Турецкая кухня /english/

Turkish kitchen!

Turkey - successor to the traditions of great Byzantium, country of paradise gardens, tasty and juicy fruits, incinerative sun, wasted lands, strict customs and east type of thinking. All this pun is not by no means invented by me, but comprehended on personal experience; really Turkey includes all listed spectrum.

As any east civilization, Turkey is characterized by a rather specific measures, in particular by kitchen. My poor knowledge concerning to the turkish kitchen will be stated below in brief.

As it is probably well known to everyone, turks are very legible in meat. In particular, they do not use pork in the pure state at all, for under the legend the pig has bitten the Mahomet, by virtue of what pork is considered dirty. Therefore they basically give back their sympathies to the mutton. The turkish kitchen has a huge set of dishes prepared using the mutton meat, but being very little educated in this area, I’ll limit only by two of them.

One of the most popular and accessible at the rate of price foods, which meet, going for a walk, for example, on the streets of Istanbul, is “Donner”. By the way “Donner” from recent time is already sold in Moscow, but for some reasons under the other label. So “Donner” is prepared from the several components, main of them are loaf, roasted mutton and ketchup. The essence of process is: the piece of mutton is roasted on a long twirled from the different directions, making rotary movements concerning its axis. Then, having convinced, that the meat has reached up to the necessary condition, it is being cut off by a thin bits and bread cut half-and-half is being filled by it. Further dish is watered by ketchup, at will, strewed by onion, put tomatoes, cucumbers, pepper, species etc. By a word, I shall tell frankly this dish from the mutton is very tasty, though, it is necessary to admit, it is being prepared from the hen too.

Other dish from the mutton meat, about which I would like to narrate, is “Lakhmadzu”. I would even say, that “Lakhmadzu” is much more national dish, than “Donner” mentioned above, because is possible often to see a radical turks preparing this food. But let’s return to our rams. So “Lakhmadzu” is being prepared from unrolled fresh loaf, on which is strewed the minced mutton meat. An all this mass is being baked on the special large pan in the furnace. This process lasts about one minute. Then the dish is withdrawn from the furnace, moved on a large plate and plentyful watered by the citric juice. I dare to notice, that “Donner” is liked to me more than “Lakhmadzu”.

Turkey, as was already spoken above, country of very hot sun. Being there in summer, you feel, how a star literally incinerate the flesh, squeezing out all your vital juices, and main the water. You are terribly thirsty, but alas, the more you drink water the thirst becomes stronger. For prevention of this pernicious influence of the sun the sour-dairy product, something like our curdled milk serves, only more diluted. This drink surprisingly well copes with thirst and fills your organism up by the lost forces and vitamins up. I’m again compelled to add that I have not any gentle feelings to this drink, for as useful would it be, it’s taste is quite repulsive to me.

I supose it will be not superfluous if I’ll mention the sellers, scurring here and there with trays on the head, carrying so-called “Selit” on it - an air bagel, strewed by the caraway seeds.

Aproching to the end of my narration, I would like to tell about the verily turkish vodka “Raki”. Being of aniseed it dissipates not very pleasant aroma. But in spite of it turks are frequently seen, sitting in the cafe or in the own’s garden and drinking a liquid of dairy colour, which prepares by mixing of aniseed vodka with water in the certain consistence. By this fraud achieved its muddy dairy colour.

In the conclusion I wish to add that the turkish kitchen, grown on the roots and traditions of the ancestors, is one of most remarkable and interesting in the world.

Выполнено студентом группы И-2-4 Москаленко Антоном.

Москва 1998 год.