Day: March 24, 2017

A good example of the richness of its cuisine is, without a doubt, Turkish dried fruits and nuts. No country eats and reveres dried fruit, seeds and nuts quite like Turkey. Today, the consumption of nuts has become an essential part of a healthy diet. Nuts have been recommended primarily for coronary heart diseases, problems in blood sugar and cholesterol, diabetes, metabolic problems, and their antioxidant, vitamin and mineral contents. More and more governments recommend them to be consumed on a daily basis. Dried fruits and nuts occupy a special place in the culinary culture and have created their own special traditions. In Turkish there is a special word, kuruyemiş, which used to describe all sorts of mixed nuts and dried fruit. Squash and sunflower seeds (çekirdek) have become practically vital when going to the park or to watch football. For this reason the entrances to parks are full of sellers of squash and sunflower seeds. It’s a food used to pass the time. Vast areas are covered by the shells of the sunflower seeds and there is a fine art to extracting the kernel inside. It takes practice but once you get the hang of it you too, will be addicted. Open-air and regular cinemas are places where sunflower and squash seeds are also consumed. As well as in tea gardens. Villages Dry fruits and nuts also add colour to village festivals. In the old days, when sweets were uncommon and sugar was expensive villagers would give children handfuls of dry fruits and nuts. Dry fruit and nuts also help people pass the long winter nights. When tea and coffee were not readily available, it was common to serve guests plates of dry fruit and nuts. When children went to school, mothers filled their pockets or bags with whatever dried fruit or nuts were available. Turkey

This Mother's day make your mum, or anyone else, a sweet treat that you can wrap and give. Turkish Delight and crunchy Nut Brittle make a lovely combination. Both these sweet treats are popular in Turkey. You can find them in markets and towns when you go shopping. Some of the nicest are found in little back streets of the larger towns. Look out for both when you visit Mugla or Fethiye with us or when you are walking around Dalyan. Rose Turkish Delight 32 oz. Sugar 3.5 oz. Corn starch 4 cups Water Icing sugar Metal or glass tray, 50cm x 50 cm x 5 cm deep First dust your tray with some of the icing sugar. Be sure to cover all of the sides and the bottom thoroughly. Mix the water, corn starch, and sugar in a large saucepan. Gently heat the mixture on a medium heat. Make sure that you stir continuously. After around five minutes the mixture will begin to thicken. Keep stirring until you have the consistency of toffee. Add 4 or 5 drops of rose water. Stir in and then pour into your tray. Leave to cool for at least 2 hours. Once your Turkish Delight is set dust your work surface with more icing sugar. Remove from the tray and cut into 2cm cubes. Dust all of the Turkish Delight with more icing sugar and little more corn starch. Nut Brittle 12 oz Sugar 1 cup of water 8 oz Golden Syrup 1 oz Butter 3 oz of nuts. I like to used mixed nuts but it is up to you. I also like to have a handful of them salted. This gives a lovely sweet and salty flavour. Grease a 50cm x 50cm x 5cm baking or glass dish. Mix together the sugar, water, golden syrup and butter