Food Culture in Turkey

Turkish cooking techniques are very famous in the world. Someone once said that there are three countries in the world that pay the most attention to food, the first is China, the second is France, and the third is Turkey. A wide variety of delicious and enticing Turkish dishes exemplify healthy, balanced and vegetarian delicacies.

There are several reasons why Turkey has such a diverse range of cuisines. In short, the rich variety of crops in Asia and Asia Minor, the interaction with various cultures in the long historical process, and the innovative cooking methods in the Seljuk and Ottoman courts have all contributed to the formation of Turkish culinary culture. influence.

Turks have the following characteristics in dietary habits

• 1. Pay attention to the freshness, crispness and tenderness of dishes, and pay attention to cooking techniques and quality.
• 2. Taste, the general taste does not like too salty, but loves the sweet taste.
• 3. Staple food: noodles are the main food. I like to eat flatbread, and I also like to eat snacks or rice.
• 4. Non-staple food, like mutton, beef, chicken, fish, eggs; vegetables like eggplant, carrots, green peppers, onions, cucumbers, potatoes, cabbage, tomatoes, etc.; seasonings like olive oil, corn oil, garlic, sugar, pepper Wait.
• 5. Method of preparation, preference for dishes prepared by cooking methods such as frying, frying, and roasting.
• 6, wine, like to drink cold water, mineral water, milk, coffee, orange juice, some people drink wine and beer; daily habits drink black tea.
• 7. Fruits, like candy; also like bananas, apples, figs, lychees, pomegranates, grapes, watermelons, etc.; dried fruits like walnuts, hazelnuts, pine nuts, raisins, etc.

Food and drinks on the table

Until the late Ottoman Empire, Turks usually only ate two meals a day. One is for late morning and the other for dinner. Now, the main meal includes breakfast, lunch and dinner. Some places will have four meals, especially in the long winter, this extra meal is called "night snack". Sometimes, especially when guests are visiting, an additional meal is added in the early evening.

The breakfast staples are generally cheese, olives, bread, eggs and jams. The beverages are mainly tea. In addition, there are local cheeses, sausages, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and other foods. Some villages still retain the custom of drinking soup, eating honey, grape honey and condensed milk. Lunch includes stews, soups, salads, etc. Desserts, meats, and time-consuming foods are not served. With soup, main course, salad and dessert, dinner is the most well-prepared and heartiest meal since it is the only meal where the whole family can sit together. The last meal of the day is called a "night snack," which serves hors d'oeuvres, fruit and nuts. Although many people drink tea these days, people in some regions still drink Boza (a drink made from lightly fermented millet) and dried fruit pulp.

Festive Special Food and Beverages

Foods and drinks specially prepared for festivals are often symbolic, take longer and are an integral part of Turkish cuisine.

During engagement banquets, weddings, circumcision ceremonies, festivals rich in religious metaphors such as Ramadan, and other seasonal festivals, the food preparation is particularly elaborate, the variety and variety are varied, and the table is specially arranged, such as the birth of a child, funerals, and wedding banquets. example:

When a woman has a baby, friends, relatives, and neighbors come to visit with soup, milk, yogurt, and eggs. During the "loğusa" (postpartum recovery period), visitors can enjoy sorbet (a non-alcoholic beverage made from flavors and juices), biscuits, milk and desserts. They believe that postpartum mothers must drink milk, eat onions, lentils, not chickpeas or other beans, and not drink cold water to get enough milk.

Rice, vegetables, beans, chickpeas, juices and meat entrees are served at the wedding banquet. Wedding tables in almost every region are served with noodles, yoghurt soup, keskek (wheat and meat pounded), rice and meat, and desserts are usually helva, zerde (condensed dessert with saffron hearts) ), rice pudding and baklava.

In addition to the above food, other kinds of food are also served at the funeral. Some places will provide a food called "kazma takirtisi" (meaning "the pounding of a pick") for those preparing the grave. The mourning hall will be closed for 3-7 days (depending on the region), and the food will be provided by the neighbors. help provide. Flour helva is made of flour when the body is transported from the mourning hall. On the 3rd, 7th, 40th and 52nd days after the death of a person, there is a banquet, and this custom still exists.