FOOD.
A Turkish Kitchen—Turkish Meals—Dinner—Coffee—European
Innovations—Turkish Cookery—The Sultan’s Kitchen—Turkish
Gourmets—Economy of Food—Hospitality—Greek and Bulgarian
Food—Lent Dishes—European Manners among the Greeks—Armenian
Gluttony—Marriages with Cooks—Jewish Food—A Bulgarian
Ménage—Experiences of a Dinner in the Opium Country—Refreshment
to Visitors—Tatlou—Sherbet—Coffee—Wine and Spirits—Recipe for
Making Coffee _à la Turca_—Milk—Cheese—Sour Cream—A Diplomatic
Coup—Cook-shops.
A Turkish kitchen is a spacious building, roughly constructed, and,
in the dwellings of the rich, generally detached from the rest of the
house. A deep arched opening made in the wall facing the door forms the
foundation of the cooking-range, which is raised about three feet from
the ground and consists of a row of _Ogaks_—holes with grates in them
over a sort of ash-bed, where the _Kebab_, or roast, is cooked and the
smaller dishes kept warm. A sink of a primitive description occupies one
side of the kitchen, and a plate-rack, containing the cooking utensils,
another. The side facing the house is of open lattice-work; the floor
is invariably of stone. Great attention is paid to keeping the culinary
utensils, which are all of copper, clean and bright; but order and
neatness in other respects are entirely disregarded, and there are few
of those arrangements that render an English kitchen such a pleasant
and interesting apartment. A tin lamp, such as has been used from time
immemorial, is hung at one side of the chimney, and gives but a very dim
light.
The kitchen is generally included in the department of the Haremlik,
and is presided over by one or two negresses, who make very good cooks.
The fresh provisions are purchased daily by the _Ayvas_, or purveyor,
generally an Armenian, and passed in through the _Dulap_, a revolving
cupboard in the wall between the Haremlik and Selamlik, used for most
communications between the two departments; a loud knock on either side
being answered by a servant who comes to hear what is wanted.
The Turks have two meals a day; one, _kahvalto_, between ten and eleven,
and the other, _yemek_, at sunset. One or two cups of black coffee
is all they lake in the early morning. The dinner is brought into
the dining-room of the Haremlik on a large circular copper tray, and
deposited on the floor; a similar tray is placed on a stool and covered
with a common calico cloth. On this are placed a number of saucers
containing _hors d’œuvres_, a salt-cellar, a pepper-box, and a portion of
bread for each person. A leather pad occupies the centre, on which the
dishes are placed in succession, and the company sit cross-legged round
the tray. Dinner is announced by a slave—the hostess leads the way into
the _Yemek oda_, or dining-room. Servants approach and pour water over
the hands from _Ibriks_, or curious ewers, holding _Leyens_, or basins,
to catch it as it falls; others offer towels as napkins to use during
the meal. As many as eight or ten persons can sit round these trays. The
hostess, if she be of higher rank than her guests, is the first to dip
her spoon into the soup-tureen, politely inviting them to do the same; if
her rank be inferior to that of any one of her guests, they are invited
to take precedence.
Turkish soups resemble very thick broth, and are altogether unlike those
found on European tables. After the soup has been sparingly partaken of,
it is removed on a sign from the hostess and replaced by the other dishes
in succession. The sweets are eaten between the courses. The left hand
is used to convey the food to the mouth, the thumb and two first fingers
doing the duty of forks.
It is considered a mark of great attention on the part of the hostess to
pick up the daintiest bit of food, and place it in the mouth of any of
her guests. _Pilaf_, the national dish, composed principally of rice, and
_Hochaf_ (stewed fruits, iced), are the last dishes placed on the table.
Pure water is the only drink allowed in the _Haremlik_, and is handed,
when required, in tumblers held by slaves standing behind the company.
Before leaving the _Yemek oda_, the _Ibriks_ and _Leyens_ are again
resorted to. On re-entering the drawing-room, coffee and cigarettes are
immediately handed round. The way in which coffee is served is one of the
prettiest of the old Turkish customs. All the slaves and attendants enter
the rooms and stand at the lower end with folded arms. The coffee-pot
and cup-stands of gold or silver are placed on a tray held by the
_Kalfa_, or head-servant; attached to the tray is an oval crimson cloth,
richly worked with gold. The coffee is poured out, and the cups offered
separately by the other servants, who again retire to the lower end of
the room till they are required to take the empty cups.
