Turkey’s tradition and culture
Turkish tradition and culture are its most significant features. Best desserts and beverages in Turkish cuisine are one of the country’s many cultural treasures. Most Turkish cuisine is said to be passed on from Ottoman cuisines. Turkish food has also left a footprint on its neighboring cuisines like Southeast and Western Europe.
Introduction to Turkish Beverage
Turks hold a great amount of attention for their beautiful sights, cuisines, and wonderful culture. Turkey is rich when it comes to cuisines and beverages. One of the greatest reasons Turkish beverages are loved is because of their aromatic teas.
While Pakistan is the world’s largest tea importer, purchasing over a half billion dollars in 2017, Turkish individuals are the fondest of the beverages according to the statistics.
Are the majority of eateries in Turkey halal?
Does Turkey have halal restaurants? Can Muslims find halal food in Turkey? Yes, most restaurants must obtain a Halal certificate for their goods because 99.8% of the population in Turkey consists of Muslims. Even if you look for pork goods, they will be difficult to find. Meats and goods containing chemicals are strictly regulated by the Turkish government.
What does Halal mean?
In Arabic, the word halal means “to be permitted or allowance to do something”. This refers to anything legal and acceptable in Islam. The opposite of halal is haram which translates from Arabic meaning prohibited.
Halal restaurants in Turkey
As I mentioned above since the majority of the population are Muslims, finding halal food is not that difficult. Let us talk about the capital of Turkey, Istanbul. Istanbul food is known worldwide for its exquisite taste and appealing food.
Now let’s examine some of the best and tastiest Desserts and beverages in Turkish cuisine.
1. Baklava
The question of baklava’s origin is still up for debate, though some academics claim that the sweet has Persian roots. One of the mouth-watering sweets called Baklava is made of layers of flaky phyllo pastry filled with ground nuts or almonds. They are sweetened with honey syrup and served at room temperature.
2. Turkish Sweet and Savory Kunefe
The famous and appetizing Kunefe is covered in a bright green topping of ground pistachios. It is a popular dessert in Turkish, Iranian, and Arab cuisine. No one knows where this cheese delight pastry’s origin is. This Turkish sweet cheese pastry is cooked until it’s golden brown. After preparing Kunefe, it is made with cheese and served piping hot.
3. Turkish Tea
Turkish tea is said to have one of the strongest tastes. It is also a beloved tea in the world. Not only they are delicious, but they are also aromatic and filled with several positive health benefits which makes them a perfect beverage to start your day with. Turkish is fermented without any chemicals.
The main components of Turkish tea are Black tea and hot water. For true authentic tea flavor, after brewing use loose tea leaves as opposed to tea bags.
4. Sambali
Sambali dessert is one of the most likable desserts in Anatolia, Turkey. It offers a unique taste. Its main ingredients are eggs, sugar, milk, cream, and nuts. Sambali can be served either cold or hot, whatever to your liking. It can also fall under the category of cakes. The Turkish sweet can also stay fresh if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It is also sold on the streets of Turkey which makes it convenient to find.
5. Cevizil Sucuk (Walnut sausage)
In the Turkish language, Cevizil Sucuk is also known as Pestil Pekmez Cevizil Sucuk due to its sausage-like shape. This translates as walnut sujuk. It is formed from walnuts that have been strung together, dipped in thickened white grape juice, and dried. Cevizil Sucuk is a tasty example of a traditional Turkish dessert or snack.
6. Ayran (Turkish yogurt beverage)
Ayran is found to be one of the world’s most refreshing and healthiest drinks. It mainly consists of yogurt, water, and salt. It is a perfect drink to have on a hot summer day. This revitalizing beverage is as a result popular in Turkey and it is also said to be the national beverage of Turkey. Ayran is quite beneficial for our digestive systems since it contains a large amount of yogurt.
7. Boza (a fermented beverage)
Boza is a winter traditional drink. It tastes best when it is chilled but not overly icy. It is up to you whether or not to add cinnamon. The fermented drink needs to be kept in the refrigerator at all times because yeast is present in the mixture. This also makes it unstable in terms of remaining sweet. Boza is also known as Millet wine.
8. Ashure
Ashure has said to have some background story. It is said that Noah came up with the pudding while surviving the terrible flood with random ingredients he found on the boat. It is made with walnuts, figs, raisins, apricots, and chickpeas. Ashure preserves a unique taste.
9. Nane Limon
Nane Limon, when translated to English means nothing more than just “Mint and Lemon”. It is a healthy and ideal Turkish beverage for helping in your weight loss journey as well. Moreover, it is made by squeezing a lemon, a little mint, and sugar, and adding them all to the boiling water. It has a refreshing taste and aroma which gives a positive vibe. Nane Limon can be found in supermarkets inside small packs worldwide. It is also served with a strawberry flavor. This is called Cilekli Limonata.
10. Tavuk Gogsu(Chicken breast pudding)
As the name states, it does not taste like that at all. The Turkish dessert Tavuk gogsu instead of tasting like chicken tastes like vanilla and cinnamon. It is the dream dessert of any foodie. Tavuk Gogsu consists of chicken but it’s almost unbelievable to taste even a slight amount of chicken used. It is garnished with whipped cream or cinnamon dust.
