Since
departing SE Asia way back when, the complexity and artistry of food just seemed to steadily decline. Food was never BAD per se, but compared to green curry or som tam, I generally felt more like I was just trying to fill my belly rather than have a culinary experience.
Things picked up after crossing the caspian, however, coinciding with my return to a land with a more robust climate, richer countries, and therefore diversity of edibles. Turkish food is AMAZING, and there's so much of it, I don't think I even cracked the surface. Anyway, peruse these good eats:
Pide, Turkish pizza.
Turkish tea. Made in a samovar, whereby a small pot of extremely strong tea is made separately from a pot of hot water. You mix the two to your liking, and then add no more than 2 cubes of sugar (extras allowable for carb-hungry cyclists) per tiny glass. Drink, repeat.
Turkish version of a kebab, or shawarma. Available in either lavash (wrap) or sandwich form. Cheapest meal available.
One of the many baklava-esque sweets available.
My meal at a local cafeteria. These were great places to get relatively inexpensive, healthy meals such as this eggplant dish with salad and rice with beans.
4 kinds of baklava with ice cream!!!
Chocolate mousse
Big pide with an over-easy egg on top
Iskender kebab. This can be bread or fries topped with shaved lamb, a spicy red sauce, and tons of sour cream.
Black sea fish!
Gozleme, or chopped up dumplings with your choice of fillings (this was mushroom and chicken) topped with a salsa and sour cream.
Another eggplant dish
Hummus!
A sauteed spinach dish
Cucumbers in a cream sauce
Grape leaf spring rolls
Walnut salad
shish-kebab mixed platter
More sweets. These were endless. Most have lots of pistachio
Dried fruits and nuts
Oysters!
Fried oysters!
Cheesy shrimp
Mushroom casserole
Turkish coffee! If you're not familiar with Turkish coffee - The method is to take extremely finely ground coffee, and boil it directly in a pot, then dispense into tiny cups. The boiled grounds settle to the bottom and you get an extremely strong, rich cup of brew.
More desserts!
Long, skinny pide
Raki, a clear 40 proof alcohol that turns white when mixed with water. Has a licorice flavor.
Deep fried fish! Eat the bones and all.
Pudidng.
Chocolate-capped cookies
A traditional dessert - a kind of jam in a bowl toped with nuts and dried fruit. You mix it all together and eat up.
More cookies. You can tell I like cookies.
departing SE Asia way back when, the complexity and artistry of food just seemed to steadily decline. Food was never BAD per se, but compared to green curry or som tam, I generally felt more like I was just trying to fill my belly rather than have a culinary experience.
Things picked up after crossing the caspian, however, coinciding with my return to a land with a more robust climate, richer countries, and therefore diversity of edibles. Turkish food is AMAZING, and there's so much of it, I don't think I even cracked the surface. Anyway, peruse these good eats:
Turkish tea. Made in a samovar, whereby a small pot of extremely strong tea is made separately from a pot of hot water. You mix the two to your liking, and then add no more than 2 cubes of sugar (extras allowable for carb-hungry cyclists) per tiny glass. Drink, repeat.
Fermented carrot juice. Probably healthy, but gross.
Cocolate covered pudding
Baklava!
Stay tuned, Turkish breakfast, the best aspect of T-cuisine, is coming soon.
