of their nuts, honey and corn. In addition, it is here that mainly fishermen live, who know how to cook about 40 dishes from anchovy alone. Moreover, each region is characterized by different temperature regimes and humidity, favorable for the cultivation of certain products.

But the richest region of Turkey is considered to be the area near the Sea of ​​Marmara. This is one of the most fertile places, which boasts not only its fruits and vegetables, but also meat and seafood.

The highlight of Turkish cuisine is both in its variety and in its special attitude to food. Any meal here can stretch for 5-6 hours, during which guests not only have time to enjoy the richness of tastes, but also talk about everything in the world.

By the way, modern Turkish cuisine rounds out the top three, giving way only to French and Chinese.

The most common products here are fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, milk and its derivatives, meat (except pork, which is prohibited by Islam), honey, coffee (but not drunk for breakfast), eggs, spices and herbs. Tea and spiced fruit drinks are also popular here. From alcohol, Turks prefer aniseed vodka.

The most popular cooking methods in Turkey are:

The peculiarity of Turkish cuisine is the impossibility of distinguishing one single dominant dish in it, which can be considered its business card. There are many of them here. But the most striking and demanded for many years remain:

Simit

Let us go

Lahmadjun

Mutanjana – lamb with dried fruits

Shrimp in a pot

Iskander Kebab

Adana-kebab

Kyufta

Turkish stuffed mussels

Raw cutlets with spices

Tantuni

Menemen – a traditional breakfast of eggs, peppers, tomatoes and onions

Burekas

Knafe – a dish of goat cheese and Kadaif vermicelli

Ayran – fermented milk drink

Baklava

Lukum

Lokma

Tulumba

Turkish coffee

Turkish tea

Based on materials Super Cool Pics