Tag: turkey

Topik - Meze from the Armenian Cuisine of Turkey

Topik Meze from the Armenian Cuisine of Turkey

Published on by iremaksu

“For some reason, my parents did not have the habit to buy ready-made Meze but preferred to prepare it by themselves at home. We would rather prepare every meal we had together as a family. While my father insisted that no other woman could cook better than his own mother, my mother absolutely did not compromise what she had learned from her mother regarding in cooking. As a result, our meals became a source for happiness and joy. I think the reason for that was my grandmothers were two very close friends from Çorlu, even before my parents existed. One of them Mrs. Takuhi and the other Mrs. Akabi, or in her husband’s words Akabi Sultan. 

Continue reading “Topik Meze from the Armenian Cuisine of Turkey” →

Stuffed Cooked Mussels from the Greeks of Istanbul

Published on by iremaksu

“I had never considered living in Athens. When I was in Istanbul I thought the cuisine in Greece and ours would be the same but as I arrived here, I realized it is much different than I expected. Therefor, I started to research our cuisine in Istanbul to find out the connections between our culture and the food we enjoy.”

The Greek cuisine in Istanbul is not only unique to its own but tells also the story of a culture which has been living in the region for 1500 years. Their food history dates back to even before the Byzantine Empire.  Their roots are still visible today in Istanbul through the strong mezze culture. In the past, many from the Greek minority worked as cooks in the Lokantas and Meyhanes (traditional neighbourhood restaurants and Istanbul taverns) who have contributed for the popularity of the meze culture of today. Sula Bozis, a Greek from Istanbul shares her thoughts and knowledge about their food culture and the history of food in Istanbul with Topik:

Continue reading “Stuffed Cooked Mussels from the Greeks of Istanbul” →

Stuffed Cooked Mussels from the Greeks of Istanbul

Published on by iremaksu

“I had never considered living in Athens. When I was in Istanbul I thought the cuisine in Greece and ours would be the same but as I arrived here, I realized it is much different than I expected. Therefor, I started to research our cuisine in Istanbul to find out the connections between our culture and the food we enjoy.”

The Greek cuisine in Istanbul is not only unique to its own but tells also the story of a culture which has been living in the region for 1500 years. Their food history dates back to even before the Byzantine Empire.  Their roots are still visible today in Istanbul through the strong mezze culture. In the past, many from the Greek minority worked as cooks in the Lokantas and Meyhanes (traditional neighbourhood restaurants and Istanbul taverns) who have contributed for the popularity of the meze culture of today. Sula Bozis, a Greek from Istanbul shares her thoughts and knowledge about their food culture and the history of food in Istanbul with Topik:

Continue reading “Stuffed Cooked Mussels from the Greeks of Istanbul” →

Aniseed Biscuits from the Sephardic Jews Cuisine of Turkey

Published on by iremaksu

“Our cuisine is simple – no spices, no heavy sauces, no fancy decorations, not so much meat, a lot of vegetables ! A lot of aubergines and courgettes, in fact. We even have a poem, which explain the 40 different ways of preparing an aubergine dish “  – Orly Toledo 

Continue reading “Aniseed Biscuits from the Sephardic Jews Cuisine of Turkey” →

Topik - Meze from the Armenian Cuisine of Turkey

Topik Meze from the Armenian Cuisine of Turkey

Published on by iremaksu

“For some reason, my parents did not have the habit to buy ready-made Meze but preferred to prepare it by themselves at home. We would rather prepare every meal we had together as a family. While my father insisted that no other woman could cook better than his own mother, my mother absolutely did not compromise what she had learned from her mother regarding in cooking. As a result, our meals became a source for happiness and joy. I think the reason for that was my grandmothers were two very close friends from Çorlu, even before my parents existed. One of them Mrs. Takuhi and the other Mrs. Akabi, or in her husband’s words Akabi Sultan. 

Continue reading “Topik Meze from the Armenian Cuisine of Turkey” →