In the formation and development of modern Turkish cuisine , the Central Asian culture that the Turkish society had experienced until the 11th century, the cultural interaction and developments with the Arab societies with the acceptance of Islam, the cultures of societies such as Iran..
What Are Flowering Sherbets in Turkish Cultural Life?
Seher CELIK
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Eating and drinking habits of all communities that have lived on earth have had different characteristics since the day they emerged. These features differed according to the region where they settled, and the food culture of the settled region was also adopted. The climate, geography, culture and lifestyle of the region settled in the formation of modern Turkish cuisine were also influential. The blending of the nomadic life culture with the settled life of the Turks is among the contributions to the culinary culture .
In the formation and development of modern Turkish cuisine , the Central Asian culture that the Turkish society had experienced until the 11th century, the cultural interaction and developments with the Arab societies with the acceptance of Islam, the cultures of societies such as Iran, Hittite, Greek and dynasties that ruled in Anatolia. intermarriage effects. Turks were both influenced by the societies they migrated to and influenced other cultures by carrying their own culture. With the settling of the Turks in Anatolia, the shaping of the Anatolian cuisine began. First, the Seljuk Dynasty and then the Ottoman Empire 's hosting different ethnic and religious cultures are important factors in the development and enrichment of Turkish cuisine (Şahin, 2008).
Central Asia, the first homeland of the Turks, is a vast geography that includes vast steppes, large lakes, rivers and mountains. Some interactions in this geography constitute the factors in the foundation of today's Turkish cuisine . Seljuk and Ottoman cuisine , which is considered as a continuation of Central Asian cuisine, has a great share in the development of food culture.
The Central Asian, Seljuk and Ottoman period Turkish cuisines included in this study were discussed before the flowery sherbets section, which is the main subject of the research, and an introduction was made in order to convey the food and culture understanding of the Turkish cuisine, followed by sherbet and syrup in Turkish cultural life . The narrative is enriched. In order to ensure that sherbets, which have a deep-rooted cultural background, find a place in the society again, 13 flower sherbet recipes were added and the purpose of the study was complied with.
Finally, this study prepared; It is recommended to bring them to the fields of History with Scientific Projects, where a wider gain will be achieved with the addition of field studies, and to the fields of Gastronomy and Tourism by expanding the beverage network by promoting them with the help of trainings supported by the Municipality, Workshops, Brochures, DataMatrixes and Pop-ups.
Food and Culture from Central Asia to the Ottoman Empire
The geographical location of all communities in the world has been a determining factor in every field and this factor has also affected the food culture . Central Asia, the first homeland of the Turks, is a very wide geography, which includes China, Russia, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Afghanistan, and includes vast steppes, great lakes, rivers and mountains.
The climate of Central Asia has a harsh continental climate and most of the inhabitants of this region are equestrian nomadic communities. The economies of the communities here are based on horse breeding, animal husbandry and trade. As a result of their nomadism, they have developed a simple and practical life that can withstand difficult living conditions and manage animals. Such a lifestyle has been the factors that facilitated the conquests of Anatolia, Iran, India and China (Isin, 2019).
The first known Turkish state in Central Asia, where Turks ruled, was the Great Hun Empire. The following states are; They are different Turkish states such as Göktürk, Kutluk and Uyghur. Reasons such as population growth, decrease in grazing lands for animals, famine, disease, wars and the hope of finding new places have allowed the Turks to leave these regions and settle in different places, thus bringing intercultural interaction with them and creating a wide-scale cuisine culture . These factors are also noteworthy in the popularity and diversity of Turkish cuisine today (Isin, 2019).
The first information about Central Asian Turkish cuisine dates back to BC. It is learned from the Great Hun Empire that emerged in 220 BC. It is known that Hun State ate game meat, rarely horse meat, mutton, rice, millet, barley, milk, yogurt, and drank kumiss and beer (Mahmud, 2018). Seasonal agriculture, on the other hand, was increased by other Turkish states in the following centuries, and various vegetables and fruits were also consumed. As of the period, Silk Road trade and wars created interaction in other areas as well as in the kitchen area. In addition, religious beliefs and interstate marriages have also been a separate factor in culinary culture (Isin, 2019).
The Great Seljuk State (1040-1157), which was founded by Seljuk Bey, a Turkish Oghuz commander and a member of the Kınık clan of the Oghuzes, dominates a wide geography covering Central Asia, Afghanistan, Arabia, Syria, Iraq, Iran and Anatolia. The Seljuk State, which started to grow with the conquests, started to increase its incursions to the West after winning the Battle of Manzikert against the Byzantines in 1071 in Eastern Anatolia. Suleiman Shah, who declared his independence in 1075, established the Anatolian Seljuk State by making Iznik the capital. In addition to the developments experienced, the movements of the Mongols to Anatolia started to weaken the Seljuk administration. With the establishment of independent Turkmen Principalities in many parts of Anatolia, the Anatolian Seljuks began to shrink and disappeared from the history scene in 1308 (Sümer, 2009: 365-385).
