|
“Do not dismiss the dish saying that it is just simply food. The
blessed thing is an entire civilization in itself!”
~ Abdulhak Sinasi
 First things first
. . . a quick swim in the Mediterranean and then breakfast . . . fresh bread and jam, seasonal fruit, locally made cheeses, fragrant coffee and hand squeezed juice. There’s something special about eating on the
deck . . . maybe it’s the sea air, maybe its the peaceful sound of the water and the birds overhead. All meals served on the trip are incredible, prepared with the freshest of local ingredients, true Mediterranean cuisine. Your private chef and crew will astound you with the traditional Turkish fare prepared on board. A visit to a local village will offer lunch in a private home, an experience few who visit the land are lucky enough to have.
For
those who travel to engage in culinary pursuits, the Turkish
Cuisine is well worth exploration. The variety of dishes that make
up the cuisine, the ways they all come together in feast-like
meals, and the evident intricacy of each craft involved offer
enough material for life-long study and enjoyment. It is not easy
to discern a basic element of a single dominant feature, like the
Italian “pasta” or the French “sauce”. Whether in a village home, at a restaurant along the Bosphorus or meals taken aboard your
gulet,
familiar patterns of this rich and diverse cuisine are always
present. It is a rare art which satisfies the senses while
reconfirming the higher order of society, community and culture.
A practically-minded child watching Mother cook “cabbage dolma”
on a lazy, grey winter day is bound to wonder: “Who on earth
discovered this peculiar combination of sautéed rice, pine-nuts,
currants, spices, herbs and all tightly wrapped in  translucent
leaves of cabbage, each roll exactly half an inch thick and
stacked up on an oval serving plate decorated with lemon wedges?
How is it possible to transform this humble vegetable to such
heights of fashion and delicacy with so few additional
ingredients? And, how can such a yummy dish also possibly be good
for you?”
The modern mind, in a moment of contemplation, has similar
thoughts upon entering a modest sweets shop where “baklava" is
the generic cousin of a dozen or so sophisticated sweet pastries
with names like: twisted turban, sultan, saray (palace), lady’s
navel, nightingale’s nest… The same experience awaits you at a
“muhallebici” (pudding shop) with a dozen different types of
milk puddings. One can only conclude that the evolution of this
glorious cuisine was not an accident, but rather, as with the
other grand cuisines of the world, it was a result of the
combination of three key elements. A nurturing environment is
irreplaceable.
 Turkey is known for an abundance and diversity of
foods due to
its rich flora, fauna and regional differentiation. Secondly, the
legacy of an Imperial Kitchen is inescapable. Hundreds of cooks,
all specializing in different types of dishes and all eager to
please the royal palate, no doubt had their influence in
perfecting the cuisine as we know it today. The labor, worldwide
trade, and total control of the Spice Road all reflected the
culmination of wealth and the flourishing of culture in the
capital of a mighty Empire. Finally, the longevity of social
organization should not be taken lightly either. The Turkish State
of Anatolia is a millennium old and so naturally is its cuisine.
Time is of the essence as Ibn’I Haldun wrote, “the religion of
the King, in time becomes that of the people,” which also holds
for the King’s food. Thus, the 600-year reign of the Ottoman
Dynasty and a seamless cultural transition into the present day of
modern Turkey led to the evolution of a grand cuisine through
differentiation, the refinement and perfection of dishes, and the
sequence and combination of the meals in which they are found.
The cuisine is also an integral aspect of the culture. It is a
part of the rituals of everyday life. It reflects spirituality, in
forms that are specific to it, through symbolism and practice. Anyone who visits Turkey or has a meal in a Turkish home, is sure to marvel at the uniqueness of the cuisine.
|
|
