Beyond just consuming food, mangal often means a family or friends

gathering. Generally held in gardens or picnic areas, it stresses the

hospitality towards the guests.

The menu always has a kind of meat. A typical mangal meal will consist

of grilled vegetables, shish kebabs of various kinds and meatballs

named köfte. Grilled chicken wings, chicken breasts and offal is also

common. Salads and other cold foods accompany the meal. Salgam or ayran

are common drinks, alcoholic drinks are also consumed by some.

Mangal was originally the name for a kind of indoors heater that was replaced by Western-type stoves in early 20th century.

The various sources of the Euphrates River in this region soften the normally harsh climate of Eastern Turkey.

Öküzgözü has rounded, dark colored grapes, which are the largest among

the grape varieties grown in Turkey. The Turkish word öküzgözü

literally means "ox eye".

This unique ageable dry red wine – Öküzgözü ages well up to 10 years –

has a bright red color, reveals intense fruity flavors of raspberry and

cherry, and is rich with a well-balanced body with light tannins. The

alcohol ratio of wine is between 12 – 13%. Öküzgözü is best served at

16-18 degrees C (61–64 degrees F) and is a perfect match with different

dishes served with a cheese sauce, casseroles, red meat, grills, cheese

and poultry.

It is a kind of döner kebab prepared from thinly cut grilled lamb

basted with tomato sauce over pieces of pide bread and generously

slathered with melted butter and yogurt. Additionally, one cylindrical

meatball can be placed on top. It is commonly consumed with şıra as a

drink to aid digestion. Tomato sauce and boiling butter are sometimes

poured over the dish, at the table.

Unlike other traditional dishes of Turkish cuisine, İskender kebap is a

trademark of İskender İskenderoğlu, a member of the İskender family,

who still run the restaurant in Bursa. Still, this dish is available in

many restaurants throughout the country sometimes under the name Bursa

Kebab, or a name that the serving restaurant made up (like "Uludağ

Kebap" or "Kukla Kebap", both in Ankara).

Differences from döner kebab

A serving of İskender kebap contains thin and wide strips of meat, on

the other hand döner kebap has smaller pieces of meat. In order to cut

large slices, Iskender is prepared from ground meat, which is why the

meat strips seem to have been cut from a large sausage. The fat content

of Iskender meat is lower than that of döner meat. İskender kebap is

also served with yogurt.

It is also the first ever vertical kebab, making it also the first ever proper döner kebab.

Description

Two features distinguish Turkish ice cream: texture and resistance to

melting. It is much tougher and chewier than that of the ice cream used

in sundaes, gelato or commercially produced ice cream; the unusual

texture is produced by the use of salep and mastic resin as thickening

agents, together with other flavorings. It is sometimes sold from carts

as street food, where the mixture is churned regularly with

long-handled paddles to keep it workable.

The Kahramanmaraş region is known for its distinct dondurma, Maraş

dondurması, which contains more salep than usual; it is much tougher

and stickier, and may even require a knife and fork to eat.

The popularity of the salep flavor in Turkish ice cream has caused a

decline in the populations of the region’s wild orchids. For this

reason it is illegal to ship true salep out of the country.

Another reason for its vast consumption is that it can easily be digested and it aids in the digestion of other foods. This property of cheese is due to rennet which is used to curd milk. Cheese was made in ancient times and was found to be a very substantial food for man. We know that even in the Babylonian Civilization in 2000 B.C. cheese production was quite advanced.Today in Turkey, 60% of the annual 10 million tons of milk is processed as cheese. Although the most tasty cheese is made from sheep’s milk, only 10% of cheese production is produced from sheep’s and goat’s milk, with the remainder from cow’s milk. Cheese consumption differs considerably from other countries in Turkey. The most wide-spread consumption of cheese other than at breakfast, is when it is eaten with fruit or as a sort of dessert after lunch or dinner. However in our country, cheese and olives are a must on the breakfast table. The variety of cheese depends on certain factors: cultural habits and tastes, natural conditions, the species and variety of the animals providing the milk, and the production methods employed. We have more than 100 types of cheese in our country, but when they are grouped according to their similarities,we have around 30 different kinds of cheese. The following is a list of the different kinds of cheese which are the most popular in our country:

White Cheese

It is produced from sheep’s or cow’s milk. Rennet curdles the milk, then it is strained. The curd is salted in brine and packed into tins. It is eaten mostly at breakfast. In addition it is the main ingredient in appetizers, especially when served with our traditional drink "Rakı". White cheese is also one of the ingredients in an omelette or is put on macaroni. "Börek" is a national food consumed at each meal everywhere in Turkey. Dough prepared with flour, water, salt and eggs, is rolled out wafer-thin, and placed on top of each other with oil in between. Various fillings are put between the layers which is then baked. Cheese is mostly used as a filling for börek.