The fact that the Great Seljuk State took its place as a state in the 11th century is also an indication of the beginning of culinary culture. Seljuk cuisine is a continuation of Central Asian Turkish cuisine and carries the traces of Iranian, Arabian and Byzantine cuisines. Central Asian Turkish cuisine varied as a result of nomadism, and this diversity increased with the arrival of the Seljuks in Anatolia. Considering the geographical conditions of the existing region, the contribution to the cuisine is enriched. It is known that Anatolian Seljuks cultivated wheat, barley, rice, raisins, pulses, saffron, sesame oil and exported them and imported sugar and some spices as of the period (Isin, 2019).
In the Great Seljuks, there are four institutions operating for nutrition: Çaşnigirlik, şarabdarlık, vekil-i haslık and hansâlârlık. The Çaşnigirs were performing the table service in the Seljuk palace . Emir çaşnigir, who is the head of these, is personally responsible for the king's meal. In order to prevent the ruler from being assassinated, he first tastes the food placed on the table. For this reason, Emir çaşnigirs are chosen from reliable people.
Sarabdars are responsible for preparing the sultan's drinks with a group of services at their disposal. The unit in which they carry out their services is called şarabhâne. Vekîl-i has is the senior manager of many units, including the kitchen and winery. Hansalar, on the other hand, works as a chef (Bilgin, 2004: 21).
Seljuk cuisine; It is based on two main elements as "animal foods", which are meat and dairy products as a result of nomadism, and "agricultural foods", which is a result of settled life culture. The horse, which is used as a basic consumption in Central Asia, was used as a riding animal during the Seljuk period. Meat and dairy products obtained from sheep, goats and cattle have become indispensable for tables and cuisine (Şahin, 2008).
It has gained great importance with the fact that animal husbandry is the most important source of income and life in Central Asia and with the increase in migration to Anatolia. The following determination of Haşim Şahin clearly shows the importance that the Turks attach to animal husbandry: “Livestock was the main source of livelihood not only for the Seljuk Turks but also for almost every Turkish state in this period. So much so that some Turkmens named the states they founded or the tribes they belonged to after these animals, which are an integral part of their lives.
In the last period of the Turkish Seljuk State, the two Turkish states established in East and South-East Anatolia bore the names Ak-Koyunlu and Kara-Koyunlu. Likewise, some Turkmen tribes have the names Alaca-Koyunlu, Kara-Keçili, Sarı-Keçili, Kara-Tekeli, Kızıl-Keçili” (Şahin, 2008: 40).
The foods consumed during the Seljuk period were prepared as two meals, in the morning and in the evening. The foods consumed in the morning are in the first place with the dough products that keep you full. On the other hand, the existing economic situation and status play a major role in the food consumed.
While the surrounding of the palace exhibits a larger and more ostentatious consumption, the lower segment of the population exhibits a simple consumption. When Alaeddin Keykubat, one of the rulers of the Seljuk state, came to Konya as the ruler, one of the banquets given in his name exemplifies how the meal was shaped according to rank:
“Tiny and golden pans, in trays elvan niam dane and muza'fer ve kalliyat and boranis and me'muniye and halavat-i mumessek and tamfar and stews and söğülmeler and biryans and chicken and pigeon and partridge and quail söğuz cedar and two kola oguz According to the painting, it became a museum century, and kasat, kumiss and kimeran, mumessek and muattar sherbets were eaten and drunk in accordance with the Oghuz painting and manners” (Oral, 2002: 24).
Although the Central Asian and Seljuk period Turkish culinary culture is notable for food, the contribution to the cuisine expands with the Ottoman Empire's place in the history scene. Although it is reported that the Ottoman Empire declared its independence by giving a sermon in 1299 by Osman Bey, in Turkish traditions, the establishment of a state was accepted depending on the emergence of a charismatic leader who was believed to have taken his sovereignty from God.
Of course, the country of this leader necessitates the presence of a large tax-paying public, that is, his people (İnalcık, 2019: 13). Such a phenomenon occurred after Osman Bey's struggle in the Battle of Koyunhisar to besiege Iznik. According to İnalcık, this struggle for the two great bases of Byzantium, Bursa and Iznik, made Osman a charismatic Bey in the region, and the establishment date of the Ottoman Empire, which became famous after this victory, was reported as 27 July 1302 (İnalcık, 2019: 17). The Ottoman Empire , which emerged as a principality in the northwest of Anatolia in 1302 and later became an empire with its conquests, ruled until 1923.
Food was also a very important issue in the Ottoman Palace. As a matter of fact, two organizations named Matbah-ı Âmire and Kiler-i Âmire are essential for the Ottoman Palace Cuisine . The institution where the material was collected was called Kiler-i Âmire, and the person collecting the material was called Matbah Emini. Matbah Emini; Meat, bread, spices and everything needed for the palace cuisine is collected from the market, brought to the Kiler-i Âmire, and this material is transferred from Kiler-i Âmire to the Matbah and to the cooks. Those working in the kitchen are a creative group like organizations that write poetry or make miniatures for the palace (İnalcık, 2014: 15).
