I can hear you saying pistachio belongs to Gaziantep… You are right, but you know food is geographical more than belonging within a city’s border. You may hear Gaziantep locals complaining about Urfalılar, claiming themselves as fıstık growers, sellers and exporters… Me, I had the chance to walk around the…
Turkey, one of the most beautiful places in the whole big bad world. People, food, nature, culture, history… whatever you like, all in one. The sole reason why Turkey is my favorite place for travelling. Every region, every city, every village, all have their homogeneous sides as well as differences…
To how many of you I recommended Asmalı Cavit I really do not recall, since it is the one place I love going over and over again, it is one of my safest places where I always reserve the same table, it is my table after all. Asmalı Cavit is…
Bulgur is a very big part of our cuisine as it becomes the main staple around Southeast of Turkey. Exactly as mentioned on The Penguin Companion to Food; Burghul (bulgur) is cracked wheat, wheat which has been parboiled, parched, and coarsely ground… The wheat is parboiled after the harvest, dried,…
During his college years, he told me they -5 to 15 people!!!- used to stop at Lades (2) Lokantası (just across Lades Lokantası ) for lunch, just to have this menemen. I can imagine the small place filled with students on a budget, hungry and mopping each and every bit…
What is a Bayram without candies! My granny used to buy chocolates filled with mint, cherries and sorts, my memory seems to fade… But what I do remember is that me and my friends used to sneek in the house when she was out and fill our pockets with these…
Tea! Tea is welcoming, tea is friendliness, tea is Turkey. You do not have to ask for one, you are immediately provided with it. At every home, a household is the tea professor who is in charge of mixing different tea brands in different ratios, creates a formula for making the best…
Ramadan amongst other things, means understanding each other, being tolerant and respecting each others beliefs. Fasting all day long and breaking your fast, making iftar with your family, your loved ones at home would be the typical Turkish custom. İftar sofrası -fast breaking meal- consists of dates and olives to start…
In many cultures food is always used to respect the dead. In the house of the dead in Gaziantep, Southeast Turkey this ritual consists mainly of lahmacun, eggplant kebab, börek with olives and others. People pay their respects by bringing a tray of lahmacun freshly baked from the neighborhood oven to…