Looking back over my posts I’ve noticed that apart from one or two specific pieces, I have written very little about Turkish food. This certainly isn’t because I don’t like it! On the contrary I love it, and am known to trek far and wide in search of the best lamb buryan kebab, the finest…
Get your sacrificial Kurban Bayram cow or sheep sliced, packaged and ready to go when you do your weekly supermarket shop. Convenient and you can pay in nine instalments! I can vividly remember the first time I came face to face with the results of the feast known in Turkey as Kurban Bayram. It is…
Those of you who live in Turkey will know that brunch is almost an institution. Lazy Sunday mornings that stretch into endless afternoons where you eat too much, gossip a lot, and just enjoy yourself. Then “…after everyone has eaten enough and drunk their last glass of tea, it’s time for coffee. Coffee is drunk according…
In a little known film set in Istanbul spanning the last century, Turkish seasonings play an important role. In Turkey herbs and spices represent the continuity of history as well as the diversity within cultures. After interviewing my baharatçı, my spice seller Ayhan Baloğlu, I can see why. Born in Gaziantep on the hot dusty…
This story comes from my bookExploring Turkish Landscapes: Crossing Inner Boundaries. When I was at high school I studied history. Learning dates wasn’t something I was any good at and while I didn’t actually fail, it was a struggle. The facts and figures the teacher wrote on the board lacked colour and excitement and nothing…