Matbah-ı Âmire is not essentially a kitchen, it is the name of the administrative institution that includes various kitchens, halvahâne , cellar, ovens, various karhanes , mirî dairy and simidhâne (Bilgin, 2004: 55-56). The exact date of establishment of Matbah-ı Âmire Trust is not known. Therefore, it would not be wrong to say that Matbah-ı Âmire Relic, which we see existed at the end of the Fatih period, was established after the construction of the New Palace (Topkapı Palace), probably within the framework of the arrangements made by the same sultan in the palace organization.
The first records of Helvahâne in Matbah-ı Âmire are found in the books of Kanuni period; In the book dated 1527-28, Helvahâne is also mentioned together with Kilâr-ı Âmire. In this case, Helvahâne, as an independent unit connected to the kitchen, must have been established between 1491-1527, probably after the earthquake of 1509 or in the first years of the reign of Kanunî (Bilgin, 2004: 24-27). The halva makers here were working under the supervision of the helvacıbaşı and a foreman. Since sherbet, compote and pickles are produced in high quantities in the same section, those who serve these services formed separate groups. Sherbet makers work under the management of the chief sherbet, and pickles work under the management of the pickle maker (Bilgin, 2004: 64-65).
By the end of the 15th century, the Ottoman Empire ruled over much of present-day Bulgaria, Macedonia, northern Greece and northern Anatolia. The Ottoman Empire, which started to expand with the conquests, also expanded the inter-country trade. Rice from Plovdiv and Burgas in the 15th century was the main consumer item for the palace. In this period, importance was given to the cultivation of fruits and vegetables, in 1465 Fatih Sultan Mehmet had a fruit tree planted in the palace garden in Topkapı Palace, and vegetables such as cucumbers, radishes, carrots, turnips, squash and chard were grown in the gardens of the palace and the sultan (Isin, 2019). ).
The rich Ottoman Palace cuisine did not include meat as the only main meal, along with consuming meat, which is the main food of the Central Asian and Seljuk Turks. It is possible to say that there has been a great change for the Ottoman cuisine and that this change is a balanced culinary culture both carnivorous and herbivorous . When we look at the West, meat is the main element, when we look at the East, especially when we look at the cuisines of India, China, the Far East and Iran, rice is the main food item. On the other hand, Ottoman Palace cuisine in the 15th centuryIt is seen that instead of a single main nutrient, it has formed a synthesis from almost all existing products. Another food group that is loved and consumed in the kitchens, especially among the courtiers, is the fish caught from the Bosphorus. Although the lower part, especially the Muslim people, did not like it very much, palaces and sultans often included it on their tables (Bilgin, 2008: 82).
The meal times of the Ottoman period palace people consist of 2 meals, as mid-morning time where breakfast is served and afternoon time when dinner is eaten. The meal order was arranged according to rank, and the sitting table was carried out on a cloth called bulgari. Luxurious and ostentatious tables were generally seen at banquets, and a simpler meal was prepared in daily times. Considering the relationship with health, it coincides with the simplicity of the table (Bilgin, 2008).
Meals eaten at the table are in one bowl, and separate plates are not given to everyone.
The classical period of the Ottoman Empire (1450-1550) was the period when the Ottoman Empire reached its widest borders. In these centuries, the state gained serious gains both with the political agreements made and the lands gained. These gains brought about the most glorious period of the Ottoman Empire. Of course, these gains have also shown themselves in the kitchen, and a comprehensive culinary empire has emerged with both the products taken into the kitchen and the dishes prepared in the kitchen (Bilgin, 2004).
The period called the late period, which coincides with the years between 1700 and 1923, is known as a period when the Ottoman Empire collapsed militarily and politically, but it does not seem possible to say the same for the kitchen. With the influence of the West, the culinary empire began to develop and renew, and new cultures were added to the cuisine. As an example, it would not be wrong to say that English style tea and Italian style pasta took their place in Ottoman cuisine in the 18th century (Isin, 2019: 294).
Of course, the influence of French cuisine also showed itself and took its place in various cookbooks . At the same time, this influence of the West was reflected on the banquet tables, and it showed itself in areas such as important ambassadors and wedding banquets. On December 31, 1908, II. The banquet menu given to Ottoman deputies at Yıldız Palace to celebrate the proclamation of the Constitutional Monarchy is a reflection of an east-west synthesis: Egg bouillon, cheese pie, sea bass with mayonnaise, sirloin with vegetables, cold beef liver paste, turkey and partridge kebab, white tomato paste chicken rice, four brothers dessert, cream and ice cream (Isin, 2019: 295).
The new products that entered the Western cuisine with the geographical discoveries that took place in the 15th and 16th centuries, took their place in the Ottoman cuisine after a 200-year hiatus. The influence of the West in these products that enter the kitchen is undeniable. Tomatoes, potatoes1, peppers, kavata2, chocolate, tea, allspice, brussels sprouts, broccoli, chervil and radish, local green peas, peas, pineapple, grapefruit, tangerines, currants and cultivated strawberries are Western-influenced products that take their place in the kitchen. These products, which gradually entered the palace kitchen , are the types that were found strange at first.