On my last visit to the capital I found many changes, and noticed that
many European customs had been adopted in some of the principal houses,
tables and chairs having replaced the dinner-trays in most of them, and
even a complete European dinner-service might in some houses be found
in use. I happened to visit a Pasha’s harem, and was invited to stay
to luncheon; on being ushered into the dining room, I was agreeably
surprised to find myself in a spacious apartment, furnished in the
European style, and surrounded on three sides by a lovely garden where
the rose, the jasmine, and the orange blossomed in profusion, breathing
their delicious perfume into the room through the open windows. Three
tables, richly laid, stood in the room; a large one, occupying the
centre, and two smaller ones in corners. The centre one was reserved
for the _Hanoum_ and such of her guests as were entitled by their rank
to be admitted to her table, the second for her daughter and her young
companions, and the third for guests of an inferior degree. The luncheon
went off very well, although one or two of the company appeared little
accustomed to the use of knives and forks, which they held, indeed, in
their hands, but, forgetful of the fact, conveyed the food to their
mouths with their fingers, and consequently made a few scratches on their
noses. This _maladresse_ occasioning some merriment to the others, these
offenders against European customs laid down the dangerous implements
and took to their own method of eating, a very good one of its kind and
demanding much more skill than the European manner. There is a neatness
in the Turkish way of manipulating the food that can only be acquired
by care and long practice; the thumb and two fingers alone must touch
the meat, the rest of the hand remaining perfectly clean and free from
contact with it.
Another incident of an amusing nature would have tended to increase our
merriment had not Turkish equanimity imposed upon us the necessity of
ignoring it. Mustard, an unusual condiment on a Turkish table, was handed
round, perhaps in honor of my presence. An old lady, not knowing what
it was, took a spoonful, and before any one had time to interfere, had
swallowed it. Her face became crimson, tears ran down her cheeks, she
sneezed and appeared choking; but at last, with a supreme effort, she
regained her composure, and looked as pleasant as circumstances would
allow.
The use of knives and forks, though fast becoming general among the
higher classes at Stamboul, is not yet much introduced into the interior.
During my residence in one of the provincial towns of European Turkey,
these articles were occasionally borrowed from me by a rich bey for his
grand entertainments. The forks I lent were electro-plate; but when they
were returned I found silver ones among them, and discovered that, some
of mine having been stolen or lost, the bey had them copied by native
workmen.
The most refined Turkish cookery is not costly; the materials consist
of mutton, fowl, fish, flour, rice, milk, honey, sugar, vegetables, and
fruit. All the dishes are cooked in clarified butter in a simple manner,
and fat or oil is seldom used. The average number of dishes sent to table
in a wealthy house is nine at each meal. The meat is always over-cooked
and badly served, except the lamb roasted whole, stuffed with rice and
pistachios, and the _Kebab_. The latter consists of small pieces of meat
cooked on skewers, and served on a _Peta_, a species of batter pudding.
Another favorite dish is the _Imam Baildi_, or “The Imam fainted;” it is
composed of aubergines and onions cooked in oil, and has the following
rather vapid little history attached to it. An Imam stole some oil from
the mosque in his care, the whole of which his ingenious wife used in
cooking a dish she had just invented. This was being partaken of with
much relish by the Imam till he was informed that all the oil had been
consumed in its preparation, when he immediately fainted. Some of these
dishes are excellent, and are relished even by Europeans.
Two _Sofras_, or tables, are furnished by the cook at each meal; one for
the _Haremlik_ and the other for the _Selamlik_. After the master and
mistress have left the tables the servants take the vacant seats. The
supply is unlimited, and much waste and extravagance ensue, owing to the
number of guests of high and low degree that are always expected to drop
in to dinner.
During Abdul-Medjid’s reign I visited the imperial kitchen, an immense
establishment, giving employment to 500 cooks and scullions. Among some
curious details I learnt respecting this department, one referring to the
functions of the head-cook may not be uninteresting. This unfortunate
individual was chained to the stove by being obliged to provide an hourly
meal for the Sultan, whose repasts depended upon his caprice, and who
required that food should be ready for him at any moment.
Abdul-Aziz was an enormous eater, and a great gourmet; he was often known
to empty a dish of six eggs cooked in butter, with _Pastourmah_, a kind
of dried meat, in a few minutes.
It was one of his peculiarities to throw his food at the heads of his
ministers when displeased with them, and this favorite dish often
experienced that fate. During the latter part of his reign his meals were
prepared in the harem, under the superintendence of the Validé Sultana,
who enveloped every dish in crape, and tied and sealed it with her own
seal before sending it into the Selamlik.
Another illustrious man, A⸺ K⸺ Pasha, surpassed his august sovereign in
gluttony; while in Albania, I was assured by more than one eye-witness
that he frequently consumed the whole of a stuffed lamb at a meal.
