The lifestyle of Ottoman Sultans was full of luxury and they loved to eat a lot. Food had an essential place in the Ottoman empire, the reason why their kitchens were always decked up with aromatic spices and ingredients. Take a look at these 3 must-have dishes from the Ottoman Cuisine if you love exploring various cuisines!
1) Sakala Çarpan Çorbası (Green Lentil Soup With Roasted Noodles)
Sakala Çarpan Çorbası is a soup made with green lentils, roasted homemade noodles, onion, tomato, and garlic. There’s an interesting story behind how this soup got its name.
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Since Ottoman Sultans had big beards, the noodles use to hit their beards while drinking the soup and named it Sakala (Beard) Çarpan (Beater) soup! The infusion of dried mint sauce into the soup while it’s boiling works like magic and drastically boosts its flavor.
2) Şehzade Çeşidiyesi (Fried Beef With Fruit & Nuts)
Şehzade Çeşidiyesi is a forgotten dish from the Ottoman era consisting of prunes, blanched almonds, tenderloin meat, apple, and any one of the seasonal fruits.
This dish is extremely rich in taste as it is prepared whole-heartedly in butter.
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3) Unutma Beni (Bread Dessert With Mollases Syrup)
“Unutma Beni” simply means “Forget Me Not” in English. This dessert is a flavorsome combo of stale sourdough bread, sugar, molasses, and water.
The story behind this dessert is that once upon a time in an Ottoman village, a man got called to the army. He wanted something to eat before he leaves so he asked his wife to prepare food. She invented this dish from the stale bread, molasses, and walnuts that were lying in her kitchen and served it to her husband. The man loved the dessert so much that he asked her the name of the dish, to which she replied “Forget Me Not” since she was worried that her husband might forget her after joining the army and this is how Unutma Beni dessert got its name!
Which one of the 3 must-have dishes from the Ottoman cuisine has tickled your taste buds the most? Tell me in the comments sections below!
