Ottoman Sherbet Presentations

 

What is the Definition of Sherbet?

 

Sherbet is referred to as German Scherbett, Italian sorbetto, French sorbet, English sorbet-sherbet (Oğuz, 2002: 758).

 

The thick yeast formed by dissolving sugar in water was called syrup, and the watery one was called sherbet. These would be either plain or mixed. It is not different from sugar water, which is prepared in aqueous form. It is also called sugar syrup or sugar syrup. 

 

 

In other words, sherbet was the diluted form of mixed syrups produced with the addition of sugar from various plants, flowers, fruits, roots, shells or seeds (Akçiçek, 2002: 745-746). Poppy sherbet, rose sherbet etc. flowers are mostly used to add fragrance and color to fruit sherbets (Oğuz, 2002: 758). 

 

 

It is said that there are two types of traditional sherbets. The first method is to squeeze the juice of the fruit and add sugar to it. In the second method, the juice of the fruit is boiled with sugar and then left to cool.

 

 

With the second method, more dark sherbets are obtained. These last longer than the first ones and when they are to be drunk, some cold water is added to them and mixed and the syrup is brought to the desired consistency (Şavkay, 2000).

 

 

In the eleventh century, the Turks were making sherbet from fruits and extracting juice from fresh fruits. Kaşgarlı Mahmud talks about “only he (the man) makes grape juice; He mentions that apricots are also squeezed and sherbet is made from its juice (Sürücüoğlu and Çelik, 2003: 22-23).

 

 

The Turks called everything they drank cold next to their meals as coldness. Apart from food, cinnamon sherbet is the most hot in the winter, and the herb and honey syrup in the summer; It was considered polite to offer pomegranate syrup.

 

 

In the 13th century, honey was among the most distinguished foods offered to guests in the Seljuks. Honey and sugar sherbet were among the most commonly consumed beverages (Sürücüoğlu and Özçelik, 2005: 36-38). Eflaki mentions sugar syrup in his work and writes that newborn babies are given milk and sherbet (Oral, 1956:Driveroğlu and Özçelik, 2005: 36-38).

 

 

In the Seljukname, fragrant and aromatic sherbets are mentioned. It is thought that fragrances are added to sherbets made from milk (Oral, 1956). Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi said, "My three favorite things in life are sema, hamam and sherbet". 

 

 

The sherbets mentioned in Mevlana's works are honey sherbet, rose water sherbet, sugar sherbet, grace sherbet, god sherbet, rose water sherbet, and the sherbets served at weddings are nardenk sherbet and pure sugar sherbet (Ünver, 1952). Mevlana also frequently mentions sherbet and rosemary. 

 

 

The leaves of the rose, especially the fragrant red rose, called okka rose, were crushed with honey and lemon to make this sweet (gülbeşeker). It was prepared by kneading with sugar and squeezing lemon, and it was also used as a long-lasting concentrated beverage to make rose jam and rose syrup (Sürücüoğlu and Özçelik, 2005: 36-38).

 

 

During the Seljuk period, two meals were eaten. The first meal was the "morning" meal. The time of this meal varies according to the time of waking up and leaving the house. It usually lasted until two hours before noon, when the sun was directly overhead. At this meal, foods that would keep you full were preferred, including a dough dish.

 

 

Evening meals were eaten before the sun went down, as there was no light other than candlelight. Those who were hungry at noon would satisfy their hunger with sherbet, ayran or fruit. (Gursoy, 2004: 88).

 

Tabita-name was written by Tutmacı on behalf of Aydınoğlu Umur Bey in the 14th century with the aim of teaching human health. In this work, it is seen that the sherbet sold by the sherbet sellers in the bazaar, which is under the title of enduring drinks, is called “fukka” (Kut, 1999: 61).

 

 

As Yusuf Has Hâcib probably recorded with Persian names such as fukai mizâb, cülengbin and cülab for banquet tables, fruit juices were used as cold drinks and soft drinks at dinner tables, and were also drunk when desired. They cooled the syrups and sherbets they obtained from the juices of sweet fruits, usually with the ice they kept in the freezers of their houses, and they called this cooling business 'chilling cold'. 

 

Grape juice and must were mostly drunk. In addition, we see another fruit juice called uhak, which they use frequently in making sherbet and syrup, which is recorded to be obtained by squeezing apricots. It is known that a kind of sour fruit juice used as a cold drink is called çifşeng çakır (Genç, 1982: 66-68).

 

 

Evliya Çelebi stated that musk, amber, rose water and violet are added to sherbets and sometimes it is possible to mix suitable fruits. (Savkay, 2000).

 

Various sherbets are found in Evliya Çelebi's Travel Name; Albanian November sherbet, spicy sherbet, Athenian honey sherbet, cullab sherbet, cinnamon pilgrim sherbet, imam sherbet, clove sherbet, clove grape sherbet, alcoholic sherbet, violet sherbet.

 

 

Except for religious holidays, the use of the kitchen showed a great increase in daily life, marriage and circumcision weddings and special banquets, everything was prepared in a planned and meticulous way (Anonymous, 2007a).

 

In the last periods of the Ottoman Empire, sherbet, paste and sweets made in the palace halvah were sold to high-level state officials in the palace for money. Medicine was also produced in the halvahane.

 

 

These drugs, including the wax needed by the harem, were prepared in the form of sherbet or paste, as well as those that were molded to make tablets. These patterns were called “tensuh” patterns, they had motifs or the sultan's monogram on them.