“Do not dismiss the dish saying that it is just food.The blessed thing is an entire civilization in itself!”        
Abdullah Sinasi

For those who travel to angage in culinary pursuits,the Turkish Cuisine is worthy of exploration.The variety of dishes that make up the cuisine,the ways they all come together in feast-like meals,and the evident intricacy of each craft involved offer enough material for life-long study and enjoyment.It is not easy to discern a basic element or a single dominant feature,like the Itılian “pasta” or the French “sauce”.Whether in a humble home,at a famuos restaurant,or at diner in a Bey’s mansion,familiar patterns of this rich and diverse cuisine are always present.It is rare art which satisfies the senses while reconfirming the higher order of society,community and culture.A practically-minded child watching Mother cook “cabbage dolma” on a lazy,grey winter day is bound to wonder:”Who on earth discovered this peculiar combination of sauteed rice,pine-nuts,currants,spices,and herbs all tightly wrapped in translucent leaves of cabbage,each roll exactly half an inch thick and stacked up on an oval serving plate decorated with lemon wedges?How was it possible to transform this humble vegetable to such heights of fashion and delicacy with so few additional ingredients?And,how can such a yummy dish also possibly be good for you?”

The modern mind,in a moment of contemplation,has similiar thoughts upon entering a modest sweets shop where “baklava” is the generic cousin of a dozen or so sophisticated sweet pastries with names like twisted turban,sultan,saray(palace),lady’s navel,or nightingale’s nest.The same experience awaits you at a”muhallebici”(puding shop) with a dozen different types of milk puddings.

One can only conclude that the evolution of this glorious cuisine was not an accident,but rather,as with the other Grand cuisines of the world,it was a result of the combination of three key elements,a nurturing environment,the impreial kitchen,and a long social tradition.A nurturing environment is irreplaceable.Turkey is known for an abundance and diversity of foodstuff due to its rich flora,fauna and regional differentiation.Secondly,the legacy of an imperial kitchen is inescapable.Hundreds of cooks,all specializing in different types of dishes,and all eager to please the royal palate,no doubt had their influence in perfecting the cuisine as we know it today.The Palace Kitchen,supported by a complex social organization,a vibrant urban life,specialization of labor,worldwide trade,and totalcontrol of the Spice Road,all reflected the culmination of wealth and the flourishing of culture in the capital of a mighty Empire.Finally,the longevity of social organization should not be taken lightly either.

The Turkish State of Anatolia is a millennium old and so,naturally,is its cuisine.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 an exceptional 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 crossroads  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 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 great works of art do.The cuisine is also an integral aspect of the culture.It is a part of the rituals of everyday life.It reflects spirituality,in forms that are specific to it,through symbolism and practice.

Anyonewho 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 enjoy Turkish food by achieving a more detailed understanding of the repertoire of dishes and their related cultural practiesas a well as their spiritual meaning.

   2. ANurturing  Environment  

Early historicaldocuments 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 attiudes towards meat,diary products,vegetables and grains that characterized this early period stil 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.”Mantı”(dumpling)and”buğra”(the ancestor of “börek” or filled pastries,named for “Buğra 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 stil is,as evindenced 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 cheese 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 has plenty 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 mountians 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 wintersare best endured with the help of yogurt soup and meatballs  flavoured with aromatic herbs  found in the mountains,followed by endless servings of tea.
The heartland is dry stepe with rolling hills,and endless stretches of wheat fields and barren bedrock  that  takeon the most incredible shades of gold,violet,and cool and warm greys,as the sun travels the sky.Along the trade routes were ancient cities with lush cultivated orchards and gardens.Among these,Konya,the capital of the Seljuk 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(tandır)kebabs,böreks,meat and vegetable dishes and helva desserts,dates back to the feasts given by Alaaddin Keykubad in 1237 A.D.

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-going.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 fisher man and identify 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 folk dances are inspired by this delicious fish.

