After school, this time of year, a vendor selling green plums would be waiting for us just outside the gate. A pile of cones on a tray, green plums in cones—usually made from newspaper, saluting us. We’d spent the very last bit of our money for that erik. Once we’d paid him, he’d sprinkle a generous amount of salt on the plums and hand them over to us. It was the best part of the day, secondary school, many moons ago.
We are obsessed with that sour green plum in Türkiye! That is a fact. -For those who have not tasted before, it tasted like green apples, grass, unripe grapes, a bit of pear, juicy, crunchy, fresh, moreish.
There are two types of green plums available in the city, Papaz erik and Can erik. I prefer Papaz erik. And ooh that erik! Pop one in your mouth, you are hooked.
We dunk it in the salt, have a bite and then dunk it more. The green juice bursts in your mouth. Kütür kütür, and there is no direct translation for this it looses its meaning, ode to crispiness.
Erik is one of my fave sides to rakı as well. A sip of that pearly, round, drink and a bite of that erik, at my fave meyhane in town, Cavit. I do not need an occasion for erik anyway, but erik goes all with everything I like!
Last night I sprinkled some Tajin on top of them. Not bad, I have to say, then again it needed a margarita with that! It is always a good idea to store some in the freezer, cause I love to add them to my dolma, for their tangy flavor.
When in season, it steals the headlines every year. The newspapers write Erik fiyatları dudak uçuklatıyor, plum prices are sky-high, starting from thousands of lira like 2500TL for a kilo when in turfanda –harvested and brought o the markets early, the first batch- then heading its way to 700, 400, yesterday was 300 per kilo. When you believe that everyone should grow up eating green plums by the handful, you realize just how absurd these prices have become.
I missed the days when the fruit is plenty and affordable. Skin Trade by Duran Duran is spinning on the deck. Notorious, American Science, Skin Trade, A Matter Of Feeling and Hold me are on one side, what else can I ask for! And I do not know what to cook for dinner! So, yeah!
With flavor, Tuba x
published at my substack page: https://substack.com/@tubasatana