土耳其table manners

Eating Habits of the Turks and their Associated Behaviors

Dr. Mahmut Tezcan

“The soul comes through the throat.”

Introduction

Nutrition is a central fact of existence for all living things, it is something we must achieve in order to remain alive. We may approach the subject of nutrition in Turkey, and Turkish cuisine, from a variety of standpoints. Here, I will examine it chiefly from the standpoint of social anthropology, and support my statements both with examples from literature and my own observations.

Different societies have different cultures, and among these cultural differences is the element of eating habits. All people must eat to live. But what a person eats depends on both geographical conditions, and upon his culture.

What a person chooses in the way of food, how he acquires it, how he cooks it, and how, when and where he eats it, all change according to the habits of his society. Turkish society exhibits considerable differences from other cultures in terms of types of food and flavors.

Throughout our country, eating habits exhibit variety according to history, region, and even among various sections of society such as urban or village dwellers. In addition, we can speak of common features despite these differences. Here I would like to concentrate mostly on the common features. In other words, these common features are expressions of behavioral patterns.

With a long history, the Turks have a rich culinary culture. This wealth is evident in the rich variety of foods. In addition, patterns of behavior have developed in relation to all foods and drinks.

To give a few examples of this culinary wealth: in the Black Sea region alone there are over twenty different dishes incorporating corn. Also in the Black Sea region the many different ways of preparing hamsi, a sardine-like fish, indicates the richness of our cuisine: Fried hamsi, hamsi bread, pilaf, kaygana (a sort of crepe), köfte, dible, boiled, grilled, in börek, steamed with onions and tomatoes...the list goes on.

In Kayseri, there are twenty different varieties of pastırma, the ancestor of the pastrami of the west. One writer says: Every one of the twenty varieties of pastırma has a separate character, a separate flavor. If we tell someone from Kayseri, ‘Count twenty kinds of pastırma,’ he will begin counting: Sırt, kuşgömü, kenar mehle, eğrice, omuz, dilme, şekerpare, kürek, kapak, döş, etek, bacak, orta bez, kavrama, meme, kelle, kanlı bez, arka bas, tütünlük..” (Gümüşkayak, 1966)

We also have a great variety of eggplant dishes, salads and types of kebab (roast meats). Bıldırcın kebabı, çevirme kebabı, kuzu çevirme, çöp kebabı, çubuk kebabı, şiş kebabı, deri kebabı, pideli kebap, Adana kebap, saç kebabı, tas kebabı and tandır kebabı are just a few of the many examples.

We observe that foods of Anatolia generally fall into three groups: plant/vegetables, meats, and bread/doughs. Most of these have been used since antiquity. There is actually a tie between civilization and types of food. Criteria such as the quality, number, type and array of tools used in food preparation, the materials cooked themselves, the way they are cooked, and whether or not they are eaten directly as they occur in nature, all give an idea as to that country’s level of civilization and taste. In anthropological terms, eating habits comprise a cultural complex. In other words, the act of eating is a combination of several different cultural features. The kitchen is an indication of civilization. Generally we can characterize societies who do not use agricultural products and eat mostly meat and game as primitive. The Turks have made various types of food at various stages of civilization, and each stage of civilization has had its effect on today’s eating habits.

In generally, we observe the following characteristics in Turkish foods:

Nomadism and the agricultural economic structure have affected Turkish food.
Foods exhibit variety according to our country’s geographical regions.
Foods generally exhibit differentiation according to families’ socioeconomic level.
The variety of foods is indicative of reciprocal influence with other cultures.
Our cuisine is influenced by our religious structure, norms and values.
Eating habits display a certain degree of differentiation according to gender.
It is within this context that we shall address the subject.

A. The Influence of Agricultural Structure and Nomadic Culture

In most of the Turkish tribes, and within this context, in the foods of nomads, plant were of little importance. The chief staples of the Old Turks were mutton and milk products (Rasonyi, 1971). Chief among milk products was kımız (kumiss), or fermented mare’s milk. Though with an alcohol content of 2-6% it is not extremely nutritious, it is refreshing and relieves hunger. With quite a high caloric content (450 calories per litre) due to its butterfat, it had a one-dimensional nutritive value. In the agricultural economy, it is especially grains that comprise the majority of Turkish foodstuffs. Dry beans or chickpeas, bulgur pilaf accompanied by an onion, have become practically the symbol of Turkish food, and are the most popular foods among the rural people. In restaurants along the roads of Anatolia, isn’t the most-heard order, “bir kuru” (one dry [beans])? Even if we eat it in the Army till we’re sick of it, and as many jokes of which it may be the subject, it’s still an indispensable food in Turkey.

Contrary to European and American culture, Turks most often eat foods cooked with water; so much so that “sulu yemek” (foods with water) comprises a distinct category of dishes. Most vegetables an grains are cooked in water with ground or cubed meat and onions. For this reason the Turks have developed a very rich variety of soups. Even today, soup is the preferred breakfast food in rural areas.

