The Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality’s Culture Inc. has done it again. This time Culture Inc. has produced “Istanbul’s 100 Dishes,” (“Istanbul’un 100 Lezzeti” in Turkish) as part of its Istanbul’s 100 Faces series. Prepared by researcher Nilgun Tatli, the book offers a glimpse into the food culture of the city which has been enriched with the fusion of several cultures from Roman to Turkish cuisine seasoned with Greek, Armenian and Arabic offerings. The purpose of the book is to let future generations know about Istanbul’s culinary culture and encourage them to keep its heritage alive.
In the introduction to the book, the author presents information on the development and variation of the Istanbul kitchen, the organization of the kitchen and its hierarchy, the vessels and utensils used in cooking, the layout of the traditional Turkish table, table etiquette and what sultans were accustomed to eating and drinking.
“Istanbul’s 100 Dishes” contains 11 chapters devoted to soups, meat dishes, seafood, olive oil dishes, salads, pickles, beans, pastries, milk products and sherbets.
The book has many stories about the dishes which span from the Ottoman period to today, expounding on their names, the characteristics of the ingredients used in the dishes and many interesting details on the value of these ingredients. There are even menus containing the dishes prepared in the palace kitchens.
Tatli has gone to great lengths to ensure that the ingredients for the 100 recipes she provides are authentic. Most of them she has gathered herself. Her lengthy introduction to the book describes the typical work done in the kitchens at Topkapi Palace and how the kitchens there operated 24 hours a day to provide food for the place.
The Istanbul kitchen developed under the influence of various cuisines such as that of the Circassian, Cretan, Crimean, Balkan, Arab, Greek Turkish, Armenian and European through the various conquests and discoveries throughout history. That is why it is so varied and rich.
Hurriyet
