Turkey Nigel Slater's Middle East


Turkey

Similar Content

Browse content similar to Turkey. Check below for episodes and series from the same categories and more!

Transcript


LineFromTo

As a cook and writer,

0:00:030:00:05

I've long been intrigued by the flavours and fragrances

0:00:050:00:09

of Middle Eastern cooking -

0:00:090:00:11

one of the oldest and most influential cuisines in the world.

0:00:110:00:16

Now I want to find out more.

0:00:160:00:18

You know, there really is only one true way

0:00:200:00:23

to get to know a region's food, and that's to go there.

0:00:230:00:26

To eat the food amongst the people who cook it and eat it every day.

0:00:260:00:31

That way, it's seasoned with a sense of place -

0:00:310:00:34

the landscape, the culture and traditions.

0:00:340:00:38

That's incredible. So join me on my journey...

0:00:380:00:42

Can I have a look in your cupboard?

0:00:420:00:44

..to discover ingredients and recipes that defined three countries

0:00:440:00:49

with truly exciting food stories.

0:00:490:00:52

Cheese and roses, it shouldn't work!

0:00:520:00:54

Places considered to be the key pillars of Middle Eastern cuisine.

0:00:540:00:57

My adventure takes me across northern Iran

0:00:590:01:02

to taste Persian dishes with a rich heritage,

0:01:020:01:06

to Lebanon with its Arab-influenced flavours of the Levant,

0:01:060:01:10

and to Turkey, where the recipes born of a diverse landscape

0:01:100:01:15

have travelled the world.

0:01:150:01:17

I did a date pattern - I should have done a walnut pattern.

0:01:170:01:20

My appetite for new flavours

0:01:200:01:22

takes me through ancient and beguiling lands -

0:01:220:01:25

but, more importantly, into people's homes.

0:01:250:01:28

I absolutely loved it, and I can't thank you enough.

0:01:280:01:31

This is my chance to learn new techniques and recipes

0:01:310:01:35

that aren't in books

0:01:350:01:36

but have been handed down through generations...

0:01:360:01:39

-How long does it take you?

-Five minutes.

-Five minutes?

0:01:390:01:42

Well, I'd better get a move on, then.

0:01:420:01:44

..and I'll share the secrets I'll discover

0:01:440:01:47

by cooking recipes inspired by my journey.

0:01:470:01:50

This time, I visit a rapidly changing nation.

0:01:500:01:54

From the dishes of Ottoman palaces

0:01:540:01:57

to the rustic home cooking

0:01:570:01:59

at the heart of Turkey.

0:01:590:02:00

I start in Istanbul, home to 15 million people -

0:02:060:02:11

today, a rapidly-changing, thriving city

0:02:110:02:14

that straddles both Europe and Asia.

0:02:140:02:17

Formerly Constantinople, the heart of the Ottoman Empire.

0:02:280:02:32

From here, rich sultans ruled over swathes of Europe,

0:02:320:02:36

Asia and North Africa,

0:02:360:02:39

bringing far-away flavours back to their palace kitchens

0:02:390:02:43

to create the world's most flamboyant food of its time.

0:02:430:02:47

One of Istanbul's most prestigious hotels was once a sultan's palace.

0:02:560:03:01

The grandeur and opulence is clear to see,

0:03:010:03:04

echoed not just in its chandeliers and marble,

0:03:040:03:07

but also in the classic Ottoman dishes it creates.

0:03:070:03:11

At the height of the Empire,

0:03:160:03:18

the finest chefs were summoned from far and wide

0:03:180:03:21

to experiment with ingredients and techniques,

0:03:210:03:24

to engineer dishes fit for the sultan's table.

0:03:240:03:28

A whole fish baked in salt would have been a true spectacle.

0:03:340:03:38

At the time, salt was a highly prized commodity all over the world.

0:03:380:03:42

You...

0:03:460:03:48

This is the sultan showing off.

0:03:480:03:52

It's the idea of a silver salver being presented to your guests

0:03:520:03:57

with a huge, whole fish baked in glistening salt.

