Many of us do enjoy a tipple. I am proud to say our first attempt at wine making was not half bad and we certainly did not stick to the rules. I imagine if we had, how even more delicious our Pomegranate Wine would have been! So if you are inclined to consider making some…
When I first came to Turkey I was 24 years old and never drank an ounce of alcohol. I was a flotilla hostess and would guide around 50 or 60 customers each night to a different restaurant on our sail around the bays from Marmaris to Fethiye and back. Many of the restaurant owners would…
Hot Toddy with Turmeric is the new cappuccino. So I am told! Well, it doesn’t look like it, I have to admit that, but boy, does it taste good! I have been trying to cleanse my body ready for the Christmas onslaught of rich, enticing foods and thought a detox would not go astray ….
Kefir is one of those things I have really had trouble enjoying. A friend brought me some kefir grains a little while ago and I didn’t have the heart to tell her. I also felt too wasteful to flush them down the loo so I thought I would give it one last go. Well, after…
One of the most popular drinks in Turkey is ayran, summer or winter. When foreign visitors first taste this salty drink, many of them cannot fathom why it’s loved by so many but it soon grows on you. Don’t give up. A REAL THIRST QUENCHER Ayran is wonderful at quenching your thirst. It also replenishes…
Nowadays many of us have friends who are vegetarians or vegans, or who have special dietary requirements, or specific food allergies etc. As a result, we have become more tolerant of those amongst us who have different food preferences for whatever reason. I have recently joined the ranks of the latter. I’ve never been hugely…
I originally wrote this post in the winter of 2011. That’s quite some time ago so I thought I’d give it a little airing as it’s one of my favourites. Not that it’s been resting unnoticed as it’s had more than 7000 pageviews in the interim. It’s winter time again and it’s certainly time for sahlep….
Just been going through some of my photos and realize that çay is a recurrent theme around here: anytime of day, anyplace, a glass of Turkish tea is always welcome! Here we have the quintessential glass of tea on the traditional white saucer decorated in red. I don’t know the symbolism of this red pattern…
Aslan sütü literally means ‘lion’s milk’, aslan being a metaphor for a strong, courageous man so this in turn gives this phrase the meaning of ‘milk for the strong’. It has, after all, a 45% alcohol content! A few months’ ago or was it even last year, it was proclaimed that ayran, the natural yogurt-based…
I’ve never been a great fan of cocktails.But then, I’ve never had a Singapore Sling! But then, I’ve never had a Singapore Sling! What a drink! What a totally fabulous place! If you ever visit Singapore, don’t hesitate to visit Raffles, that last bastion of the British Empire, almost hidden though it is in the…
What do we immediately think of when Turkey is mentioned? It might be Turkish Delight, kebabs or even belly dancing but I’m betting that Turkish coffee is in there somewhere! hot and frothy: the perfect cup of Turkish coffee I am more of a çay fan myself but I love the attendant rituals of both Turkish tea…
Those of us who live in Turkey know full well what manav means: (greengrocer) and kasap (butcher). But I wonder if we all know this one: aktar? Do you? this is our local aktar: its name means Ginger Aktar! I have lived here for years and this particular type of shop has only just…
Just when you think you have discovered the ultimate Turkish food or drink, along comes boza. all very nostalgic at Vefa Bozacısı Boza is a very special drink that I will forever associate with a very polluted Ankara circa 1976 and the mournful cry on a winter’s night of boooo –zaaaaa reverberating from the darkened street outside….
It’s winter time again and it’s certainly time for sahlep. It’s a delicious warming drink and I highly recommend it – the real thing, of course! ************************* Sahlep is very special, very Turkish and its season is limited. You can only find it in the winter months, officially between October and April. What is sahlep…
Baby Eva’s home! Hoş Geldin, Eva! Welcome! I am staying with Daughter No 2 and her husband for a week or two to lend a helping hand in my new capacity as grandmother. Mother and baby are sleeping soundly so I have the chance to quickly write this! My daughter’s mother-in-law, amazing Turkish cook that she is,…
I say this because in Turkey it is virtually unknown. I would go even further to say that the whole concept of a cordial – something to which you add water – is not familiar. Here, you tend to have the pure fruit juice or not at all. the main ingredients for elderflower cordial…
And pronounced ‘choy’. This means tea to Uzbeks. Like in Turkey and in fact all of Central Asia, it’s the universal drink and offered after lunch and dinner and I’m sure whenever you feel like it. The coffee drinkers in our group are missing their lattes and cappucinos meanwhile … green tea time in Fayzulla Khojaev House, Bukhara Both black…
I love tea and I especially love Turkish çay. It has its own special ritual something akin to fixing cocktails at 6pm with its own clink of glasses and the sound of filling the kettle and then the wait. I think it all comes down to anticipation while getting those seductive little glasses out. By the way,…