Bread forms the fundamental part of a poor man’s food; with it he eats
_kattuk_, which comprises cheese, treacle, halva, fruit, onions, garlic,
etc., etc. Fruit is extremely cheap and good, and is largely consumed by
all classes. Poor families can subsist upon from a shilling to one and
sixpence a day.
In the Turkish quarter, where the rich live side by side with the poor,
the latter have often the opportunity of eating a good dinner; they
have only to drop in at the rich man’s door, and hospitality is at once
extended to them. This kind of charity, however, is greatly on the
decrease, owing, no doubt, to the financial embarrassment generally felt
throughout the country.
The kitchen department, both in Greek and Bulgarian families, is
superintended by the mistress of the house, who orders dinner, and daily
or weekly regulates the expenses.
The food of the middle classes of the Christians differs only from that
of the Turks in the addition of the Lent dishes. During this period the
poorer orders consume more garlic, onions, olives, and dried fish.
The Greeks appear to have been the first of the natives of this country
to adopt the custom of eating with knives and forks and making their
meals at a table. Except in wealthy houses in the capital, their table
arrangements are very deficient and inelegant; till very recently the
napkins and table-cloths were either home-woven or made of unbleached
calico. The knives and forks were of steel and iron, clumsy productions
from Austria and Bohemia, and the glass and crockery from the same
countries were of uncouth forms, sold at high prices. The competition in
the sale of these articles that France and England have of late years
established in the country has not only created a marked improvement in
the quality of these necessaries, but has also reduced their prices and
brought them within the reach of all. Most families are possessed of a
certain amount of table silver, in the shape of forks, spoons, etc.;
these are, however, being replaced by electro-plate, now abundantly
introduced.
The Jews and Armenians have many strange and interesting customs in the
matter of eating. The Armenians are renowned for their gluttony and
extreme fondness for good things. Until lately they took their meals
in a manner very similar to the Turks. They would use their knives and
forks to a certain extent, but their fingers much more. The lower orders
still sit on the floor round a table about eight inches high. Their
dishes, with the addition of a few national ones, resemble those of
the Turks, and they are famous for the manufacture of very rich sweets
of various kinds. The kitchen, being the most important department in
an Armenian house, demands the daily supervision of both master and
mistress; the former has the supreme voice in selecting the dishes, and
the latter often takes an active part in their preparation. I knew a
wealthy Armenian who married the daughter of his cook in order to secure
the permanent services of the mother. He assured me of the perfect bliss
the alliance had brought him in the possession of a pretty wife and the
daily enjoyment of the _dolmas_ made by his mother-in-law. Some time
ago a well-known and wealthy Englishman fell in love with and married
a worthless Armenian girl, having seen her, from a neighboring house,
preparing the same dish. He had, however, reason to repent thus making
his appetite his only consideration; life became no longer endurable with
such an unsympathetic helpmate, and he absconded and returned to his
native land, it is to be hoped a wiser man.
The Jews in the East observe, with the greatest strictness, all the
outward forms of their religion, and particularly those relating to food,
whose preparation is regulated by a great many strange and complicated
laws.
All flesh is _Tourfa_, or unclean, unless the animal has been killed
in the presence of a Rabbi, who hands to the butcher a special knife
(after having examined the animal in order to ascertain if it be clean
or unclean) with which he must sever the windpipe at a single stroke;
should he fail to do so the animal is considered unclean and cannot be
eaten. Even in case of success, parts of the flesh only are acceptable to
them, and all the fat adhering to the muscles must be removed before it
is cooked. Cheese, wine, and sundry other provisions are not considered
clean unless made by Israelites; butter is seldom bought, and only when
sold in skins with the hairy side turned inwards. Six hours must elapse
before a Hebrew can touch cheese, milk, or butter after having partaken
of meat, though he is at liberty to eat meat directly after these. The
dishes are cooked in sesame oil, an ingredient that renders them quite
distasteful to any but Jewish palates; this oil is also used for making
pastry, which is very heavy and indigestible. In fact, their cookery
is so peculiar and unpalatable that when a Jew entertains Gentiles he
generally resorts to foreign dishes. When a Turk or Christian wishes to
extend his hospitality to an Israelite, he is obliged to have most of the
food prepared by a cook of the Hebrew faith.
A duty on all that is _Tourfa_ is imposed by the Rabbi of each community;
this tax, amounting to a considerable sum, is set apart for charitable
purposes, and for the support of schools for the poor. It is, on the
whole, a strange kind of charity, for after all it is only taking the
money out of the pockets of the poor in one form to give it back to them
in another, and the tax falls heavily on the Jewish communities, since
they are principally composed of poor people. Several attempts have been
made by them, especially in Salonika, to have it removed, but hitherto
their efforts have been fruitless.