However, in later processes, it also entered the kitchen of the people and became one of the most consumed foods. The preference for meat, which continued in previous periods, preserved its place in the late Ottoman period. While mutton is included in almost all meat dishes, veal is preferred in dishes with Western influence. The spice culture added to the dishes continued unchanged, but it was seen that more weight was given to cinnamon (Kamil, 2016: 119) and gum (Bilgin, 2004: 68).
Sherbet and Syrup in Turkish Cultural Life
Although sherbet and syrup are defined in different ways, the thick of the yeast, which is formed by dissolving sugar in water in its simplest form, is called syrup, and the watery one is called sherbet (Akçiçek, 2002: 745). It is also called sherbet when various plant, flower, root fruit, bark or seed extracts are mixed with water, sugar, honey or molasses. In general, sherbet is a mixture of different plant and fruit extracts, with added sweeteners such as sugar, honey and molasses. Sherbets can be plain or mixed. The simple one is nothing but sugar water.
It is also called sugar syrup or sugar syrup (Akçiçek, 2014).
Syrup, in the simplest terms, is the boiling of sugar and water and turning it into a dark state. The difference from sherbet is that it is made dark by boiling. Syrups are named according to the fruits and herbs they contain. For example; such as cherry syrup, cranberry syrup, orange syrup, violet syrup, plum syrup.
Since syrups can be stored for a long time, they do not deteriorate immediately. Sherbets, on the other hand, are more acceptable drinks to drink on the day they are made. Syrups can be turned into sherbet by opening them with water whenever desired. For example, when violet syrup is mixed with water, it becomes violet syrup (Dağdeviren, 2009: 122-131).
Turkish society has a great eating and drinking culture since its existence. Sherbet, which has an important place in the beverage culture, has managed to reach the present day by making a great progress from the Central Asian Turkish societies to the Turkish society of the Republican period. Although the sherbet culture in the Central Asian period did not show much diversity under the influence of the nomadic life, a progress was made in the sherbet culture of the Seljuk period, and the peak point was reached in the Ottoman period.
The most frequently encountered sherbets during these three periods are; honey sherbet, rose sherbet and sirencubin.3 Sherbets, which are prepared especially by the lady of the house to cool off in summer days, are served alongside meals, and have also become the traditional drink of gatherings such as Ramadan, wedding, circumcision, and death (Akçiçek, 2014: 90- one hundred).
It is understood that the sherbet culture, which is thought to have its origins in the Eastern Mediterranean, spread from the Arabian basin to the east. Sherbet, which was accepted quickly in Iran, India, Pakistan and Mongolian geographies, probably through Arab expeditions and trade, extended to China (Bilgin, 2012: 49).
The spread of sherbet to the West mostly took place during the Ottoman Empire. For this reason, in the Western world, it was called with names derived from the word sherbet used by the Ottomans. The word sherbet, which was used in Italian in the 16th century as a drink in the Ottoman lands, later became a sorbetto and entered Italian cuisine as a beverage. The Italian sorbetto derives from the French words sorbet and the Spanish sorbette. Just like the French, the Germans called it sorbet, the Serbs and Croats called it šérbe, and the Portuguese called it sorvete.
It is understood that the spread of sherbet, which is known by similar names in other European countries, is quite rapid in Europe. In this context, it should be noted that it was not an extraordinary situation to encounter sherbet sellers on the streets of Paris and London in the 17th century (Bilgin, 2012: 49). The information that sherbet was exported from Turkey to France in the 18th century confirms the spread of sherbet (Isin, 2008: 114).
When we look at the beverage life of the Central Asian Turks, it is seen that the drinks they drink such as wine, fruit juice and cider are generally called çakır or sükik, and the drinks that are drunk cold are called coldness. Fuka4, mîzab5, cüleybin6, gulap/culab7, which are called Persian, on the other hand, kumiss, ayran, beer, boza, sükik/çakır/wine/fruit juice, red sücük8, ugut9, agartgu10, begni11, buhsum12, kumlak13, uşır15 vinegar and cider are consumed beverages (Genç, 2002).
Since the 10th century, Turks have consumed honey sherbet, which is a mixture of honey and water, in its simplest form. Apart from these, they have diversified their drinks with extracts of various fruits. Turks always ate plenty of grapes and fruits such as apples, pears, peaches, apricots, plums, quinces, mulberries, pistachios and walnuts that they grew in the 11th century, as well as in the form of fresh or dried fruits after meals in accordance with Yusuf Has Hacib's recipe. It is also understood that they eat (Genç, 2002: 15-16).
“After the food and drinks, give some snacks and nuts, and some dried fruits and nuts16” (Hacib, 2019: 348).
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 work to be cold. In addition, we see another fruit juice called uhak, which they use frequently in making sherbet or syrup, which is recorded to be obtained by squeezing apricots. Again, we learn that a kind of sour fruit juice used as a cold is called çifşeng çakır (Genç, 2002: 16).
