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| Early historical documents show that the basic structure of the Turkish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
Cuisine.
Turks cultivated wheat and used it liberally in several types of leavened and unleavened
breads baked in clay ovens, on the griddle, or buried in embers. "Mantı" (dumpling), and
"buğra", (attributed to Bugra
Khan of Turkestan, the ancestor of "börek"
or dough with fillings) were already among the
much-coveted dishes at this time.
Stuffing the pasta, as well as all kinds of vegetables, was also common
practice, and
still is, as evidenced by 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 and staple foods of the
pastoral Turks. |
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They introduced these attitudes and practices to Anatolia in the 11th
century. In return they where introduced to rice, the
fruits, and the. vegetables native
to the Region, and the 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 millennia that followed.
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| Anatolia is a region known
as the "bread basket of the world".
Turkey, is one of the seven countries in the world which produces enough food
to feed its own and then some 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 with all the accompanying
changes in scenery, temperature, altitude, humidity, vegetation and weather
conditions. The Turkish landscape has the combined characteristics of the
three old continents of the world : Europe, Africa, and Asia, and an
ecological diversity, surpassing any other place along the 40th latitude.
Thus, the diversity of the Cuisine has come to reflect that of the landscape
and its regional variations.
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In the
Eastern Region, you will encounter the rugged, snow-capped mountains where the winters are
long and cold, and 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, cheeses, honey meat and cereals are the local food. Long winters are best
endured with the help of yogurt soup and meat balls flavored with aromatic herbs found in
the mountains, and endless servings of tea.
The
heartland is dry steppe with rolling hills, endless stretches of wheat fields and barren
bedrock that takes on the most incredible shades of gold, violet, and cool and warm grays
as the sun travels the sky Ancient cities were located on the trade routes with lush
cultivated orchards and gardens. Among these, Konya, the capital of the Selçuk Empire
(the first Turkish State in Anatolia), distinguished itself as the
center of a culture that attracted scholars, mystics, and poets from throughout the world during
the l3th century The lavish Cuisine that is enjoyed in Konya today, with its clay-oven
(tandir) kebabs, boreks, meat and vegetable dishes and helva desserts,
dates back to the feasts given by Sultan Alaaddin Keykubad in 1237 A.D.
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Towards
the west, one eventually reaches warm, fertile valleys between cultivated
mountainsides,
and the lace-like shores of the Aegean where nature is friendly and life has always been
easy Fruits and vegetables of all kinds are abundant, including the 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, well-protected by the high Caucasian
Mountains, is abundant with hazelnuts, corn and tea. The Black Sea people are fishermen
and identify themselves with their ecological companion, the shimmering "hamsi", a
small fishes. Many poems, anecdotes and folk dances are inspired by this delicious
fish.
The southeastern part of Turkey is hot and desert-like and offers 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 of the outside!
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culinary center of the country is the Marmara Region, which includes
Thrace, with Istanbul
as its Queen City This temperate, fertile region boasts a wide variety of
fruits, vegetables, and the most delicately flavored lamb. The variety of fish that travel the
Bosphorus surpasses those in other seas. Bolu, a city on the mountains, supplied the
greatest cooks for the Sultan's Palace, and even now the best chefs in the country come
from Bolu. Istanbul, of course, has been the epicenter of the Cuisine, and an
understanding of Turkish Cuisine will never be complete without a survey of the Sultan's
kitchen... |
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