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A TASTE OF ANATOLIA
THE NEW ISTANBUL CUISINE
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The saga of Istanbul cuisine is being rewritten in Anatolian
flavors, This synthesis, in which local herbs take the lead
role, is the harbinger of a new culture in food, |
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Istanbul cuisine is, in
a
sense, an imperial cuisine. Bearing traces of widely divergent
cultures from the Adriatic to the Middle East, from the Caucasus
to North Africa, Istanbul cuisine underwent
a
transformation with the First World War. One of the most
significant consequences of this sweeping urban economic and
demographic transformation was the breakdown of a lifestyle
catering to the refined tastes of the elite class. The void was
filled by the popular habits and culture of the existing
Istanbul people, who came from various regions in Anatolia.
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Therapeutic tumip
greens are especially good for intestinal maladies |
ANATOLIA
COMES TO ISTANBUL
Up to the 1950s Istanbul cuisine consisted basically of
a
limited variety of dishes going back to palace cooking and
the 'new and economical' dishes invented during the years of
privation. One of the most significant consequences of the
economically motivated mass migration from Anatolia to
Istanbul that began in the 1950s was the appearance in the
city of foodstuffs from the rural sector. Limited at first
to what the migrants prepared in their own homes, these
local Anatolian flavors were later introduced to
Istanbulites by the restaurants that were starting to open
on a small scale, the first examples perhaps being the
makers of 'Iahmacun' or Turkish-style pizza. |
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During the
1990s, Istanbulites developed an increasing interest in
Anatolian cuisine, which they got to know first through
southern and southeastern Turkish cooking and later through
Black Sea cuisine. Although the number of restaurants
devoted to the latter remains small, Istanbulites today have
made the acquaintance of black cabbage, pickled green bean
ragout, 'mlhlama', anchovy bread, cream corn soup and many
other anchovy dishes
as well as
a variety of baklava made by the Laz people of the Black
Sea.
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HERBS ARE
THE THING
And of
course there are the famous herbal dishes of the Aegean
region and its legendary olive oils. Many wild herbs from
golden thistle to foxtail rapidly gained respect and were
quick to appear on Istanbul menus. The Anatolian people who
have settled in Istanbul remain firmly attached to their
native cuisines. This is probably best appreciated at the
Kastamonu markets set up weekly in Kasımpaşa and Balat,
where all the region's natural products can be found, from
greens like spinach and borage to dairy products like
yoghurt and 'kaymak' or thick Turkish cream, not to mention
'tarhana' and bulghur. |
Nettles are
highly recommended for diseases of the liver and gall
baldder |
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The
countless new tastes I encounter at this market, which I've
frequented for years, offer
a special
bonus every Sunday. And because every merchant in the market
can give you several different recipes for each product he
sells, you will soon become knowledgeable about the food
culture of the various regions. I personally believe that
the use of these newly discovered herbs together with what
we already know is going to give rise to a new synthesis in
Istanbul cuisine.
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Goosefoot,
which grows in the
Kırşehir, Adana and Muğla regions |
This
synthesis reminds me of the revolution that was
experiencedm French cuisine when the populism that
developed following the French revolution unleashed a
flood of people from the French rural sector into Paris,
where the two cultures merged to produce the rich French
cuisine. Mastering the fine points of the restaurant
business, these chefs, who later returned to their
native regions and opened high quality establishments
that drew visitors to the locale, marketed their
regional cuisines in the best possible way. |
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The
same process is going to take place here in Turkey,
albeit slowly. If local governments and nongovernmental
organizations like Tema, a foundation dedicated to
fighting erosion, and the Association in Support of
Contemporary Living support such efforts, it should not
be at all difficult to achieve this goal. |
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RECIPES
Herb Soup with Fresh Broad-beans
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Ingredients:
100 g fresh broad-beans, finely chopped
1/2 bunch chopped chicory
1/2 bunch turnip greens
1/2 bunch poppies
1.2 bunch nettles
1 fennel root, finely chopped
2 spring onions
2 tablespoons salt
1 teaspoon salt
1 kg Water
100 g butter
fresh coriander, chopped |
For the sauce:
100 g flour
4 tablespoons yoghurt
2 egg yolks juice of
half a lemon |
Preparation:
Melt the butter in
a pot and saute the chopped fennel and spring onion for 2-3 minutes. Add
the herbs and stir for 2 minutes; then add salt and pepper and
cook over a medium fire for 15 minutes. Mix the ingredients for
the sauce well with two ladle's full of the soup, and slowly
return the resulting mixture to the soup. Bring the soup to a .
boil and skim off any foam. After tasting for salt, add one
tablespoon: melted butter and one tablespoon fresh coriander.
Serve diately.
RECIPES
Wild Dandelion Salad with
Tarator Sauce
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Ingredients:
500 g wild dandelion
1/2 cup virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
juice of half a lemon
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
2 spring onions, finely chopped
50 g walnut meats, broken
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Tarator Sauce:
4 slices dry bread milk
1 egg yolk
1 cup olive oil salt
white pepper garlic (optional)
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Preparation:
Wash the wild dandelion well
and blanch in boiling water for
5 minutes; then plunge into cold
water. Squeeze out the water and add salt, pepper, finely
chopped spring onion, virgin olive oil, vinegar and lemon juice
and mix well. Arrange on a serving platter and dribble with
thinned tarator sauce and broken walnut meats. Serve
immediately.
Soak the bread in milk, squeeze
well and place in a bowl.
Add the egg yolk and beat with the wet crumbs. Continue to beat
while gradually adding the olive oil. When the mixture is the
consistency of mayonnaise add salt and white pepper to taste. If
desiredJj.rushed garlic may be adde.
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Source: Skylife 04/04 |
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Vedat
Başaran & Önder Durmaz |
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