The existence of sherbet culture was transferred from the Central Asian Turks to the Seljuks and then to the Ottoman Empire with a wider spectrum. Drinks (sherbets) called sherbet or cülab during the Seljuk period were primarily consumed by the wealthy after meals, as they were easy to digest. These drinks, which are known to be consumed from the juices of various fruits, are generally not preferred with meals. The reason is that it makes digestion difficult in relation to health (Trepanier, 2008).
Among the beverages of the Seljuk period, there are beverages17, çagır 18, water, boza, şüşş19, bor20, çakır21, komlak22 and kurut23 (Çetin, 2008: 35). Among these, the one that draws our attention the most is "drink", which means sugar syrup. On the other hand, honey sherbet, which was consumed in this period, was also used as a cure, although it was served with meals. In addition, rose water, pomegranate, fig and grape sherbets are also available. Apart from the meal, cinnamon sherbet is served in winter, and in summer, verjuice and honey sherbet is served. Giving pomegranate syrup is considered very polite (Akçiçek, 2014: 92). Besides being consumed at home, these sherbets are also available in sherbet shops and street vendors (Şahin, 2008).
Sherbet is of great importance in the Ottoman society, where non-alcoholic drinks such as soda and cola had not yet emerged and alcoholic beverages were marginal. Since sherbet could not always be made fresh in the Ottoman Palace, ready-made mixes that could be stored for a long time were available. These are of three types: Liquid syrups24, paste-like curds and hard syrups (Isin, 2008: 111).
“After adding the juice or oil of any one of a thousand and one fruits, flowers or spices to the sugar syrup, if you start turning it to one side without stopping, after an hour, you will get the pasty candy called “turning” (Işın, 2008: 121). The spoon dessert of the Greeks and the translation of the Turks was also known as "lohuk". Lohuk was originally a medicinal drug. Since it is made with plenty of sugar or honey, it has disguised as a pleasant and delicious confection over time (Isin, 2008: 122). The type of syrup obtained is very soft. It is kept in bottles and drunk in glasses.
Lohuk sherbets are either eaten with a spoon or drunk by pouring water on them. Since the ointment is called lohuk, this sherbet is also called lohuk sherbet. It's an apt term, because it looks exactly like an ointment, made from lemon juice, fruit juices, and some liquid ingredients. Lohuk sherbet is kept softer in winter, and it is more likely to go rancid in summer. This sherbet, which is mostly kept in glasses and sometimes in porcelain cups, is abundant in all oriental dessert shops” (Unger, 1987: 22).
“Hard sherbet, sherbet sugar, also called sherbet sugar, was a confectioner's business, it was not made at home. Sweeteners such as fruit juice, flower oil, spice oil were added to the boiled dark sugar syrup, mixed to ensure crystallization, and then poured into the marble in layers. When it hardened, it was cut into lozenges. Pieces taken from this sugar were diluted to make sherbet and eaten for confectionery (Isin, 2008: 111). Their canned food is exactly European style. It takes its name from the difference in form rather than the way it is prepared. The Turk cuts it mostly in the form of sandwiches.
The European cuts it either lengthwise or into square pieces. The feature that distinguishes it from lohuk sherbet is that it is hard (Unger, 1987: 25). How is this hardness achieved? First of all, by not mixing mixtures of liquid ingredients, including lemon juice. Mixing liquids should be avoided to prevent the syrup from being hard. Turks prepare these sherbets in tinned cauldrons without touching them. He does this in front of his shop” (Unger, 1987: 25).
It is a well-known fact that after the relationship between diseases and nutrition was noticed, special foods and beverages were recommended to some patients from ancient times to the present (Yıldırım, 2008: 153). In this direction, sherbet has become a term used instead of laxative medicine.
As Yusuf Has Hacib stated, the honey in sherbet is a beverage that comes out with the mixture of the spring water of the region and various plants, flowers and fruits, and also acts as a medicine. Even honey alone is known as a panacea thanks to the enzymes it contains such as vitamins, calcium, iron, potassium, phosphorus and magnesium (Hacib, 2019). For example, vinegar made with honey and vinegar both quenches thirst and is used instead of medicine in diseases (Akçiçek, 2014: 92).
“A serious illness came and knocked on the ground.
He got into this thing and did it, he was overwhelmed. Herbalists came and looked at his pulse They said what was his illness?
Someone said: Blood has caught it
He should open his vein and drain the blood
Someone said: It is necessary to drink a laxative. Constipated, now it is necessary to empty it.
Someone prepared sherbet with rose water
Someone gave the drink he prepared” (Hacib, 2019: 98).
Sherbet is a drug that is consumed to cool off or to enjoy, as well as to drink in cases of common ailments in daily life such as fatigue, headache, and weakness (Kuzucu, 2008: 243). Especially, the health aspects of sherbets consumed with meals predominate, and it is also stated which drink is suitable for health next to each meal. In Istanbul, pomegranate sherbet was thought to treat gums and tooth infections.
