Dishes and drinks that are served on special occasions

Some drinks and dishes are only offered on specific dates and events, and their traditional preparation requires more time and effort than daily meals.

These special dishes are made in a teamwork called “Imece”. Engagements, weddings, circumcision festivals, funerals, religious celebrations, seasonal festivities, and Ramadan Month are all occasions to change the normal diet. The table is distinguished not only by the presentation of other dishes, but also by a lavishness of the offer, which goes back only to the peculiarity of certain days.

To illustrate, I have picked out three examples, a birth, a wedding and a funeral.

The relatives, neighbors and acquaintances of the woman bring in addition to various gifts also milk, yogurt, eggs, soup and others. Food with. The visitor is offered a special drink, “Logusa Serbeti”, a soft drink made of red colored sugar, milk, desserts or pastries. The woman is fed on dairy products, onions, wheat groats, lentils, sugar syrup, and sweets, because it is believed that this would stimulate the function of the mothers. Chickpeas, beans and various types of fruit are, however, avoided as incompatible, even drinking cold water is the woman not allowed.

The traditional wedding meal is a meat dish with a “pilav” (steamed rice refined with butter), a vegetable dish, or a bean or chickpea stew, and compote. Especially popular are noodle or yoghurt soups. “Keskek,” as we call wheat-groats cooked with meat, and meat with rice is widespread in almost every region. For dessert, we like to eat “Irmik Helvasi” (buttered semolina with sweet milk), “Zerde” (saffron-made dessert), sweet rice “Sütlaç” or “Baklava” (sweet puff pastry with walnut, pistachio or almond filling ).

At a funeral, there are other special dishes besides the “pilaf” and the vegetable dishes. The gravediggers are offered a special meal called “Kazma takirtisi”. In various areas in the mourning house no food is cooked for three to seven days, but it is brought by neighbors and acquaintances. On the day of the funeral, a flour dessert “Un Helvasi” is usually prepared and distributed. On the 3rd, 7th, 40th and 52nd day after the funeral, a memorial service is held during which prayers are offered and, in turn, certain meals are offered.

Source: Ministry of Culture Turkey