Kaşar Cheese

It is also produced from sheep’s or cow’s milk. But in the Thracian region, kaşar especially that made from sheep’s milk is traditional and one of the most important dairy products of the region. Rennet curdles the milk, then it is strained and the curd is boiled in salt water. After boiling cheese, the curd becomes like dough due to the heat. It is placed in round moulds and cooled. After being shaped, it is removed from the mould. Kaşar cheese made from sheep’s milk is produced as large wheels and during the ageing process the outer part is allowed to dry which then forms a crust. Some of the cheeses which are produced from cow’s milk have a crust but most are vacuum-packed. Both types are eaten at breakfast, however the fresh cheese is also consumed in toasted sandwiches or on baked foods in the same way as mozzarella cheese.

Tulum Cheese

By removing the water of the curd, a crumbly texture is obtained. The crumbled curd is salted and packed firmly in goat’s skins or in cloth sacks and aged for 3 to 6 months. During this period it becomes tasty. It can be used in börek or similar foods and is also a great appetizer when mixed with walnuts.

Mihalic (Kelle) Cheese

Its production is similar to that of white cheese. The only difference is that it has big holes. The processes applied to it give it a pretty salty flavor and it is usually consumed at breakfast with tea.

Dil Cheese

It is similar to Kaşar cheese as far as production goes but it looks like mozzarella. During the boiling of the curd instead of putting it in a mould it is stretched and becomes fibrous in appearance. It is often consumed at breakfast.

Cerkez Cheese, Orgu Cheese

Dil cheese is packed in moulds of about 100-150 gr which is known as Çerkez cheese. If it is braided it is called örgü cheese. Örgü means braid in Turkish.

Although both cheeses are vacuum-packed, örgü cheese can be preserved in brine and is usually eaten after it is cooked.

Civil (Tel) Cheese

It is produced particularly in Eastern Anatolia and the Black Sea Region. It is a type of Dil cheese made from non-fat cow’s or goat’s milk. It is kept in brine and consumed after cooking it in butter.

Van Otlu Cheese

It is one of the unique cheeses of Turkey. It is produced in Van and its surrounding areas. It is made by mixing the cheese with local herbs. Except for the added herbs, texture, ingredients and the way it is consumed, it resembles white cheese.

Lor Cheese

After boiling the whey, which is strained from the curd, the remaining protein is curdled. It is used in börek, served for breakfast or as an appetizer after mixing it with various herbs and spices.

The cheese culture is so widespread in our country that even in making many of our desserts cheese is used.The following three descriptions are given as examples.

Kuymak

It is a regional food from the Black Sea Region.

Ingredients: 100g cornflour, 1/1.5 glasses of water, 250g tel cheese, 70g butter

Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the cornflour and stir, then add water and cheese in small pieces. Boil until the cheese is melted, the liquid becomes a paste and the butter comes to the top. Serve hot.

Kunefe

It is a popular dessert from Southern and Southeastern Anatolia.

Ingredients: 200g teleme or fresh salt-free cheese, 200g sugar, 1 glass of water, 100g butter, 250g tel kadayıf

Boil the water and sugar to obtain a syrup. In another dish mix the melted butter and kadayıf. Arrange half of the kadayıf in a tray. Spread grated cheese on it. Then arrange the remaining kadayıf. Bake in a 160 degree oven for 20-30 minutes. Remove it from the oven and pour the syrup over it; serve hot.

Kemalpaşa Cheese Dessert

It is a dessert mostly cooked in the Bursa and Balıkesir districts.

Ingredients: 400g sugar, 2 glasses of water, 100g semolina, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 2 eggs, 50g butter, 150g cheese curd

Boil water and sugar to obtain a syrup and leave it. Grate the cheese and knead with the other ingredients to obtain a dough. Take small pieces of the dough, flatten them slightly and place on an oiled tray. Bake in a 180 degree oven for 20-30 minutes until they turn slightly golden. Boil the cookies in the syrup for 15 minutes. Then serve cold and top with cream, if desired.

