Grains: From Bread to Börek and from Bulgur to Pilav
The basis of Turkish cuisine is a dough made from wheat flour. Alongside Ekmek (ordinary white bread), Pide (flat bread), Simit (sesame rings) and Mantı (dumplings), a whole family of dishes falls into this category, made from thin sheets of dough called Börek. You only realise the wonderful luxury of Turkish bread when you leave the country. This wonderful food is enjoyed in great quantities and loved by all, rich or poor, simple, or sophisticated.
There is a bread bakery in every neighbourhood that produces the golden, crusty loaves twice a day, in the morning and in the afternoon, filling the streets with their irresistible and healthy aroma. People pick up a few loaves on their way home from work and end up eating the crispy ends when they get there. After a hard day’s work, the warm loaf is the best reward because it makes you feel like everything is good.
Ekmek, Pide and Simit are eaten the same day they are baked, and they usually are. Leftover Ekmek is made into a variety of dishes, or is mixed with milk for the neighbourhood cats. Mantı, small dumplings filled with a special meat mixture, are eaten with generous servings of garlic yoğurt and a dollop of brown butter with paprika.
Börek is a dish for special occasions and requires a lot of skill and patience, unless you have already bought rolled out thin sheets of dough from your corner grocery shop. Anyone who can master this delicate task with a rolling pin, will become the most sought-after person in their circle of family and friends. The sheets are then layered or folded into various shapes before being filled with cheese or meat mixes and baked or deep-fried. In every household, enjoys at least five different types of Börek as a regular part of its menu.
Besides bread, Pilav is another staple in Turkish cuisine. The most common varieties are cracked wheat grains (Bulgur) pilav and pilav made from rice pilav. A good cracked-wheat (bulgur) pilav made with whole onions, sliced tomatoes and green peppers sautéed in butter and cooked in beef stock is a meal in itself. There are many variations of rice pilav to accompany vegetable and meat dishes. The special feature of Turkish pilav is the soft, buttery rice morsels that roll easily off the spoon.