The hospitality of the Jews is, with a few exceptions, limited to members
of their own race, and even then not very largely practised. The customs
of the Israelites who have received a European education differ very
little from those of the Franks.
During the numerous journeys I have had occasion to make in Turkey I have
always found genuine and hearty hospitality offered to me both by Turks
and Christians. I generally accepted that of the latter, as it is more
in unison with our own customs and habits. Every effort was made on the
part of my entertainers to please me and anticipate my wants, and I have
often been both delighted and surprised to find in the heart of barbarous
little towns such comforts as a bedstead, basin, and table service,
besides other articles, the use of which did not always appear quite
clear to their possessors. In one Bulgarian house, for instance, I was
offered wine in a feeding-bottle, which was handed in turn to the rest of
the company. This ludicrous utensil would probably have been refused if
fate had not ordained me to be the first baby to drink from it.
As a contrast to this incident I must not forget to mention one of a
far superior order. Passing through Sofia, I put up at the house of a
wealthy Bulgarian Chorbadji; it was a large building, pretty comfortably
furnished, and very neat and clean in appearance. Scarcely had I rested
the needful time after my journey and partaken of _Slatko_, or preserved
fruit, and coffee, when my hostess came to ask if I were not desirous
of taking a bath of milk and rose-water. This proposal, denoting such
a high standard of luxury, took me by surprise, and my desire to know
its origin exceeded the wish of taking immediate advantage of it. The
question had to be solved, and I thought the best way of explaining it
would be to ask my hostess if this was an indispensable part of the
toilet of the _élite_. It was now her turn to look surprised. “Oh, dear
no, _Gospoyer_,” she exclaimed, “I made the offer believing it to be
one of your own customs, as two English maidens who lodged in my house
some time ago daily made use of what they called ‘a most refreshing and
indispensable luxury.’ Oh, dear no, Gospoyer,” she repeated, “we are
too thrifty a people to think of wasting a quantity of good milk that
could be converted into so much cheese and butter; but you Franks are an
extravagant race.” There was a good deal of truth in what she said, so,
making a compromise in these good things, I willingly accepted the offer
of the rose-water, which is plentiful in the town, as Sofia is not far
from the principal rose-growing districts.
_Autre pays, autres mœurs._ During a flying visit I paid to Kara Hissar,
in Asia Minor, I took up my quarters at the house of an opium-growing
grandee. The dinner offered to me was good, and even refined, but for
a slight but peculiar flavor to which I was unaccustomed; I partook of
it heartily, and afterwards, in order to please my hostess, accepted
a cigarette. Presently I felt a strange languor creeping over me, my
head whirled, my ears began to tingle, my eyesight dimmed, and, my
eyelids heavily closing, I soon found myself in the fool’s paradise
of opium-eaters. All sorts of sweet dreams took possession of my
imagination, crossed by the most ludicrous thoughts and desires. I
imagined that trains were running down my arms; next my travelling-boots,
which I had exchanged for slippers, attracted my attention, and although
not very large, they took to my deluded vision the proportions of a
grotto, towards which I made a desperate rush, and soon felt exhausted
with the efforts I made to enter it. My hostess took the form of a rat,
from whose presence I vainly tried to escape; I went towards the open
window, where the pure night-air somewhat refreshed me, and the twinkle
of the myriad bright stars raised my mind to higher thoughts, and
sensations of an indescribably delicious character took possession of
me. I became poetical, and surprised my entertainers by my declamations
which, needless to say, were quite unintelligible to them. I finally
retired to rest, and sleep overtaking me consigned all to oblivion. On
awaking next morning, I felt very uncomfortable; in fact, I was ill. The
meal of which I had partaken had been cooked in poppy-oil, always used
for the purpose in that part of the country, and said not to have any
effect on the inhabitants, who are accustomed to it from childhood.
The cigarette, it appeared, was also strongly impregnated with the
same narcotic. Let my experience be a warning to travellers in the
opium-growing country.
It is the custom throughout Turkey to offer as refreshment the _Tatlou_,
a rich kind of preserve made from fruits, or flowers such as roses,
lilies, violets, and orange-blossoms. It is brought in soon after the
entrance of a visitor. The service used for the purpose may be of the
most costly or of the simplest description; that used in Turkish harems
is always of some precious metal, and comprises a salver, two preserve
basins, a double spoon-basket, and a number of goblets and spoons. The
edge of the salver, like that used for the coffee, is surrounded by a
gold-embroidered cloth; the slave who offers it does so on bended knee.