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 İstanbul as its Queen City.This temperate,fertile region boasts a wide variety of fruits and vegetables,as well as the most delicately flavoured lamb.The variety of fish that travel the İstanbul Strait surpasses that of other seas.Bolu,a city on the mountains,supplied the greatest cooks fort he Sultan’s Palace,and  even now,the best chefs in the country come from Bolu.Since İstanbul is the heart of the cuisine,a survey of the Sultan’s kitchen is requried to understand it.

 3. Kitchen of the Imperial Palace

The importance of culinary art to the Ottoman Sultans is evident to every visitors to Topkapı 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,syprus 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 fort he 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 couldron”is an expression stil 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 areas from the Balkans to southern Russia,an deven as far as North Africa.İstanbul 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 in culinary history,was under the full control of the Sultan.Only 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 İstanbul 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 stp by for diner 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.   

 4. A Repertoire of Food from the Great  Food Places

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 into 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 tocomplement 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 settings 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 İstanbul.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 risingfrom 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 to 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 archeological wonders.   

  Vegetables

Along with grains,vegetables are also consumed in large quantities in the Turkish diet

The simplest and most basic type of vegetable dish is prepared by slicing a main vegetable such as zucchini or eggplant,combining it with tomatoes,gren peppers and onions,and cooking it slowly in butter and its own juices.Since the vegetables that are cultivated in Turkey are truly delicious, a simple dish like this,eaten with a sizeable chunk of fresh bread,is a satisfying meal in itself.

“Dolma”is the generic term for stuffed vegetables,being a derivative of the verb “doldurmak”(“to fill”). There are two categories of dolmas:those filled with a meat mix and those with a rice mix.The latter are cooked in olive oil and eaten at room temperature.

The meat dolma is a main course dish eaten with a yogurt sauce.and a very frequent one in the average household.Any vegetable which can be filled with or wrapped around these mixes can be used as a dolma,including zucchini,eggplant,tomatoes,cabbage,and grape leaves. However,the gren pepper dolma with  the rice stuffing, has to be the queen of all dolmas,a royal feast to the eye and the palate.

To taste these dishes,look for a “Lokanta” a word borrowed from the  Italian “Locanda” describing the type of establishment where traditional cooking is prepared,usually for those who work nearby. The best examples are the Borsa,Hacı Salih,and Konyalı Restaurants in İstanbul and Liman and Çiftlik in Ankara.The tables are covered with white linen,and the menu comprises soups,traditional main dishes and desserts,including fresh fruit.Businessmen and politicians frequently visit these places for lunch.

“Meze” Dishes to Accompany the   Spirits

In Turkey,despite the Islamic prohibition againts wine and anything alcoholic,there is a rich tradition associated with liquor.

Drinking alcoholic beverages in the company of family and friends,both at home as well as in taverns and restaurants,is a part of special occasions.Similar to the Spanish tapas,”meze” is the general category of dishes that are brought in small quantities to start the meal off.These are eaten,along with wine or more likely with “rakı”,the anise-flavoured national drink of Turks sometimes referred to as “lion’s milk”,until the main course is served.

The bare minimum meze for rakı are slices of honeydew melon and creamy feta cheese with freshly baked bread.Beyond this,a typcial meze menu includes dried and marinated mackerel,fresh salad greens in thick yogurt sauce and garlic,plates of cold vegetables dishes cooked or fried in olive oil,fried crispy savoury pastry,deep-fried mussels and squid served in a sauce,tomato and cucumber salad,and fish egg in a sauce.The main course taht follows such a meze spread will be fish or grilled meat.

 Seafood

Four seas(the Black Sea,the Sea of Marmara,the Aegean,and the Mediterranean) surround the Turkish landscape.

Residents of the coastal cities are experts in preparing fish. However,the best of the day’s catch is immediately transported to Ankara,where some of the finest fish restaurants are located. Winter is the Premium season for eating fish.That is the time when many species of fish migrate from the Black Sea to warmer waters and when most fish reach their mature size.So,the lack of summer vegetables is compensated by the abundance of fish at this time.

