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CONTEMPORARY CONCERNS: DIET AND HEALTH
As modernity takes hold, traditions are falling to one side.
Spirituality as a guide for conduct in everyday life is something of
the past; now we turn to science for answers.
Ironically, as McDonald’s and Pizza Huts are popping up everywhere,
the traditional way of eating is also making a come-back. What our
grandmothers knew all the time is now being confirmed by modern
science: a diet which is fundamentally based on grains, vegetables
and fruits with meat and dairy products used sparingly and as
flovoring, ia a healthy one. Furthermore, some combinations are
better han others, because they complement each other for balanced
nutrition. Turkish cuisine sets an example in these respects. The
recent “food-pyramid” endorsed by the United States Department of
Agriculture resembles age-old practices in ordinary households. Even
the well-known menus of boarding schools or army kitchens, hardly
known for their gourmet characteristics, provide excellent nutrition
that can be justified by the best of today’s scientific knowledge.
One such combination, jokingly referred to as “our national food”,
is beans and pilaf, accompanied by pickles and quince compote-a
perfectly nourishing combination which provides the essential
proteins, carbohydrates and minerals. Another curious practice is
combining spinach with yogurt. Now are know that the body needs
calcium found in the yogurt to assimilate the iron found in the
spinach.
Yogurt, a contribution of the Turks to the world, has also become a
popular health food. A staple in the Turkish diet, it has been known
all along for its detoxifying properties. Other such beliefs, not
yet supported by modern science, include the role of the onion, used
liberally in all dishes, in strengthening the immune system along
with garlic for high blood pressure and olive oil as a remedy for
forty-one ailments. The complicated debate concerning mono-and
polyunsaturated fats and good and bad cholestrol is ridiculously
inadequate to evaluate olive oil. Given what we know about health
food today, one could even envy the typical lunch fare of the
proverbial construction worker who eats bread, feta cheese and fresh
grapes in the summer and bread and tahini helva in the winter. The
variety of pastry turnovers with cheese or ground meat, meat pide,
or kebabs are fast food for millions of working people. These are
all prepared entirely on the premises using age-old practices.
One of the main culprits in the modern-day diet is the snack, that
horrible junk food designed to give a quick sugar-high to keep one
going for the rest of the day. Again, modern science has come to the
rescue, and healthy snacks are now being discovered. Some of these
are amazingly familiar to the Turks! Take, for example, the “fruit
roll-ups”. Visit any dried-food store that sells nuts and fruits,
and you will see the authentic version, such as sheets of mashed and
dried apricots and grapes. In these stores, there are many other
items that await the discovery of some pioneering entrepreneur from
Western markets. Another wholesome snack, known as “trail mix” or “gorp”,
is well-known to all Turkish mothers, who traditionally stuff a
handful of mixed nuts and raisins in the pockets of their children’s
school uniform to snack on before exams. This practice can be traced
to ancient fables where the hero goes on a diet of hazelnuts and
raisins before fighting with the giants and dragons, or before
weaving the king a golden smock. The Prince always loads onto the
mythological bird, the “Zümrüt Anka”, forty sacks of nuts and
raisins for himself, and water and meat for the bird that takes him
over the high Caucasus Mountains.
As far as food goes, it is reassuring to know that we are
re-discovering what is good for our bodies.nevertless, one is left
with the nagging feeling that such knowledge will always be
incomplete as long as it is divorced from its cultural context and
metaphysical traditions. The challenge facing modern Turkey is to
achieve such continuity in a time of genetic engineering, high-tech
mass production and the growing number of canvenience oriented
households. But for now, the markets are vibrant and the dishes are
tastier than ever, so enjoy!
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