The stuffing may include meat or not. Meat dolma are generally served

warm, often with sauce; meatless ones are generally served cold. Both

can be eaten along with yoghurt.

Filling

The filling generally consists of minced meat, rice or grain. In either

case, the filling includes onion, parsley, herbs and spices. Meatless

fillings are cooked with olive oil and include dried grapes, nuts or

pulses.

Names and etymology

Dolma is a verbal noun of the Turkish verb dolmak ‘to be stuffed’, and means simply ’stuffed thing’.

Dolma, strictly speaking, is a stuffed vegetable, that is, a vegetable

that is hollowed out and filled with stuffing. This applies to

courgette, tomato, pepper, eggplant and the like; stuffed mackerel,

squid and mussel are also called "dolma". Dishes involving wrapping

leaves such as vine leaves or cabbage leaves around a filling are

called ’sarma’ though in many languages, the distinction is usually not

made. Sarma is derived from the Turkish verb sarmak which means to

wrap. Other variants derive from the Turkish word for ‘leaf’, yaprak.

Dolma cooked with olive oil without minced meat is sometimes called

"yalancı" which literally means "liar", "false" or "fake" in Turkish.

It is "false" because it does not contain meat.

Variants

In Turkey, there are two main categories of dolma; those filled with a

meat mixture: minced meat ("kıyma"), onion, pinenut, rice, oil and some

spices and those filled with a rice mixture (without meat): rice, olive

oil, pinenuts, currants (or dried figs/cherries), herbs (fresh parsley

and mint) and spices (usually allspice, cinnamon and black pepper).

Meat dolma is always eaten hot; meatless ones, "zeytinyağlı dolma"

(dolma with olive oil) – "yalanci dolma" (false dolma), usually at room

temperature, as a meze. Dolma with meat is a main-course and always

served with yogurt. An egg-milk based sauce is sometimes used for

yaprak sarma with meat in some regions. Common types include peppers

(biber dolma), eggplant/aubergine (patlican dolma), zucchini/courgette

(kabak dolma), plum (erikli dolma), collard greens (karalahana dolma),

vine, chard and cabbage leaves (sarma), zucchini flowers (çiçek dolma)

or mussels (midye dolma). Tomatoes, pumpkin and some fruits such as

quince, apple or melon are also used to make dolma in Turkish cuisine.

Mumbar dolması is an interesting type of dolma for which the intestines

of sheep are filled with rice-meat-bean mixture. In some regions rice

is replaced or mixed with bulgur (pounded wheat). The inner part of

some vegetables or fruits (which is hollowed out) can be added into the

filling.

The pastry is heated with some butter, margarine or palm oil for a

while and then spread with soft cheese (see Nabulsi cheese) and more

pastry; or the khishneh kunafah is rolled around the cheese. A thick

syrup, consisting of sugar, water and a couple of drops of lemon juice,

is poured on the pastry during the final minutes of cooking.

In Turkey, only kadayif pastry (shredded pastry;called "wire kadayif")

is used for making künefe. Kadayif is not rolled around the cheese.

Cheese is put in between two layers of wire kadayif. It is cooked in

small copper plates, served very hot in syrup with clotted cream

"kaymak" and pistachio/walnut.

Often the top layer of kadaif pastry is colored using orange food

coloring. Crushed pistachios are typically sprinkled on top as a

garnish.

Other variants

Kadaif

The threads are used to make pastries of various forms (tubes or

nests), often with a filling of chopped nuts, like that used for

baklava. A kadaif dessert is made by layering a mat of kadaif pastry, a

filling of chopped nuts, then another mat of pastry. The pastries or

dessert are painted with melted butter, baked until golden brown, then

drenched in sugar or honey syrup.

Ekmek Kadayıfı

Ekmek kataif ‘bread kataif’ is a traditional Turkish dessert, similar

to a bread pudding and not containing kataif pastry. It is served with

kaymak, a kind of clotted cream.

The earliest record of baklava as we know it today locates it in Damascus, from which city it spread to Gaziantep and from there to the rest of Turkey. By the 17th century at least the fame of baklava had spread to Istanbul, since towards the end of that century baklava was being made by the palace cooks as a special treat for the janissaries in Ramazan. The janissaries carried the trays of baklava out of the palace in what was known as the Baklava Procession.