0:03:570:04:00

It's as much show as it is flavour.

0:04:020:04:04

It's delicious. It's delicious...

0:04:120:04:14

..but the point of this dish is about the location.

0:04:140:04:17

It's about how glamorous and how beautiful the room is.

0:04:170:04:20

It's about the exquisite china.

0:04:200:04:22

It's about the way the food is presented.

0:04:220:04:24

This is fashionable food.

0:04:260:04:27

It's fun and it IS about theatre.

0:04:270:04:30

Baklava - the sticky, sweet pastry dessert loved the world over -

0:04:360:04:41

was another dish perfected for the sultan's pleasure.

0:04:410:04:45

40 paper-thin layers of filo pastry sandwiched with finely chopped nuts

0:04:500:04:55

and trickled with syrup made each mouthful a work of culinary art.

0:04:550:05:00

Even today, the apprentice bakers must work in the kitchen

0:05:030:05:06

for at least five years before touching the pastry...

0:05:060:05:10

Thank you.

0:05:100:05:12

..and there's also an art to eating it.

0:05:120:05:15

You check that it's golden.

0:05:150:05:17

You put your fork in and then cut right through with a knife.

0:05:170:05:21

If you tip it upside down,

0:05:210:05:23

there should not be a drip of syrup that falls off it.

0:05:230:05:27

You then dip into your thick clotted yoghurt -

0:05:270:05:31

that's the crust on the top of the yoghurt -

0:05:310:05:33

and then into the ground pistachios...

0:05:330:05:36

..and then you put it into your mouth upside down,

0:05:360:05:39

so that the bottom layer of pastry, which is the most buttery...

0:05:390:05:42

..just touches the roof of your mouth.

0:05:430:05:45

You need a bit of practice to eat it elegantly...

0:05:500:05:53

..but it is very, very good.

0:05:540:05:56

It's not sickly and sweet -

0:05:560:05:58

it's nutty and it's flaky and it's light.

0:05:580:06:01

This is lovely.

0:06:010:06:02

While the sultans were eating fine foods from around the world,

0:06:060:06:10

most of the country was enjoying simple home-cooked dishes

0:06:100:06:13

inspired by the produce of its diverse landscape.

0:06:130:06:16

I'm going to a lokanta -

0:06:180:06:20

it's a canteen-style cafe popular all over Turkey

0:06:200:06:24

that serves homely lunches to the urban workforce.

0:06:240:06:28

It's also where I'll meet my guide and translator for my journey,

0:06:280:06:33

Sibel Samli.

0:06:330:06:35

Hey, Nigel.

0:06:360:06:37

I'm liking this place.

0:06:370:06:39

-Welcome.

-Wow.

0:06:400:06:42

Historically, Turkey didn't have much of a restaurant culture...

0:06:430:06:48

..but just over a century ago the lokanta,

0:06:480:06:50

with its domestic recipes and warm-welcome atmosphere,

0:06:500:06:54

emerged as an exception...

0:06:540:06:56

..and are now one of its most enduring food institutions.

0:06:570:07:02

So, tell me, what's going on?

0:07:020:07:04

OK, so this is a classic weekday lunch

0:07:040:07:08

for anyone who works and lives in Istanbul.

0:07:080:07:12

And do I choose one thing or a couple of things?

0:07:120:07:16

-How does it work?

-Well, Turks usually don't consider a meal a meal

0:07:160:07:20

if it doesn't have meat in it.

0:07:200:07:22

I mean, there's a lot of veg, for sure -

0:07:220:07:25

green beans, you'll have a lot of potato and meat mixed.

0:07:250:07:28

Chickpeas, courgettes, beans.

0:07:280:07:31

But then you also have lamb, beef.

0:07:310:07:33

This is what I call comfort food.

0:07:340:07:37

You know, lots of juices, lots of flavours and juices.