One of the most common Turkish foods is tarhana soup, made from tarhana, a highly nutritious product made from yogurt and flour or wheat. Other very common soups are yogurt soup, flour soup, red lentil and rice soups. “Kaşıklayıver” (“spoon it up”) is an expression of “sulu yemek,” is it not? Sulu yemek naturally encourages the consumption of lots of much bread. For this reason, bread is very much eaten in our country; it is a very common belief that one cannot leave the table satisfied if there is no bread. For this reason bread is made either at home or bought from the bakery and eaten in large quantities. The lack of commercial bakeries in the villages makes it necessary to make bread at home. The making of tandir ekmek (yufka-paper-thin flatbread) or various types leavened bread (bazlama) on certain days takes up a great amount of women’s time. Commercial ovens mostly sell the loaf types which are not so much made at home. For Turks, bread is a sacred food. It has a religious quality. The Prophet Mohammed had this to say about bread: Show respect to bread, a holy figure, the symbol of the fruitfulness of the heaven and earth. For this reason, fragments of bread are not thrown on the ground. One who has bread to eat, gives thanks to God. The prevalence and popularity of bread and other grain products is an indication of the agricultural economic structure.

The chief types of breads made by Turkish villagers are yufka (paper thin bread), home bread, saç bread (cooked on a convex grıddle), bread cooked between two convex griddles, leavened pan bread, tandır bread (cooked on the walls of an oven that opens from the top), stone oven bread, sourdough bread and ebeleme (a leavened bread cooked on a convex griddle). Other bread-like products include corn breads, pide (an open-faced pizza-like dish), bazlama (a thick, flat leavened bread), gözleme (unleavened bread dough rolled thin and folded over a filling, then cooked on a griddle), cızlama (layered yufka with a filling), kete (baked layered bread filled with buttered flour), çörek (egg bread), kurabiye (cookies) and börek. Although nutritionists state that surviving solelly on bread is harmful, a 1964 study in the U.S. showed that eating only bread had no ill effects on the health. (Tekeli, 1970). Prof. Tekeli also reminds us that contrary to popular belief, breads made in the villages contain much more than only flour; they are made with the addition of other foodstuffs and are eaten with other things as well. The use of yeast in bread making also changes according to ty pe.

Baking of bread is mostly done on convex griddles (saç), on the walls of clay ovens (tandır), in village ovens or in modern ranges. Various types are baked daily, weekly or even monthly. The long-lasting varieties are made with different methods. The large batches and long shelf life of village bread is due to the fact that the village woman has so many duties.

Another clear indication of an agricultural economy among the Turks is the prevalence of dough-based foods. [Translator’s note: foods based on dough, whether pastries or pasta, are recognized as a distinct category in Turkish food, and known as hamur işi, literally “dough work.”] One of the most popular is “mantı,” similar to ravioli, with meat, yogurt and butter, which is mostly made at home. In recent years, special country style restaurants offering mantı and gözleme have become extremely common.

Other hamur işi includes erişte (homemade noodles), cooked both by themselves and in soup. Börek (pastry made from dough rolled to paper thinness) filled with vegetables, meat, cheese or potatoes is another popular dough-based dish. A sweet pastry, Turkish baklava, which may be filled with walnuts, pistachios, other nuts or cream) is known the world over.

Bibliography

Amicis, Edmonde: İstanbul (1874), (Transl. Beynun Akyavaş). Ankara 1981, Ministry of Culture Press.
D’Ohsson, M.: XVIII. Yüzyıl Türkiye’sinde Örf ve Adetler, (Çev. Zerhal Yüksel) Tercüman 1001 Temel Eser.
Gökyay, O. Şaik: Dedem Korkudun Kitabı, Istanbul 1973, Publications of the Prime Ministry.
Eyüboğlu, İsmet Zeki: Anadolu Uygarlığı, Istanbul 1981.
Güçbilmez, Erdoğan: Yenimahalle ve Kayadibi, Ankara 1972 A.Ü.S.B.F. Press.
Gümüşkaynak, Mustafa: Kayseri Pastırması, Kuşgömü ve Tütünlük, Türk Folklor Araştırmaları No. 208, Nov. 1966.
Irmak, Sadi: İnsanlığın Alınyazısı Faktörü Olarak Besin ve Beslenme, Türk Yurdu, Vol. 4, No. 309, March 1965.
Kafesoğlu, İbrahim: Türk Milli Kültürü, Ankara 1977, Turkish Cultural Research Institute Press. -
Koşay, Hamit Z.: Anadolu Yemekleri ve Türk Mutfağı, Ankara 1961.
Köksal, Orhan: Türkiye 1974 Nutrition-Health and Food Consumption Research, Ankara 1977.
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Rsonyi, Leszli: Tarihte Türklük, Ankara, Turkish Cultural Research Institute Press.
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1981, pp. 593–75.
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4. Beş Yıllık Kalkınma Planı.