Every month has its own preferred catch,along with certain vegetables which complement the taste.For example,the best bonito is eaten with garlic and red onions,blue fish with lettuce,and turbot with cos lettuce.Large bonito may be poached with celery root.Mackerel is stuffed with chopped onion before grilling,and summer  fish,which are younger and drier,will be poached with tomatoes and green peppers,or fried.Bay leaves always accompany both poached and grilled fish.

Grilling fish over charcoal,where the fish juices hit the embers and envelope the fish with the smoke,is perhaps the most delicious way of eating mature fish,since this method brings out the delicate flavor.This is also why the grilled fish sold by vendors right on their boats is so tasty.

The places to taste fish are fish restaurants and taverns.Not all traverns are fish restaurants,but most fish restaurants are taverns and these are usually found on the harbors overlooking the sea.The İstanbul Strait is famous for its fisherman’s taverns,large and small,from Rumeli Kavağı to Kumkapı.The modest ones are small with wooden tables and rickety wooden chairs,nevertheless they offer delicious grilled fish.Then there are the elaborate,fashionable ones in Tarabya and Bebek.Fish restaurants always have an open-air section right by the sea. The waiters run back and forth between the kitchen,perhaps located in the restaurant across the street,and the tables on the seaside.

 The Real Story of Sweets: Beyond Baklava

 The most well-known sweets associated with Turkish Cuisine are Turkish Delight(Lokum),and”baklava”,giving the impression that these may be the typcial desserts eaten after meals.

This,of course,is not true.First of all,the family of desserts is much richer than just these two.Secondly, these are not typcial desserts served as part of a main meal.For example,baklava and its relatives are usually eaten with coffee,as a snack or after a kebab dish.So, to further our education in Turkish cuisine we will survey the various types of sweets.

By far,the most common dessert after a meal is fresh seasonal fruit that acquires its unique taste from an abundance of sun and old-fashioned ways of cultivation and transportation.Spring will start with strawberries,followed by cherries and apricots.Summer is marked by peaches,watermelons and melons.Then,all kinds of grapes ripen in late summer,followed by green and purple figs,plums,apples,pears and quince.Oranges,mandarin oranges,and bananas are among the winter fruits.For most of the spring and summer,fruit is eaten fresh.Later,it may be used fresh or dried,in compotes,or made into jams and preserves.Among the preserves,the unique ones to taste are the quince marmalade,the sour cherry preserve,and the rose preserve(made of rose petals,which is not a fruit!).

 The most wonderful contribution of Turkish cuisine to the family of desserts,that can easily be missed by casual explorers,are the milk desserts-the “muhallebi” family.These are among the rare types of guilt-free puddings made with starch and rice flour,and,originally without any eggs or butter.When the occasion calls  for even a lighter dessert,the milk can also be omitted; instead,the puding may be flavoured with citrus fruits,such as lemons or oranges.The milk desserts include a variety of puddings,ranging from the very light and subtle rose-water variety to the  milk puding laced with strands of chicken breast.

 There are shops where baklava,börek,or muhallebi are sold,exclusively or together with other things.People come to these places for take –away or tos it down at one of the tables tucked away in a corner of the shop.The baklava shops also usually feature”water börek”,an especially difficult börek to make.Most börek shops also make milk puddings.

 You have to be in Turkey to get the real and the best taste of the above desserts.However,in addition to the variety of Turkish Delights,there is a lesser-known type of dessert that can be taken back home in a sweet box.These are nut pastes-marzipan made of almonds and pistachios.The best marzipan is sold at a tiny,unassuming shop in Bebek in İstanbul.A few boxes usually will last for a month or so and bring delight after dinner.Finally,candied chestnuts,a speciality of Bursa,are among the most wonderful nutty desserts.



Beverages:  Beyond Turkish Coffee and”Ayran”

Volumes have been written about the Turkish coffee:its history,its signifiance in social life,and the ambience of the ubiquitous coffee houses.