0:07:370:07:41

This is slow-cooked food,

0:07:420:07:45

served quickly and without fuss to hungry regulars

0:07:450:07:49

at simple communal tables.

0:07:490:07:51

It is very basic, but it's a massive luxury to be able to walk in,

0:07:530:07:59

eat fresh, warm food within 30 minutes

0:07:590:08:03

and go back to work.

0:08:030:08:05

And reasonably priced, I'm thinking.

0:08:050:08:07

-Yes, very.

-Shall we sit down?

0:08:070:08:09

The culture of going out at lunchtime for a sandwich -

0:08:120:08:15

-is that here?

-Mm-mm.

0:08:150:08:17

I think everyone would be outraged if anyone ever suggested

0:08:170:08:21

that they had to have sandwiches for lunch!

0:08:210:08:23

80, 90% of the workforce will break for lunch

0:08:250:08:28

and come to a restaurant like this.

0:08:280:08:30

You find variations of it in the poshest neighbourhood

0:08:300:08:34

and the poorest neighbourhood. They're all...

0:08:340:08:37

Cos they'll all cook the same foods.

0:08:370:08:40

It's kind of an extension of home, in a way.

0:08:400:08:43

Yeah, yeah.

0:08:430:08:45

This is utterly delicious.

0:08:450:08:47

And no sandwiches!

0:08:470:08:48

Food like this every day.

0:08:480:08:50

Absolutely, it's utterly delicious.

0:08:500:08:53

This food is right up my street -

0:08:530:08:55

quality ingredients that don't need to shout or show off,

0:08:550:08:59

but just sit well together.

0:08:590:09:01

Simple home cooking with subtle, warm flavours.

0:09:010:09:05

The kind of dish I like to make at home.

0:09:050:09:08

Roughly chop an onion

0:09:120:09:14

along with an assortment of red and yellow peppers.

0:09:140:09:17

Add to a large roasting tin.

0:09:170:09:19

Choose a selection of tomatoes

0:09:200:09:23

and add a few sprigs of thyme.

0:09:230:09:26

Trickle the mixture with olive oil and then bake.

0:09:260:09:29

After 50 minutes, add butter beans, a good pinch of allspice,

0:09:310:09:35

and return to the oven for ten minutes.

0:09:350:09:37

Briefly boil green beans in salted water and then plunge into cold -

0:09:400:09:45

this keeps their vibrancy.

0:09:450:09:46

Fold in the beans at the last minute, so they just warm through,

0:09:470:09:51

and then serve.

0:09:510:09:53

Simple stews like this are, for me, the true taste of Turkey...

0:09:540:09:58

..born from the fertile soil of its agricultural heartland

0:10:000:10:04

in central Anatolia.

0:10:040:10:06

This vast area lies east of Istanbul - Asian Turkey...

0:10:060:10:10

..and it's where my journey continues.

0:10:110:10:14

Some believe this is where crop cultivation first began.

0:10:160:10:20

Many foods, not just Turkish, can be traced back to Anatolia,

0:10:200:10:24

and the country is one of the few nations in the world

0:10:240:10:27

with the diversity and volume of produce to be self-sufficient.

0:10:270:10:32

Many of its people still live close to the land,

0:10:340:10:37

as they have done for centuries.

0:10:370:10:39

It is dawn in the central Anatolian district of Develi,

0:10:550:10:59

and the timeless morning routine begins once again.

0:10:590:11:02

Songul has left the village just once in her whole life.

0:11:050:11:09

THEY SPEAK LOCAL LANGUAGE

0:11:130:11:17

-Nigel, Songul.

-I'm Nigel.

0:11:190:11:21

She says there's more in the back room, as well.

0:11:300:11:32

They finish this in the summer and then make it again.

0:11:360:11:39

This and next door will last for about six months.

0:11:390:11:42

This is the store-cupboard version of a thin, unleavened flatbread,

0:11:430:11:47

yufka, popular throughout Turkey.

0:11:470:11:51

Irresistible.

0:11:510:11:53

Once baked, it contains very little water...

