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…
It was almost 6 in the morning, we met with Bayram Usta of Elmacı Pazarı Güllüoğlu at Bakırcılar Çarşısı, had a quick tea and I followed him through the small streets of Gaziantep, we ended up at the soup eatery. The baklava gang was having their breakfast when we arrived and ordered…
The book is out! This is my first book as a photographer, I have to say I am very excited! Ateşin ve Güneşin Tadı, Gaziantep Mutfağı ( A taste of sun and fire, Gaziantep Cookery) is a collective work, me being the photographer, Aylin Öney was the editor, Suzan Aral being…
Growing up at a true gourmet mother’s home, our sucuk used to be sent from the famous city Tokat, the brand was Aşık Baba. It was nutty, peppery, meaty, flat rather then round, like the others and stuffed in tülbent -cheesecloth- instead of intestines. Years passed, around 1998 I came across that brand…
One morning we went to eat the best boyoz by far, at this soon to be learnt cheerful bakery at Alsancak. Hungry enough, we grabbed a table and looking around I got up and went inside to pick our share of boyoz and eggs. Ordered one and one for both…
Mulberry, another fruit I am a sucker of, that fragile fruit in sold on streets carts, pazar, markets and if you are luck at your grocery. After our breakfast with Şemsa at Pando, before we get a cab, the beautifully displayed cart full of mulberries made our morning. The mulberries…
You may see gypsy ladies peeling and selling unripe figs, in bulk amounts, their fingers are wounded by the figs’ milk, wrapping their fingers with the best possible way, with nylon bags pieces and trying to bring home money. If you don’t like peeling figs to make incir reçeli, fig jam, you…
Erik, green plum is one of my favorite fruits in this food world of mine. Starting from early May and ending late September plum has many different varieties, color, taste, joy! Nowadays green plums are in season. First Can eriği, than the most famous Papaz erik and köy eriği comes…