 Without some understanding of this background,it is easy to be disappointed by the tiny brew with the annoying grounds,which an uninitiated traveler(like Mark Twain) may accidentally end up chewing.A few words of caution will have to suffice for the purposes of this brief primer.First,the grounds are not to be swallowed,sos ip the coffee gingerly.Secondly,don’t expect a caffeine surge with one shot of Turkish coffee; it is not strong,just thichk.Third,remember that it is the setting and the company that matter; the coffee is just an excuse for the occasion.Tea, on the other hand,is the main source of coffeine for the Turks.It is prepared in a special way,by brewing it over boiling water and served in delicate,small,clear glasses to show the deep red color and to transmit the heat to the hand.

Drinking tea is such an essential part of a working day,that any disruption of the constant supply of fresh tea is a sure way to sacrifice productivity.Once upon a time,so the story goes,a lion escaped from the Ankara Zoo and took up residence in the basement of an Office building.It began devouring public servants and executives.It even ate up a few ministers of state  and nobody took notice.It is said,however,that a posse was immediately formed when the lion caught and ate the “tea-man” the person responsible for the supply of fresh tea!

5. Food Protocol for the Culturally Correct

Eating is taken very seriously in Turkey.It is  inconceivable for household members to eat alone,raid the refrigerator,or eat “on the go” while others are at home.

It is customary to have three”sit-down meals” a day.Breakfast or “kahwaltı”(literally,under the coffee), typically consists of bread,feta cheese,black olives and tea.Many work places have lunch served as a contractual fringe benefit.Dinner starts when all the family members get together and share the events of the day at the table.The menu consists of three or more types of dishes that are eaten sequentially,accompained by salad.In summer,dinner is served at about eight.Close relatives,best friends or neighbours may join in on meals on a walk-in basis.Others are invited ahead of time as  elaborate preparations are expected.The menu depends on whether alcoholic drinks will be served or not. In the former case,the guests will find the meze spread ready on the table,frequently set up either in the garden or on the balcony.The main course is served several hours later.Otherwise,the dinner starts with a soup ,followed by the main meat and vegetable course,accompained by the salad. Then the olive-oil dishes such as the dolmas are served followed by dessert and fruit.While the table cleared,the guests retire to the living room to have tea and Turkish coffee.

During the holidays,people are expected to pay short visits to each and every friend within the city,visits which are immediately reciprocated.Three or four days are spent going from house to house ,so enough food needs to be prepared and put aside to last the duration of the visits.During the holidays,kitchens and pantries burst at the seams with böreks,rice dolmas,puddings and desserts that can be put on the table witout much preparation.

Deaths are also occasions for cooking and sharing food.In this case,neighbours prepare and send dishes to the bereaved household for three days after the death.The only dish prepared  by the household of the deceased is the helva which is sent to the neighbours and served to visitors.In the same areas,it is a custom for a good friend of the deceased to begin preparing the helva,while recounting fond memories and events.Then the spoon would be passed to the next person who would take up stirring the helva and continue reminiscing.Usually the helva is done by the time everyone in the room has had a chance to speak.This wonderfully simple ceremony makes the people left behind talk about happier times and lightens their grief momentarily,strengthening the bond between them.

6. Food and Spirituality

 Food and dietary practies have always played an important part in religion

 Among them,Islam is perhaps known to impose the most elaborate and strict rules in this respect.In practice,these rules have been reinterpreted in regional adaptations,particulary in Turkey,where it is harder to find strict Muslims.   In Anatolia,where a variety of  Sufi orders once flourished,food gained a spiritual dimension above dry religious requirements,as seen in their poetry,music,and practies.

Several occasions commemorating prophets also involve food.The six holy nights marking events in Mohammed’s life are celebrated by baking special pastires,breads and lokma.The month og “Muharrem”occurred when the flood waters receded, and Noah and his family were able to land.It is believed that then they cooked a meal using whatever remained in their supplies.This event is celebrated by cooking “aşure”,or Noah’s puding,made of wheat berries,dried legumes,rice,raisins,currants,dried figs,dates and nuts.You can also taste this most nourishing puding at certain muhallebici shops.

