Tarhana - Turkish Chips

Close up on the distinct texture of tarhana chips
(Photo by Turklish)

Tarhana: paper-thin, jagged edges, specks of wheat floating in an almost transparent, tangy concoction.  No matter what time of year you will find these interesting chips taking up a prominent spot on the dessert table.  The young will eat them while they are hard and crispy, the older generation might add a few sprinkles of water to soften the edges and go easy on their gums.  Along with ice cream, tarhana is one of the most common items you'll see in boxes coming off the baggage claim from a Maraş flight.

Tarhana on the dessert table - right in the middle so everyone can grab a few.
(Photo by Turklish)

Yep, I'm back to finish up the Maraş themed posts on a savory note.  Tarhana - you may have heard of it, but the tarhana known throughout the rest of Turkey is not the same as the tarhana chips adored in Maraş.  These chips are unlike anything else I have ever tasted.  They are not sweet, but not really salty either.  They are tangy, with that particular flavor that comes from Turkish yogurt.  They are addictive, you can't stop munching once you try a few.  I guess this is probably the only thing Tarhana chips have in common with the typical potato chips - "betcha can't eat just one". 

While I'm still a little unsure of the details of the entire cooking procedure, I can tell you that tarhana is made from a combination of cracked wheat, yogurt and then flavored with some spices, such as thyme.  It is cooked in a large copper pot and stirred with a large wooden spoon, which the Kahramanmaraş travel guide lovingly calls a "Tarhana Shovel". 

You can see how the tarhana is prepared in this video below, and if you know Turkish, you'll hear these ladies explain it in more detail than I can provide:

When the mixture is ready, the thick paste is spread on reed mats and laid out to dry on rooftops, in open areas, and even in the city on the sidewalk in front of shops.  If the tarhana dries from morning to dusk it will be "Fresh Tarhana" and retain a limp texture, which is a delicacy savored in those lovely, early summer days.  After drying for two full days, the tarhana is crisp and can be stored for the rest of the year. 

The tarhana goop before it is spread on the mats.
(Image from Market Maras)

 This winter we were enjoying stashes of stored tarhana and came upon a white, crusty blob in the middle of the chip.  I looked at H. and giggled, "It's bird poop." 

"Tarhana is 100% natural."  He grinned back at me.

Yes, it is all natural and dried with the grace of nature, with a few presents from the local avian population mixed in.  Don't let that discourage you - it's part of the experience.  To be honest, I just put that piece off to the side and kept on eating.  A little poop won't hurt anyone.

The tarhana drying on mats in the fresh air.
(Image from Market Maras)

Unlike the Kahramanmaraş ice cream, there is no one selling tarhana on the street corners or playing fun games with an ice cream cone.  It has not won worldwide awards for its unique flavor or texture, and as a tourist you may not even know it exists unless you were invited to a home for dinner, or happened to be in town during the few weeks when the tarhana was hanging out to dry in the streets.

Tarhana is like many beauties of the Turkish culture, it is soft-spoken and unknown to the rest of the world, but deeply loved by its owners.  If you happen to stop in Maraş  I recommend you find a shop* selling tarhana and try a few chips - I betcha can't eat just one! 

A Question for the Readers: Have any of you heard of this type of tarhana before?  I'm curious if others know about it or have ever tried it.  Share your comments below!

*In Maraş there are a variety of shops selling tarhana, they will usually advertise this on their shop front window or awning.  Your best bet is to ask around to find a shop close to where you end up in the city.  There should be quite a few.

Books, Books, Books: My Turkish Book Collection

“Books to the ceiling,

Books to the sky,

My pile of books is a mile high.

How I love them! How I need them!

I'll have a long beard by the time I read them.” 

― Arnold Lobel

Today the weather and I had a lot in common.  This morning it was bright and warm, but at the edge of town I could see the dark clouds moving in.  By mid-afternoon it was cold and grey, with large bursts of wind throwing me off balance as I trudged along the near empty campus roads.  I like it when the weather matches my mood.  It adds some cohesiveness to the day, and it is in fact comforting to let a dark mood simmer in a dark day.  As a child I always loved a rainy day when I didn't have anywhere particular to go.  I would sit inside, get cozy, and read, read, read. 

All I wanted to do today was read, read, read.  I wanted to head home, curl up on the couch, make some tea and read.  Reading isn't a great option for me right now, with this serious eye problem that has plagued me in the last few days, but the desire to read was still there.  To appease my soul I went to the bookstore instead.  I looked at books, I scanned through the pages.  I told myself not to buy one.  (Books are so expensive these days.)  Yet, I savored the aroma, the texture and the feeling of being surrounded by books.

You see, I love books.  Books are to me what shoes are to many other women.  I find myself buying them, even though I don't particularly need any new reading material.  Sometimes I buy them because I'm in a bad mood, sometimes I'm feeling particularly nostalgic for my childhood, or I just feel like I NEED to buy that book.

My collection of Turkish books began this way.  I started with one or two, just to educate myself about Turkish culture and history.  Then I found a few more that satisfied my desire for travel writing, then a few more that spoke to the culture junkie in me, then a few that would help me learn Turkish, a few to give me new recipes and tips for cooking Turkish cuisine, then a few more…you get the picture. 

