As the Americans have grown up loving the warming sweetness of a cup of hot apple cider and the refreshing coolness of a glass of ice tea, we grew up loving the fermented bite of a glass of boza, the cinnamony warmth of a cup of sahlep, and the refreshing salty sourness of a glass of frothy ayran. Shadowed by the infamous Turkish coffee and tea, these drinks can easily be overlooked by the less informed traveler.
Drink that comes with the gloomy cry. On a cold winter evening, a cry is heard from the outside that breaks the snow covered silence and echoes in the frozen streets "Boooooozaaa! Booooooozaaa!." With their gloomy cries and colorful traditional clothing, walking the streets of residential quarters, street vendors sell boza in winter. Our parents' generation remembers the wooden kegs of the vendors and our generation remembers their plastic jugs. The generations to come may not see these street vendors at all, as they are vanishing fast. However, with its sweet and sour unusual taste, this much loved nutritious winter drink will surely not disappear from Turkish culinary scene. Bulgur or wheat is cooked with plenty of water and crushed. After adding sugar and a little bit of yeast, it is left to ferment in a warm place in a non-reactive container. The resulting drink is a thick and slightly alcoholic drink, which is traditionally served with a sprinkle of cinnamon and topped with roasted chickpeas. Boza can also be bought in a few special dessert shops throughout the year. Vefa Bozacisi in Istanbul and Akman Bozacisi in Ankara are the best places to have a taste of this unique Turkish drink.
Harem's drink. As one sees the sahlep seller's cart traversing the neighborhood streets in winter, one wonders how the elaborate drink of the Ottoman Empire that was served to the ladies in the harem has become the drink of the people. The brass semavers filled with the hot drink glistens under the gray winter sun. As sahlep fills the cup, the rising steam warms the air and transforms the unpretentious white cup into a container of a heavenly taste. Topped with a dash of cinnamon, hot sahlep is the drink of cold winter days, which is a remedy for sore throats and coughs. Sahlep is named after its main ingredient, which is essentially the dried powdered root of an orchid that grows in Turkey. The preparation of drink is as simple as mixing powdered sahlep root and sugar with milk and boiling the mixture over low heat. As the starch content of the roots are rather high, the mixture thickens naturally as it is being cooked. Sahlep is also the main ingredient of the famous ice cream of Maras, a city in south Turkey. It is told that the first batch of sahlep ice cream was the result of a fortunate mistake that froze a pot of hot salep overnight into ice cream!
Future in the coffee cup. The proverb "One bitter cup of coffee is to be remembered with thanks for forty years!" accurately reflects the importance of coffee in Turkish culture. Sometimes the late morning drink for two neighbor women chatting or the early afternoon drink of two men playing backgammon or the closing note of a rich dinner, Turks drink coffee on any time of the day as an excuse to take a break from daily life's rush and sit down to relax. Coffee was introduced to Anatolia at the beginning of 16th century with conquest of Yemen by the Ottoman Empire and had become the drink of the social scenes. Contrary to common belief, Turkish coffee is not much stronger than espresso. Its uniqueness is a result of its rather different preparation method. Very finely ground coffee is mixed with cold water and sugar to taste. It is cooked in a special kind of pot called cezve on very low heat without stirring until a thick foam rises and is served in small cups called fincan. The most preferred cups are world famous Kütahya Porcelain cups that are adorned with Turkish çini patterns. Fortune telling from the coffee grounds is a delightful element of Turkish folklore. After drinking the coffee, putting the saucer on top of the cup, twirling around three times and turning the cup upside down is almost a ritual among Turkish women. After the cup cools down, the patterns that the grounds form are interpreted. A fish or a bird, for example, is a sign of receiving something that the heart wishes for.
Rabbit's blood. This Turkish idiom describes the dark reddish amber color of well- prepared tea. Turkish tea is traditionally served in clear, tulip shaped thin glasses that show the beautiful color of the drink. It is prepared using a special type of kettle called çaydanlik, which is essentially two pots placed on top of each other. The bottom pot contains the hot boiling water, the top pot contains the tea leaves that steep in hot water. After Ottoman Empire had collapsed and supplying coffee from Yemen had become very expensive, domestically cultivated tea had become the beverage of social scenes. Today, tea is not only the vital drink of a breakfast table, but is consumed all day long. As some people seem incapable of functioning without having tea, it is served throughout the entire workday in offices and workplaces. So is the story told, once upon a time, a lion escaped from Ankara Zoo and started to live in the basement of a ministry building. It ate public servants and executives. Even a couple of ministers became his prey but nobody cared. When he ate the "tea man" of the ministry, who is responsible for the steady supply of fresh tea, a group was immediately formed to catch the lion!
Frothy ayran. Yogurt is an ancient food and the major contribution of the nomadic people to world's culinary culture. When Turks arrived in Anatolia from Central Asia yogurt based dishes and ayran were an integral part of their diet. Ayran is the yogurt drink, which is prepared by simply blending yogurt, water and salt together. The frothier and the thicker the ayran is, the better. On a sizzling hot summer day, it is the most refreshing drink. Best complement for kebap dishes, ayran competes with soda drinks in Turkey. This simple and humble element of Turkish culinary habits is so crucial that it even has been the subject of a Turkish proverb that criticizes the ambition of those who try to live beyond their wealth: "Has no ayran to drink, wishes a silver bridge to walk!"
Alper Üngör
(ungor@cs.duke.edu)
November 2001