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"Do not dismiss
the dish saying that
it is just, simply
food. |
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The blessed thing
is an entire
civilization in
itself" |
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Abdulhak Sinasi
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For those who travel
in culinary
pursuits, Turkish
Cuisine is a very
curious one. 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 offer enough
materiai for
life-long study and
enjoyment. It is not
easy to discern a
basic element or a
single dominant
feature, like the
Italian "pasta" or
the French "sauce".
Whether in a humble
home, at a famous
restaurant, or at a
dinner in a Bey's
mansion, familiar
patterns of this
rich and diverse
Cuisine are always
present. It is a
rare art which
satisfies your
senses while
reconfirming the
higher order of
society, community
and culture.
A practical-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, herbs and
all tightly wrapped
in translucent
leaves of cabbage
all 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,
now can such a yummy
dish possibly also
be good for you?
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The modern mind, in a moment
of contemplation, has
similar thoughts upon
entering a modest sweets
shop in Turkey 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, nightengale's
nest. The same experience
awaits you at a "muhallebi"
(pudding shop) with a dozen
different types of milk
puddings.
One can only conclude that
the evolution of this
glorious cuisine was not an
accident. Similar to other
grand cuisines of the world,
it is a result of the
comoination of three key
elements. A nurturing
environment is
irreplaceable. Turkey is
known for an aounoance and
diversity of foodstuff due
to its rich flora, fauna and
regional differentiation.
And the legacy of an
Imperial Kitchen is
inescapable. Hundreds of
cooks specializing in
different types of dishes,
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,
trade, and total control of
the Spice Road, reflected
the culmination of wealth
and the flourishing of
culture in tne capital of a
mighty Empire. And the
influence of the longevity
of social organization
should not be taken lightly
either. The Turkish State of
Anatolia is a millenium old
and so, naturally, is "the
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 reign of the
Ottoman Dynasty during 600
years, and a seamless
cultural transition into the
present day of modern
Turkey, led to the evolution
of a grand cuisine through
differentiation, refinement
and perfection of dishes, as
well as their sequence and
combination of the meals.
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It is quite rare
that all three
conditions above are
met, as it is in
French, Chinese and
Turkish Cuisine.
Turkish cuisine has
the extra privilege
of being at the
crossroads of the
Far-East and the
Mediterranean, which
mirrors a long and
complex history of
Turkish migration
from the steppes of
Central Asia (where
they mingled with
the Chinese) to
Europe (where they
exerted influence
all the way to
Vienna).
All these unique
characteristics and
history have
bestowed upon
Turkish cusine a
rich and varied
number of dishes,
which can be
prepared and
combined with other
dishes in meals of
almost infinite
variety, but always
in a non-arbitary
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 culture.
It is a part of the
rituals of everyday
life events. It
reflects
spirituality, in
forms that are
specific to it,
through symbolism
and practice.
Anyone who visits
Turkey or has had a
meal in a Turkish
home, regardless of
the success of the
particular cook, is
sure to notice how
unique the cuisine
is. Our intention
here is to help the
uninitiated to enjoy
Turkish food by
achieving a higher
level of
understanding of the
repertoire of
dishes, related
cultural practices
and their spiritual
meaning.
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