During the reign of Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent (1520-1566), the soldiers had been given a large meal of pilaf, lamb stew and saffron flavoured rice pudding (zerde) before setting out on campaign, and in time, this tradition was replaced by the distribution of baklava during Ramazan.In the Istanbul Encyclopaedia, historian Ilber Ortayli gives this description of the Baklava Procession: ‘In the middle of Ramazan the sultan, in his capacity as caliph, would pay a ceremonial visit to the Mantle of the Prophet and the other holy relics, which was followed by the Mantle of the Prophet Procession. Following this ceremony trays of baklava prepared in the palace kitchens, one for every ten janissaries, cavalry soldiers, artillery men and armourers, each wrapped in a cloth, were laid ready outside the imperial kitchens. The fit tray was taken by the master armourer and his officers in the name of the sultan, who was himself first janissary. After that the others would be picked up in turn by pairs of soldiers, and each unit with their officers would line up for the parade, followed at the back by the soldiers holding the trays of baklava. They would march out of the palace gate and down the main road known as Divanyolu to their barracks with great pomp and clamour, watched by huge crowds. The following day the empty trays and cloths would be returned to the palace.’ In later years the Baklava Procession deteriorated into a noisy and disorganised occasion, and the trays and cloths were no longer returned, with excuses like, ‘the baklava was so tasty we ate the trays and cloths as well.’ However, despite its unprepossessing end, the procession was one of the interesting customs of Istanbul in the past.

In the first printed Turkish cookery book, Melceü’t-Tabbahin (Refuge of Cooks), its author Mehmet Kâmil gives five recipes for baklava: ordinary baklava, baklava with clotted cream, decorative baklava with clotted cream, baklava with melon, and rice baklava. Baklava has spread so far and wide that today it is to be found and eaten with relish in approximately one-fifth of the world’s countries. It is surprising, for example, to find that baklava is popular in Texas, where it was introduced in the 19th century by Czech migrants.Less surprising is its prevalence throughout the Arabian peninsula, North Africa, the Turkic republics of Central Asia, Greece, Albania, Macedonia, India, Afghanistan and Armenia. However, there is an important difference between the baklava made in all these countries and that of Turkey – the thickness of the pastry layers.

In Turkey the sheets of pastry for baklava are rolled out so thinly that when held up the person standing behind can be seen as if through a net curtain. Elsewhere a thicker pastry of the type used in Turkey for savoury layered pastries, is used for baklava, which gives a coarser texture and flavour. For the initiated, eating baklava has its own rules. Separating the top and lower layers, or cutting through the lozenge shaped pieces with a knife or fork is frowned upon. Instead you should first leisurely survey the glorious sight of the baklava on your plate, then spear a lozenge with your fork in such a way that one third of the piece is behind the fork and the other two thirds are facing you. This is so that the lozenge does not break in two. The crunch made by the fork as it penetrates the crisp layers is another pleasure which should not be allowed to pass unnoticed. As you lift the piece to your mouth you should halt to savour the fragrance – which should be dominated by the wonderful aroma of cooked butter. Finally you pop it into your mouth and the baklava experience is complete as the flavour pervades your palate.If there is no crunch when your fork and teeth penetrate the baklava, then it is stale. Well made baklava should melt in the mouth, and should not be excessively sweet or syrupy. And if you get heartburn afterwards, then change your supplier, because that means they are not using the finest quality ingredients.

Reference: Nuray Mestçi / SKYLIFE

Varieties include, Gozleme with:

• Spinach and Fetta Cheese
• Spinach and Fetta and Minced meat
• Spinach and Fetta and Egg
• Egg
• Minced Meat
• Cheese
• Potatoes
• Mushroom

A modern version of Gozleme includes Honey and Banana. It is served hot with a slice of lemon.

Tarhana consists of cracked wheat (or flour), yoghurt, and vegetables

fermented then dried.Tarhana may be stored as small cakes or as coarse

lumps.Nowadays,soup is available as a convenience food in the form of

dehydrated soup in packets.

Preparation

Tarhana is prepared by mixing flour, yoghurt or sour milk, and possibly

cooked vegetables, salt, and spices (notably tarhana herb); letting the

mixture ferment; then drying, grinding, and sieving the result. The

fermentation produces lactic acid and other compounds giving tarhana

its characteristic taste and keeping properties: the pH is lowered to

3.4-4.2, and the drying step reduces the moisture content to 6-10%,

resulting in a medium inhospitable to pathogens and spoilage organisms,

while preserving the milk proteins.