In addition to the _Tatlou_, in Turkish Konaks, sherbet, immediately
followed by coffee, is offered to visitors when about to leave or when
the hostess is desirous of being relieved of their company. This beverage
is made from the juices of fruits, cooled with ice; it is brought in on
a tray in goblets. A number of slaves holding richly embroidered napkins
(on one end of which the goblet is placed, resting on the palm of the
hand), offer the cup to the guests, who wipe their lips on the other end.
A fermented drink, called _Boza_, made from millet seed, is very largely
consumed by the lower orders; it is of two kinds, _tatlou_ and _ekshi_,
sweet and sour. The latter, possessing intoxicating properties, is thick
and muddy, and has a peculiar earthy taste.
Wine, both good and abundant, is consumed in moderation by Jews,
Christians, and Europeans, and of late years “La Jeune Turquie” has
manifested a decided partiality for it. Turks generally dine in the
Selamlik, where those who are addicted to drink (a custom prevalent
among the higher orders) begin some hours before the evening meal to
partake freely of _mezzeliks_, which they wash down with copious draughts
of _raki_. It is not rare to find Turks who have never tasted wine or
spirits in their lives; but one seldom hears of a Turk once addicted to
their use who does not nightly make a gross abuse of them, a habit which
tends greatly to increase the vices of Turkish society. It is repugnant
to point out the many evils that result from such orgies, and would be
still more so to illustrate them with the many incidents that have come
under my notice.
A true follower of the Prophet will refrain from wine, as prohibited
by the Koran. The popular belief about the cause of the prohibition is
that Mohammed when on his way to the mosque one day saw a band of his
followers, whose happy looks and gay laughter made a pleasant impression
upon him. He inquired the cause, and was told that they were lively
through having partaken of wine; he approvingly smiled and passed on.
On his return the scene of merriment was changed to one of strife and
bloodshed, and he was informed that it was the result of drunkenness. He
then laid a curse upon the liquor that had occasioned the disaster, and
upon all who should thenceforth indulge in it.
Coffee in Turkey is prepared in a manner far superior to that of any
other country. I will give the recipe for its preparation for the benefit
of any who may like to try it. Water is placed in a peculiarly-shaped
coffee-pot with a long handle and a beak-shaped spout. This is pushed
sideways against a charcoal fire, and when the water has arrived at the
boiling point it is withdrawn, a small quantity of its contents poured
into a cup and a few spoonfuls of finely-pulverized coffee (according to
the number of cups required) is mixed in the coffee-pot, which is again
placed against the fire and the contents gently shaken up once or twice
while a thick scum rises on the surface. Before it has time to boil up
again it is again withdrawn and the water that had been poured out is
put back. It is then replaced on the fire, and when finally withdrawn is
gently knocked once or twice, and after standing a few moments is poured
out and served.
Sugar, not taken by the Turks, may be added before or after boiling.
There is some little art required in the making, but the quality of the
coffee and the manner in which it is roasted are the most important
points. The roasting must be done to a turn, leaving the coffee, when
ground, a rich golden brown.
Milk, very plentiful in the country, is made into very indifferent
cheese, excellent clotted cream, called _Kaymak_, and sour cream,
called _Yaourt_. The latter, being very cheap and good, forms a great
part of the nourishment of the people; it is prepared and sold in large
dairy-pans, which the vendors carry on their heads. One of these pans
served some years ago in a practical joke that the gay _jeunesse_ of
our Embassy played in the Prince’s Islands on an Armenian tutor, who
mentor-like followed three young ladies in their walks, evidently to the
dislike of the lively ladies and the scheming young diplomatists, who had
made up their minds to steal a kiss from the cheeks of the young beauties
should occasion offer. During a meeting of the parties, a _Yaourtji_
passing by at the moment seemed admirably suited for their purpose; one
of the gentlemen, famous for his freaks, seized the basin, and poured
its contents over the head of the unfortunate tutor, who, blinded by the
cream running down his face, was unable to notice what passed.
_Ashji Dukyan_, or cook-shops, are numerous in all the bazars of Eastern
towns. Those at Stamboul have a great reputation, especially the
_Kebabjis_, where _Kebab_ and fruit only are sold. The food is served on
copper dishes, and the customers sit on stools round little tables in
neat gardens attached to the establishments.
The _Ashji dukyan_ contain on one side a long range for cooking, upon
which are placed bright copper pans, whence issues the steam from a
number of savory dishes. The other side is occupied by a platform, upon
which the customers sit cross-legged round low _Sofras_, to partake of
the dishes of their choice plentifully placed before them, accompanied by
bread and water _ad libitum_.