Gulhode sherbet, on the other hand, was used by the people of Istanbul because it is good for cough and softens the chest (Tatlı, 2012: 232-240). Although tamarind sherbet is generally known for its thirst quenching feature, it is also believed to clean the blood, and it also helps in regulating the digestive system and regulating the intestines (Sarıoğlan and Cevizkaya, 2016: 237-250).
Table.1.2. Sherbet Names in Turkish Culture
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Girl's Sight Sorbet
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Postpartum Sherbet
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Evil Eye Sherbet
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Hammam Sherbet
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Dedes Sherbet
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Pregnant Sherbet
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Magic Sorbet
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Eye Cream
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Snake Sorbet
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Scorpion Sorbet
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Rat Sherbet
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Peace Sherbet
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Zıkkım Root Sherbet
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Wedding Sherbet
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Yeast Sorbet
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Dead Sherbet
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Virgin Mary Sherbet
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Barberry Sherbet
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Team Sherbet
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Circumcision Sherbet
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Ecel Sherbet
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Dispenser Sherbet
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Fatma Ana Sherbet
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Sherbet
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Speech Sherbet
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Curd Sherbet
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Enchanted Sherbet
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|
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Yacht Da Geber Sherbet
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|
Source: (Akçiçek, 2014).
The names mentioned above are not only a source of healing but also an indication of how intense sherbet culture was in the past. Moreover, distributing sherbet for almost every event has become a tradition, even commonplace (Akçiçek, 2002). Sherbet, which has become a tradition in wedding, engagement and interruption ceremonies; Sweetness of the mouth is a traditional culture prepared for a beautiful and auspicious marriage.
In this process, the cups and glasses in which the syrup is placed are carefully prepared and served to the guests. Guests who drink sherbet also make good wishes to the couples who will get married (Akçiçek, 2002). Many of these traditions have been transferred to the present day. For example, in the Ermenek Karaman region, the tradition of the bride pouring the sherbet bowl prepared by her mother-in-law in front of the door with her feet before entering the groom's house and throwing sugar and money on the bride's head still continues.
If we go back a century from today, it is possible to come across hops on the street, whose glasses are clinking, shouting that “ice cold... ice makes thirty-two teeth ring at once”, walking around with a dispenser on their back and chatting with children pleasantly (Akçiçek, 2014). Sherbet, which is drunk not only on the streets, but also in weddings, engagements, holidays, sickness, meals and many other occasions, has entered every aspect of life. Prepared with fresh fruit, flowers and plants collected in the season, sweetened by adding honey, molasses or sugar, this beverage was both a source of healing and a culture in its time.
Although the fizzy sherbets in Ayşe Fahriye's Ev Kadını (Fahriye, 2018: 164) are given as an example of the gradual change and transformation of the sherbet content for the 19th century, it is not possible to say that the sherbet culture has been damaged and disappeared. However, with the establishment and development of the beverage industry in the 1960s, it was replaced by carbonated beverages, which pose a health hazard, is the most obvious example of change and transformation (Akçiçek, 2014: 91). Sherbets sold on the streets are almost non-existent today.
Sherbet Recipes
In this study, which was prepared by deciding to reintroduce the existing sherbets in Turkish culture into the society by taking the opinions of the experts during the determination of the study subject, the primary and secondary source scanning method was used to determine what the flowery sherbets in the Turkish cuisine were, by using approximately forty history and cookbooks. The historical method and finally the methods of interpretation of the findings were used to establish the cause and effect relationship. In line with the availability of the resources obtained, 13 flower sherbet recipes were added to complete the study.
Acacia Sherbet Ingredients:
• 10 kilograms of acacia flowers in bunches
• 2.5 kilograms of local filtered acacia honey
• 15 liters of water
• 6 lemons
Preparation: Put the acacias as bunches in a large cube, add honey and lemon and eat them well with a wooden spoon. Pour your water on the cube, mix it well with each other, and close the mouth of the cube with branched acacia flowers and leaves. Let it sit in a cool place for about two days. After mixing your sherbet well, you can enjoy both its water and its flowers (Dağdeviren, 2015: 45).
Amber Blossom Sorbet Ingredients:
• 500 grams of hibiscus flower
• 2.5 kilograms of granulated sugar
Preparation: After removing the leaves of the hibiscus flowers, knead the hibiscus flowers with powdered sugar, which has been beaten and passed through a fine sieve several times, and when it turns sugar color, press the sugar tightly into the lidded bowls and close the mouths, as the flowers will be separated. You can make sherbet and drink it whenever needed. If it is desired to be sour, adding lemon juice will give a good taste25 (Fahriye, 2018: 163).
Elephant (Spring) Flower Sorbet Ingredients:
• 500 grams of Elephant (spring) flowers
• 2.5 kilograms of granulated sugar
Preparation: After removing the leaves of the elephant flower, knead the elephant flowers with powdered sugar, which has been beaten and passed through a fine sieve several times, and knead the elephant flowers, when they get the color of sugar, sift the sugar into the lidded bowls and close the mouths, as the flowers will separate. You can make sherbet and drink it whenever needed. If it is desired to be sour, a good taste will be given by adding lemon juice26 (Fahriye, 2018: 163).