I now have around 30 or so books that are somehow related to Turkish language, travel, culture and cuisine, this is not including the many books I have stored electronically on my Kindle.  Yes, it is becoming a source for my nerdy pride - so I must not get out of control - must keep my nerdy pride in check.

However, I want to share this collection with you all.  I am adding a new page to this blog, called "My Turkish Book Collection".  At the moment this list in incomplete.  I have a partial list of titles for now and I'm adding reviews and book information as I read through my list.  You see, with my obsession I have bought far more books that I have been able to read and now I'm trying to get through them all. 

I would love to have suggestions for books that I am missing - if anyone knows of a relevant book that they feel fits with the collection - please leave me a message - either here or on the "Collection" page. 

Tesekkurlar!

Trying to avoid this:

“Finally, from so little sleeping and so much reading, his brain dried up and he went completely out of his mind.” 

― Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, Don Quixote

Hulkiye's Turkish Fruit Cake

When I was in Turkey this past January I did my best to learn some Turkish recipes.  I wanted to be able to re-create some of the savory meals, creamy soups, oh-so-delicious pastries and scrumptious cakes that we enjoyed in Turkey.  I would eagerly hang around in the kitchen when meal-prep or baking was underway.  H.'s mom knew that I wanted to learn, so she would call me in and explain to me what she was doing, by showing and using some words that I could understand. 

In this way I learned how to make an incredibly tasty chicken with roasted almonds, and I now know the secret to an intensely rich and creamy soup, without using even a drop of cream.   Perhaps I'll share these secrets soon (although many may already know them, they were news to me).  

However, one of the recipes I was most eager to learn was the famous fruit cake.  Ever since I first began dating H., I heard about this incredibly tasty cake that his mom would make for him and send in packages while H. was away at university.  This cake was the favorite of the dormitory and won H.'s mom cake-baking fame among college friends.  I'm sure it is famous in many social circles in Maras as well.  Now it's fame has come to the USA - and I am eager to replicate this delicious treat.

The first slice!
This cake could be spruced up with a little sugary syrup drizzled on top , if desired.
 As is, it is a nice, no-too-sweet, treat that goes great with tea.

Replicating a Turkish recipe is not always an easy feat.  Yes, there are recipe books that lay it out nice and clear, step by step.  However, most recipes are not written, ingredients do not conform to standard measurements, and in fact, many beautiful creations are based on what is on hand at that moment, without any extra trips to the local grocer.

H. has collected many of these recipes from his mom while living in the US.  When feeling homesick, a meal from home would help ease the soreness and bring an indescribable joy.  A while back, H. had collected this recipe for Turkish Fruit Cake.  So today I asked if he could share it with me so I could whip up a tasty cake and use up some of the Cuties (mandarin oranges) drying out on my counter.  So here is the recipe - Turkish measuring style and all.

Hulkiye's Turkish Fruit Cake

Ingredients:

3 eggs at room temperature

1 water glass of sugar*

3 water glasses of flour

1 heaping TURKISH teaspoon of baking powder**

1 water glass milk OR orange juice

(we like to add the orange juice to make the cake fruitier, fresh-squeezed is the best option)

1 water glass oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract(my addition because I love vanilla)

15 or so dried apricots, cut into 6 pieces

A handful of raisins

A handful of chopped walnuts (or whatever other type of nut you have on hand)

Zest of small orange

The few handfuls of dried fruit - this is what makes the cake! 

Cuties - so bright and cheerful!

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F or (180C)

In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs and add the sugar, mixing well.

Add vanilla extract at this point if you want to add it .

(NOTE: if you want to use the Turkish powdered vanilla, add that the flour mixture instead)

Add oil and milk or juice to egg and sugar mixture, mix well.

All the liquids together.

In a separate bowl, put the 3 glasses of flour and stir in the heaping teaspoon of baking powder.  Add the apricots, raisins and walnuts and coat them in the flour (this will help prevent them from sinking into the cake as it bakes).  Add the orange zest.

Now, add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix by hand.  Batter will be fairly thick.

After the flour is mixed in the batter is quite thick and you might need a good silicone spatula to get the last drop out. 

Grease and flour a bundt pan.  Add batter to pan.

Bake for 1 hour - you want the cake to be a little crispy to keep the moisture in and stay fresh longer.

Just right!

* Water glass can mean whatever you want it to mean - the basic idea is you use the same glass to measure everything so the proportions are the same.  That being said - I used a coffee mug that was about 1 cup and that seemed to work well.

** Turkish teaspoon is not the same as a measuring teaspoon- but probably similar.  When the Turks say "teaspoon" they mean the tiny spoons used to stir sugar into tea.  So if you use a measuring teaspoon - make sure to make it heaping!

 I'm sure other dried fruits could be easily substituted for the apricots and raisins - and as I mentioned, I didn't actually use orange juice, but a similar citrus fruit and the result was the same - delicious!  So the moral of the story is be creative and bake with love, and the taste will show it!

It took all those little cuties to make a cup, but it was worth it and I used up some fruit that was at the end of its prime and would have spoiled otherwise.  Win-Win.