With a dedication to Laura :):):)

Ramadan (Turkish: Ramazan) has started. This year it started on the 20^th of July.

Some people are fasting, but all of them are probably having a festive Iftar (a fast-breaking meal around 8p.m.)

So you can imagine what kind of meals Gaziantep residents might have, I will add  something here about Gaziantep’s cuisine.

The geographical location of the city made it a historical melting pot. The different cultures and novelties of two great empires strongly effected Turkish culinary culture. The ancient culinary tradition is continued nowadays.

Some dishes, like lamb liver kebabs, fresh cheese, helva and stuffed patlıcan (eggplant) have maintained constant names and recipes through the ages.

Generally, Antep’s cuisine can be described as classical, known nationally and inter-nationally.

Influences on flavor: sour flavors and fresh garlic, are found in most dishes.

There are a few kinds of each of these and, depending on the dish, chefs use different spices.

For example, in yogurt dishes, saffron and peppermint; in some other dishes and soups, tarhın; in rice pudding, cinnamon. 

There are seven sources of of sour flavor which are used according to the dishes: lemon, lemon salt, unripe grape, boiled grape juice, sumac, sumac sour and pomegranate sour.

 To make this description more vivid, I will add photos of the meals that I have tried.

Afiyet olsun!

Monika