A Virtual Traveller Goes Back to the Bosphorus

Getting back in touch with my roots and cooking up my favourite Turkish fare is how I travel right now. Thankfully, there are no restrictions on our imagination or diets!

I started writing, “if you’ve had a tough year…” but that’s pretty much a given for everyone. This year demands that we find happiness in small places, doing simple things very nicely. It’s the only way to keep an ounce of sanity as this year comes to a close with little relief from all the hardship in sight.

It’s easy to get trapped in a dire outlook, but that doesn’t mean we’re subject to it at all costs. I think it’s important to keep in mind that this situation is as temporary as it is extraordinary. It will pass. So let’s keep our outlook positive, focused on that beautiful horizon. Keep your travel dreams alive!

For now, we can travel virtually, visiting countries like Turkey where the food is rich and flavourful, alive with spice and colour, texture and fragrance. And it’s possible to create these sumptuous, nutritious dishes right at home (if you don’t have a digital copy of my book, Recipes With Bulgur, you can get it here).

Every culture has a flagship tradition. Something they’re known for. In Turkey, we have too many to count. But one that stands out for me is a very special aperitif called raki.

Raki is a popular anise-based alcoholic drink traditionally consumed with a fish dinner. Raki & Balik (with fish) is an old tradition in Turkey; it even has its own etiquette. I love raki for the way it brings people together. Just like most Mediterranean cultures, Turkish people love getting together for big meals. We’ll pass hours eating and listening to music and saluting each other, our glasses full of raki. For me, it’s like therapy, especially after a long and tired week. We take our time, drifting from one conversation to another. It’s not unusual to move from simple chit chat to boisterous laughter to a good old fashioned cry in the company of good people.

There are bonafide health benefits of raki too, beyond the social connectedness it creates. It relaxes the veins thereby promoting blood circulation and reducing blood pressure. When our blood flows unrestricted, the whole body relaxes and brain function improves. The combination of grape and anise supports liver health too.

Sounds like a prescription for good health, doesn’t it? Who needs vasodilators, anticoagulants,, antidepressants, or even chocolate?! (Note: Raki is alcoholic so one too many can disable optimal brain function. Moderation is advised!––And chocolate always has a place on my table).

Not everyone drinks raki, but we all gather, and we all eat. In Turkey, we love fish. It’s almost mandatory given our geographical location, which touches the sea on three sides. In my family, we eat fish with lots of herbs, salads, pickles, onions, slices of tender turnip, crisp radish, fresh lemons, baguette, and cornbread. Arugula salad, for example, is a class side salad for Turkish seafood meals.

Istanbul is home to many fish restaurants. Tiny, tucked-away gems on an unnamed street to famous sprawling diners teeming with patrons. No matter what your style is, they all serve delicious fish, especially in winter, which is fish season in Turkey. In seafood restaurants, we typically start with cold mezes and salads, followed by warm mezes, and the fish comes after.

Of course, the restaurants serve many desserts for your indulgence, but chocolate soufflé is special.

Restaurants aren’t the only place to get incredible grilled fish steaks and fillets. You can buy it in balikici (stores), supermarkets, and bazaars. Or you can hook one yourself from the Bosphorous during fishing season. Fry it with cornmeal or flour, bake it, throw it on the grill, or steam it. Just a few shakes of good-quality salt and pepper is all you need. Simple is better.

Simple cooking. Simple chats. Simple thoughts. Simple things done with love, joy, and good food. Always good food.