Fulya Sherbet Ingredients:
• 500 grams of fulya
• 2.5 kilograms of granulated sugar
Preparation: After removing the leaves of the daffodil, knead the daffodil flowers with powdered sugar that has been beaten and passed through a fine sieve several times, and when it turns the color of sugar, press the sugar into the lidded bowls tightly and close the mouths as the flowers will be separated. You can make sherbet and drink it whenever needed. If it is desired to be sour, a good taste will be given by adding lemon juice27 (Fahriye, 2018: 163).
Rose Sorbet Ingredients
• 1 kilogram of pink roses (picked before the sun touched)
• 2 kilograms of granulated sugar
• 3 lemons
• 5 liters of water
Preparation: Cut off the stems of the roses, remove the whiteness of the ends by hand and wash them thoroughly in plenty of cold water. Never disturb the roses while washing them. After this process, knead the de-seeded lemons with their peels and rose petals. Cover the mixture and leave it for a day. Then add the sugar to the roses and knead again.
Let the rose, sugar and lemons mingle in this way one day. The next day, mix it with about five liters of water and feed the ingredients well together and pass through cheesecloth. Strain and cool it about three times and drink it that day28 (Dağdeviren, 2009: 46), (Samancı, 2008: 391), (Halıcı, 2007: 194), (Halıcı, Türk Mutfağı, 2009: 291), (Halıcı, 2014: 327)), (Halıcı, 2016: 51), (Fahriye, 2018: 163), (Tosun, 2016: 165).
Rose Apple Sorbet Ingredients
• 4 apples
• 200 grams of rose petals
• 2 lemons
• 2 liters of water
• 250 grams of honey
Preparation: The day before, add the rose petals and lemons cut into thin rings in a bowl, add honey and mix well for ten minutes and knead as if you were kneading meatballs. Again, the night before, cut the apples into quarters, remove the cores, add them to the pot with water and cook for half an hour with the lid closed. The next day, take the apples out of the water and add them to the rose mixture and knead for five minutes. After the water has cooled, strain it into a bottle. Keep it closed for a day in the sun, and then cool it and drink it (Dağdeviren, 2017: 57).
Seagull Syrup Ingredients:
• 500 grams of sea buckthorn flower
• 2.5 kilograms of granulated sugar
Preparation: After removing the leaves of the sea buckthorn, knead the oleander flowers with powdered sugar that has been beaten and passed through a fine sieve several times, and knead them. Make sherbet and drink it when needed. If it is desired to be sour, a good taste will be given by adding lemon juice29 (Fahriye, 2018: 163).
Violet Sorbet Ingredients:
• 500 grams of violet
• 2.5 kilograms of granulated sugar
Preparation: During the violet season, collect the violets in the morning before the sun sees the leaves of the flower, cut off the white part of the leaves if possible. Put the violet leaves in a bowl with the sugar, knead them well until the sugar turns the same color as the violet leaves and fill them in jars. Close the mouths of the jars in an airtight manner and remove them. You can use it whenever you want, especially in summer days, by dissolving 2-3 teaspoons of dark water in a glass of cold water. It is a very pleasant and refreshing drink. If desired, it will be more pleasant and sour when filtered lemon juice is mixed into the violet sherbet30 (Efendi, 2005: 203), (Fahriye, 2018: 162), (Kamil, 2016: 146), (Tosun, 2016: 165).
Narcissus Sorbet Ingredients:
• 2 bunches of narcissus flowers
• 1 coffee cup of apple cider vinegar
• 1 glass of filtered local honey
• 2 liters of boiled water
• 2 grams of salt
• 10 grams of peeled almonds
Preparation: Put the daffodil flowers, almonds and salt in a mortar and beat with a pestle for 5 minutes. Add vinegar and honey to the hot water and melt it thoroughly. Add the ingredients you beat in the mortar and mix. Keep the mouth closed for three nights and three days, then mix the water again. You can filter the syrup through cheesecloth and drink it for healing (Dağdeviren, 2017: 63).
Stylish (Poppy Flower) Sorbet Ingredients:
• 100 poppy flowers
• 1 lemon
• 2 liters of water
• 250 grams of thyme (thyme) honey
Preparation: Put the leaves of the poppy flower in a glass jar. Add the lemon rind and lemon juice to it. Add water and close the mouth well. Leave it in a sunny place for about a week. Finally, add honey and leave it in the sun for three more days. You can serve it chilled (Dağdeviren, 2013: 56).
Jasmine Sorbet. Materials:
• 500 grams of jasmine flowers
• 2.5 kilograms of granulated sugar
Preparation: After removing the leaves of the jasmine flower, knead the jasmine flowers with granulated sugar that has been beaten and passed through a fine sieve several times, and knead the jasmine flowers when they get the color of sugar. When necessary, open it with water and make sherbet and drink it. If it is desired to be sour, a good taste will be given by adding lemon juice31 (Fahriye, 2018: 163).