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土耳其人有时也请客人到家里做客，他们通常是在饭馆里招待客人，轻松愉快地吃顿晚餐。如果你被邀请到家里吃饭，可以带上一束鲜花，一些糖果或点心做为礼物，主人会喝酒的话，也可以带上一瓶酒。土耳其是个伊斯兰教国家，切记，进入伊斯兰教寺院时务必脱鞋。

土耳其人喜欢喝浓咖啡，糖也加得很多，但绝不搅拌。据说，如此喝法，只要习惯了就觉得味美无穷。笃信伊斯兰教的土耳其，自古就以“多妻之国”著称。凯末尔革命后制定的第一部非宗教性的民法典，重新调整了结婚、离婚、继承私有财产等各种关系，不仅废除了多妻制，而且使妇女在所有上述法律问题上同男人处于平等地位。凯末尔党人对新的立法曾抱很大希望，然而，实际上它在许多方面却成了一纸空文。一夫多妻、男尊女卑现象在社会上继续存在。按伊斯兰教教规，允许一个土耳其男人可以分别娶四房妻子，而国家是不承认这种一夫多妻的穆斯林婚姻的。

土耳其人特别喜欢花。每当人们欢宴宾客时，餐桌上都有一只插满鲜花的花瓶，应邀赴宴的客人也不会忘记给好客的女主人带一束令人赏心悦目的鲜花。如去探望病中的友人，带一束鲜花则比带别的礼物更宝贵，病人见到后也会格外高兴。土耳其人还赋予各种不同颜色的鲜花以特定的含义。例如，白玫瑰表示“贞节”，红玫瑰表示“爱情”，粉红色玫瑰表达的意思是“我的心属于你“，而黄玫瑰则意味着“分离”。白色石竹花代表“纯洁”，红色石竹花表示“友爱”，黄色石竹花则表示“忧伤”。白色的美人蕉是“友谊”，红色的美人蕉是“祈求”，紫色的美人蕉是“信任”，黄色的美人蕉则是“嫉妒”。白色的郁金香表示“纯朴”，红色的郁金香表示我爱你”，粉红色的郁金香表示“谅解”，黄色的郁金香表示“紧张”。白菊花代表“忠诚”，黄菊花代表“单相思”，粉红色菊花代表“无言的祈求”，紫色的菊花则表示“恼怒”。水仙花表示“勿忘我”，兰花表示“自豪而又自信”，雏菊表示“健康和富有”，莲花则责示“未来和革新”，如此等等，名目繁多。

参考资料：

踏入土耳其的魅力之地，沉浸在它的丰富文化和悠久的传统中，其中餐桌礼仪扮演着不可或缺的角色。作为一名女性旅人，遵循土耳其的餐桌礼仪至关重要，因为它不仅展现了对当地习俗的尊重，还将为您的用餐体验增添一份难忘的色彩。
入席有礼：
抵达餐厅后，您会注意到每个人都有自己分配的座位。落座前，请礼貌地等待主人或最年长的客人邀请您。就座时，保持身体挺直，双脚平放在地面，避免跷二郎腿或将胳膊放在桌子上。
餐前准备：
在用餐开始前，您会收到一个装有面包和各种开胃小菜的盘子。根据喜好取用，但切记用您的右手，因为左手在土耳其文化中被认为是不净的。如果您对某些食物过敏或有宗教限制，请在用餐前告知主人。
用餐礼仪：
用餐时，请使用刀叉。土耳其菜肴通常用汤匙食用。如果您不习惯使用汤匙，可以用右手持刀，左手持叉。进餐时，请保持优雅的姿态，将食物小口放入嘴中，轻声咀嚼。在就餐过程中，避免发出响声或用嘴直接接触餐具。
分享的乐趣：
在土耳其，分享菜肴是常见的习俗。如果您点了多个菜肴，不要惊讶于服务员会将它们放在大盘子里端上桌。与同伴分享食物是表示慷慨和友好的一种方式。如果您对某种菜肴有疑问，请随时咨询主人或其他用餐者。
留有余地：
土耳其人热情好客，常常会提供大量的食物。进餐时重要的是要保持克制，留有余地。如果您已经吃饱，请礼貌地表示已满足，并感谢主人的慷慨。避免浪费食物，因为这是对主人的不尊重。
餐后习俗：
用餐结束后，请将餐具轻轻放在盘子上，不要堆叠。如果您需要帮助，请向服务员示意。土耳其人习惯饭后喝茶或咖啡。如果您愿意，可以接受并加入他们的谈话。离开餐桌前，请向主人表示感谢，并祝愿他们用餐愉快。
遵循这些餐桌礼仪，您不仅可以融入当地文化，还可以享受愉快的土耳其用餐体验。尊重传统，以优雅和礼貌的举止展现您的异国风情，留下美好的回忆。