The feast of Zachariah is prepared upon being granted one’s wish.This feast consists of a spread of forty-one different types of dried fruits and nuts served to guests.Prayers are read and everyone tastes all forty-one foods.A guest can then burn a candle and make a wish.If the wish comes  true,one is obligated to prepare a similiar”Zachariah Table” for others.

The peasant eating helva for the first time symbolizes the discovery of Divine Love by the dervish.There is also the  image of Allah preparing the helva for the true dervishes.In this particular verse,the whole universe,as it were,is pictured as a huge pan with the stars as cooks!In other verses,the Beloved is described as being as tasty as salt,or as a Friend who has “sugar lips”.Wine also represents the maturation of the human soul,similar to the ordeal the sour grape endures. So many mystical meanings are attributed to wine that the name “tavern” stands for the Sufi hospice and experiencing Divine Love is the described by the metaphor of “intoxication”.

These mystical ideas are stil very much alive in present day Turkey,where food and liquar are enjoyed with recitations of mystical poetry and dignified conversation.Often these gatherings provide an occasion for people to distance themselves from earthly matters and transcend into mysticism and promises of a beter life hereafter.

7. Contemporary Concerns:  Diet and Health

As modernity takes hold,traditions are falling to one side.Spirituality as a guide for conduct in everyday life is something of the past; now we turn to science for answers.

Tronically,as McDonald’s and Pizza Huts are popping up everywhere,the traditional way of eating is also making a come-back.What our grandmothers knew all the time is now being confirmed by modern science: a diet which is fundamentally based on grains,vegetables and fruits with meat and diary products used sparingly and as flavoring,is a healthy one.Furthermore,some combinations are beter than others,because they complement each other for balanced nutrition.Turkish cuisine sets an example in these respects.The recent “food-pyramid” endorsed by the United States Department of Agriculture resembles age-old practices in ordinary households.Even the well-known menus of boarding schools or army kitchens,hardly known for their gourmet characteristics,provide excellent nutrition that can be justified by the best of today’s scientific knowledge.

One such combination,jokingly referred to as “our national food” is beans and pilaf,accompanied by pickles and quince compote- a perfectly nourishing combination which provides the essential proteins,carbohydrates and minerals.Another curios practice is combining spinach with yogurt.Now we know that the body needs calcium found in the yogurt to assimilate the iron found in the spinach.

One of the main culprits in the modern-day diet is the snack,the horrible junk food designed to give a quick sugar-high to keep one going for the rest of the day.Again,modern science has come to the rescue,and healthy snacks are now being discovered.Some of these are amazingly familiar to the Turks! Take,for example,the “fruit roll-ups”. Visit any dried-food store that sells nuts and fruits,and you will see the authentic version,such as sheets of mashed and dried apricots and grapes.In these stores,there are many other  items that await the discovery of some pioneering entrepreneur from Western markets.Another wholesome snack,known as “trail mix” or “gorp” is well-known to all Turkish mothers,who traditionally stuff a handful or mixed nuts and raisins in the pockets of their children’s school uniform to snack on before exams. This practice can be traced to ancient fables, where the hero goes on a diet of hazelnuts and raisins before weaving the king a golden smock.The Prince always loads onto the mythological bird,the “Zümrüt Anka”, forty sacks of nuts and raisins for himself,and water and meat for the bird that takes him over the high Caucasus Mountains.

As far as food goes,it is reassuring to know that we are re-discovering what is good for our bodies.Nevertheless,one is left with the nagging feeling that such knowledge will always be incomplete as long as it is divorced from its cultural context and metaphysical traditions.The challenge facing modern Turkey is to achieve such continuity in a time of genetic engineering,high-tech mass production and the growing number of convenience-oriented households.But for now,the markets are vibrant and the dishes are tastier than ever,so enjoy !