Yediveren Sherbet Ingredients:
• 300 grams of edible rose flower petals (with the white part of the ends cut off)
• 500 grams of granulated sugar
• 3 liters of water
• Juice of 2 lemons
Preparation: Mix the leaves of this rose, which was taken out in the mountains in June, with sugar, wait for one hour to be absorbed with each other. In the meantime, add the lemon juices, wait another twenty minutes, then knead with your hands as if you were kneading meatballs. After this process, keep it for another hour, then add water, mix it all well, strain it three times, and drink it cold without waiting (Dağdeviren, 2009: 129-130).
Lily Sorbet Ingredients:
• 500 grams of lilies
• 2.5 kilograms of granulated sugar
Preparation : After removing the leaves of the lily flower, knead the lily flowers with granulated sugar that has been beaten and passed through a fine sieve a few times, and knead the lily flowers when they get the color of sugar, since the flowers will be separated by sieve, press the sugar tightly into the lidded bowls and close the mouth. When necessary, you can make sherbet and drink it. If it is desired to be sour, a good taste will be given by adding lemon juice32 (Fahriye, 2018: 163).
Conclusion
Turkish society has a great eating and drinking culture since its existence. Sherbet, which has an important place in the beverage culture, has managed to reach the present day by making a great progress from the Turkish societies of Central Asia to the Turkish society of the Republican period. Although the sherbet culture in the Central Asian period did not show much diversity under the influence of the nomadic life, a progress was made in the sherbet culture of the Seljuk period, and the peak point was reached in the Ottoman period. When the subject is limited as floral sherbets, it is seen how few these sherbets are. On the other hand, the lack of full descriptions in the sources used is among the factors that make the research difficult.
This study, which has been examined by doing research, shows us from the table above that some events and phenomena in culture are also integrated with food. The sherbet names in this table are named according to the event that happened that day. For example, puerperant, wedding, evil eye, circumcision sherbets. Culture, which is the backbone of society, interacts both within itself and with its environment. The sherbet that settled in this culture, on the other hand, shows that a heritage from Central Asia cannot be preserved in its full sense, with its lack in the current period.
The lack of academic studies in this area also confirms this. The main purpose is; is to ensure that such a deep-rooted cultural past is remembered and found in society. Finally, this study prepared; It is recommended to bring them to the fields of History with Scientific Projects, where a wider gain will be achieved with the addition of field studies, and to the fields of Gastronomy and Tourism by expanding the beverage network by promoting them with the help of trainings supported by the Municipality, Workshops, Brochures, DataMatrixes and Pop-ups.
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1 Mehmet Kamil likens it to a yam.
2 A vegetable like tomato on the outside and pepper on the inside.
3 At the same time, obtained with the mixture of vinegar and honey; It is a type of sherbet that takes different names such as sirencübin, sirencebin, sirengübin.
4 Barley juice.
5 Table water.
6 Honey syrup.
7 Persian Gülap became Cülab in the Arabic accent. It means rose water in Turkish. Sugar sherbet made with rose water is called gulap or cülap.
8 Red wine.
9 Wine made from pulp.
10 Wine made from wheat.
11 A beverage resembling a boza and made from wheat, millet, and barley.
12 Beverage made from millet and resembling a kind of beer.
13 Wine obtained by mixing the Kumlak plant with honey.
14 Fruit juice/beverage obtained from apricot juice. Mahmud of Kashgar writes this drink as "Uxak".
15 Sour juices.
16 Simiş: Semirten, food, sweet.
17 Melted sugar syrup. 18 Wine.
19 Raisin wine.
20 Wines.
21 Wine.
22 A beverage made by putting various substances in honey.
23 Kurut is made from strained yoghurt or yoghurt churned in churn, the precipitate formed by boiling the buttermilk left after the butter is removed.
24 In its simplest form; viscous liquid obtained by boiling sugar and water. It can be expanded with fruit, plant and flower extracts added to these liquids.
25 Ayşe Fahriye did not use a definite weight for Amber Blossom Sherbet. The grammage of this recipe has been compiled from the sources used.
26 Ayşe Fahriye did not use a definite weight for Elephant Flower Sherbet. The grammage of this recipe has been compiled from the sources used.
27 Ayşe Fahriye did not use a definite weight for Fulya Sherbet. The grammage of this recipe has been compiled from the sources used.
29 Ayşe Fahriye did not use a definite weight for the İğde Çiçeği Sherbet. The grammage of this recipe has been compiled from the sources used.
30 Violet Sherbet was compiled from four different sources.
32 Ayşe Fahriye did not use a definite weight for Lily Sherbet. The grammage of this recipe has been compiled from the sources used.
As the head chef Ahmet ÖZDEMİR, I see the source:
Ms. I sincerely thank Seher ÇELİK for her academic studies titled "What are Flower Sherbets in Turkish Cultural Life" and wish them success in their professional life . It will definitely be considered as an example by those who need it in professional kitchens and the gastronomy and culinary community.