Turkish and Greek Appetizers

Turkish and Greek Appetizers

The three ancient continents of the world; The Mediterranean Basin that connects Asia, Europe and Africa; One of the most privileged regions in terms of cultural relations, trade exchanges and political conflicts has been the source and unification point of many civilizations with different cultural characteristics.

Aegean and Egyptian civilizations first in the history of the Mediterranean, later, Phoenician sites and the dominance of the Greeks are seen.

VI. In the Mediterranean Sea, where a wide range of marine activities were noticed in the 16th century, pottery, wine, and olive oil from Greece; Cereals from Sicily, Egypt and Italy; Vessels carrying timber and iron from Anatolia occupy an important place in the regional trade. During the Roman period (30 BC), it is seen that this maritime trade intensified.

The Mediterranean, which came under the dominance of the Islamic world since the 9th century, gradually lost its importance in the 15th century. With the opening of the Suez Canal, the Mediterranean has found its place in international trade again. During this period, the Mediterranean began to move away from the traditional economy exchange based on cereals, olives, wine and sheep.

Mediterranean culture; climate, geographical structure, flora and deep-rooted history has reached a universal integrity. Mediterranean cuisine is one of the most important parts of this unique cultural structure.

In the world of gastronomy, especially in the studies that have been going on since 1980s, it is emphasized the importance of gaining a sufficient and balanced nutrition habit in order to maintain a healthy life.

Local kitchens have been measured and evaluated with their unique structures, flavor and diversity as well as their contribution to the healthy nutrition of communities. Based on this understanding, it is known that the common point in which large budget surveys made by various organizations come together is the traditional Mediterranean diet.

The traditional Mediterranean nutrition system is generally based on cereals (especially wheat), olive oil, vegetables and fruits, seafood, milk derivatives, spices and wine.

It is stated that cereals, especially wheat, which take the first place in the Mediterranean nutrition system, have grown in the Mediterranean since the early periods of history.

In part of the resources, wheat agriculture BC. Turkey's northern Caucasus in 5000 in the southwest of the year emerges through Egypt and Mesopotamia is located in the opinion it has spread to Europe and Asia.

Wheat has an important place in the nutrition systems and commercial exchanges of the ancient peoples of the Mediterranean. The primary product obtained from wheat is bread. Bread is considered the traditional product of Anatolia, Central and Asia Minor.

Grain, especially wheat products, is one of the prominent features of Turkish Cuisine. Types of bread prepared from wheat flour, flour and pastry foods in our variety is remarkable. The use of wheat products such as bulgur, couscous, splitting and firik in our kitchen is common in all regions especially in the Mediterranean and South.

Food and food obtained by combining wheat products with various pulses and vegetables are consumed intensively.

Olives and olive oil constitute the second important aspect of the traditional Mediterranean diet.

The history of olive in the Mediterranean goes back to ancient times. Particularly during the Roman Empire, olive oil trade had a market structure covering the entire Mediterranean Sea.

Olive oil is used extensively especially in Marmara, Aegean and Mediterranean regions. Olive oil flavored with herbs such as thyme and mint is consumed with bread in some of our Aegean provinces.

Today, in addition to the major companies producing olive oil, we also have regions that continue the traditional production of olive oil. The most obvious example can be given from our Hatay province: olive oil, which is named as olive in Hatay; water is produced with a special technique called olives. This technique is based on the collection of the oil of ripe olives, which are deposited on water in special pools after crushing. Olive oil obtained by this technique gives a special taste to meat and vegetable dishes. Since it is difficult to produce, it is aimed at meeting the needs of the household rather than the commercial purpose.

Olive, which maintains its importance in our breakfasts, has folkloric elements that require a separate research.

Vegetables and fruits are also important in the Mediterranean nutrition system. Plants that develop well in Mediterranean mild winters, hot summers and generally low rainy climate are called Mediterranean plants.

Besides the citrus fruits originating from Arabia, where the Mediterranean climate grows the most productive species, many varieties of vegetables and fruits that entered the Mediterranean cuisine culture from the Middle East and the Atlantic Ocean were adapted to our kitchen structure and taste.

As in today, the trio of onions, leeks and garlic are regarded as the most important nutrients in the Mediterranean. White and red beet, chard, gumbo; Eggplant and cucumber, which are defined as Indian origin, constitute some of the vegetables consumed in the Mediterranean.

Today, it is possible to see the abundance of food and foods obtained from these vegetables and to find samples enriched by the addition of cereals with regional differences.

We use all kinds of edible herbs, roots, fungi and fruits in our country where weeds are used in different ways.

Another characteristic aspect of the Mediterranean nutrition system is water and seafood. The Mediterranean is a sea of ​​low productivity in terms of seafood, in particular regions, especially outside the straits. As you go east, fishing areas gradually decrease.

The consumption of seafood in Turkish cuisine is low despite the sufficiency of our sea and rivers. This ratio naturally rises in our coastal regions.

The fishing motifs described in the Orkhon monuments and the fishing motifs found in our tales show that freshwater fishing was known by the Turks before Anatolia.

In Samandağ, Hassa and İskenderun districts of Hatay, fish species are cooked by methods other than frying, steaming and grilling. In these sections, the meat of the big fish is pounded with meat knobs, kneaded with bulgur and sini meatballs are made. Lay the fish and the onion on the floor and add sumac sour, pepper and olive oil.

It is stated that grapes, which constitute another important aspect of Mediterranean nutrition system, are as old as the product of the Mediterranean. This issue covers a wide cultural area that reaches the Hittites and Dionysus ceremonies of Greeks in Anatolia and Mediterranean geography. It is known that grapes are consumed by making grapes into wine in the old Mediterranean Basin just like today.

When we consider grape and wine in Turkish Cuisine, it is seen that wine has a very low consumption rate compared to other products obtained from grapes.

Again, when the short evaluation of this issue is made in Turkish Cuisine; molasses, must, fruit pulp, amulet, soule, sausage, syrup, sherbet, inexhaustible and so on. Many grape-sourced products are common in almost every region, and research on this subject gives an idea in terms of variety of varieties.

In the example we will give from Hatay, the information given by the source persons is that the production of wine and other drinks produced by families for many years continues to this day. These types of drinks are widely consumed in Muslim villages as well as in Christian villages.

Spices, which constitute another characteristic of the Mediterranean diet, were brought to the Mediterranean basin from the Near and Middle East regions via Syria.

In spite of the fact that the variety of spices in the general structure of our kitchen is low in number, we see that the variety and usage rate are increased in our Eastern Mediterranean and Southern regions.

Rice pudding with cinnamon, zucchini dessert with local differentiation, lemon leaf lemon jam and chicken meat with black pepper, pine nuts and fresh spices called sinabbar; Vegetable pastries are flavored with sweet basil, mint or mint.

It is stated by the sources that the concept of yogurt was brought to Anatolia by the Turks and that various materials were used as yeast.

When we evaluate Turkish Cuisine with this aspect, the surplus of milk and dairy products in our food, food and beverage types is remarkable.

The existence of dishes based on the cooking of yogurt is known in Gaziantep cuisine.

A different application based on the technique of cooking yogurt is also seen in Hatay. Food called salty yogurt is widespread throughout the province and is made as follows. Yoghurt fermented from goat's milk is mixed with wooden shovels and cooked thoroughly by adding salt. Salted yogurt, which comes to the consistency of precipitate, is pressed into suitable molds. It is used by melting with cold water in meals and soups prepared from vegetables and wheat products. Crushed with plenty of olive oil for breakfast, consumption with tea is also common.