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“MEZE” DISHES TO
ACCOMPANY THE SPIRITS
In Turkey, despite the Islamic prohibition against wine and anything
alcoholic, there is a rich tradition associated with liquor.
Drinking alcoholic beverages in the company of family and friends,
both at home as well as in taverns and restaurants, is a part of
special occasions. Similar to the Spanish tapas, “meze” is the
general category of dishes that are brough in small quantities to
start the meal off. These are eaten, along with wine or more likely
with “raký”, the the anise-flovoured national drink of Turks
sometimes referred to as “lion’ milk”, until the main course is
served.
The bare minimum meze for raký are slices of honeydew melon and
creamy feta cheese with freshly baked bread. Beyond this, a typical
meze menu includes dried and marinated mackerel, fresh salad greens
in thick yogurt sauce and garlic, plates of cold vegetable dishes
cooked or fried in olive oil, fried crispy savoury pastry,
deep-fried mussels and squid served in a sauce, tomato and cucumber
salad, and fish eggs in a sauce. The main course that follows such a
meze spread will be fish or grilled meat.
When the main course is kebab, then the meze spread is different
types of minced salad greens and tomatoes in spicy olive oil, mixed
with yogurt or cheese, “humus” (chick peas mashed in tahini), bulgur
and red lentil balls, raw köfte, marinated stuffed eggplant, peppers
with spices and nuts, and pickles are likely to be served. |