0:11:530:11:55

..which means that it can be stored for months

0:11:570:12:00

and then rehydrated when needed.

0:12:000:12:02

Wheat was first cultivated in Turkey around 10,000 years ago,

0:12:040:12:09

and the first breads probably looked a lot like this.

0:12:090:12:13

It's like a work of art!

0:12:130:12:14

LAUGHTER

0:12:140:12:16

It's just, it's beautiful.

0:12:160:12:17

Songul has offered to show me how they make one of their staple meals,

0:12:190:12:23

manti.

0:12:230:12:25

Manti starts with a simple dough

0:12:270:12:29

made from flour, water, salt and eggs.

0:12:290:12:32

While Songul kneads and rolls the dough, her daughter-in-law

0:12:320:12:37

makes the filling from minced beef, onions, herbs and ground cumin.

0:12:370:12:42

It's clear to see that this dish has been made many times.

0:12:440:12:47

These ladies are a dab hand.

0:12:470:12:49

Ah, OK, into strips.

0:12:490:12:51

So, she's saying, basically,

0:12:530:12:55

her older sister lives in Ankara, the capital,

0:12:550:12:58

and she's saying that her older sister says that there is a machine

0:12:580:13:01

that does the cutting now, so they should buy that,

0:13:010:13:03

and she's saying we're not city slackers,

0:13:030:13:06

we're villagers, and we're used to doing it.

0:13:060:13:09

And then a little pinch of meat.

0:13:090:13:11

How much? In the centre.

0:13:140:13:16

The influence of manti on more modern foods like ravioli

0:13:180:13:22

is plain to see.

0:13:220:13:23

And then like that?

0:13:230:13:25

Can you imagine how long you'd have to wait for dinner

0:13:270:13:30

if it was up to me?

0:13:300:13:31

It's not long before the topic of conversation veers away

0:13:380:13:41

from the cooking.

0:13:410:13:43

So she says she was in love with Songul's son,

0:13:450:13:49

but because they thought her father wouldn't allow her to get married

0:13:490:13:52

to him, they ran away to Ankara, to the aunt's house,

0:13:520:13:58

and then they stayed there for three days

0:13:580:14:00

until the families agreed on the marriage.

0:14:000:14:04

It's pretty common in this village,

0:14:050:14:08

because if they're in love, but the family have other plans,

0:14:080:14:13

then the girls just run away.

0:14:130:14:14

Preparing the food with Songul is a joy.

0:14:210:14:23

Manti is boiled and its sauce is prepared by grating garlic

0:14:240:14:29

into home-made yoghurt...

0:14:290:14:31

..and a moment for me to find out how Songul feels

0:14:330:14:36

about life here on the Anatolian plateau.

0:14:360:14:39

This seems quite a hard way of life.

0:14:400:14:45

I'm just wondering, would you prefer to work...

0:14:450:14:49

..an easier job in the city?

0:14:500:14:51

Yeah, it's home.

0:15:000:15:01

So, do you think that your children, and particularly your grandson,

0:15:020:15:06

do you think that they will take on this way of life afterwards?

0:15:060:15:10

The sad thing about that is that maybe this farm wouldn't be here

0:15:280:15:32

if it's not passed on to another generation.

0:15:320:15:35

It's all very well for me

0:15:370:15:39

to talk about preserving a traditional way of life -

0:15:390:15:42

making your own yoghurt and your own cheese

0:15:420:15:46

and having a cow in the yard...

0:15:460:15:48

..but this is hard!

0:15:480:15:50

This is survival.

0:15:500:15:52

This is absolutely essential, it's crucial to their lives.

0:15:520:15:55

The hot dumplings are topped with a dollop of the garlicky yoghurt

0:16:040:16:08

and finished with smoked, sweet, crushed red chillies

0:16:080:16:13

warmed in olive oil.

0:16:130:16:15

This is amazing.

0:16:150:16:17

You know, there is nothing that means more to me...

0:16:220:16:25

..than sharing food -

0:16:260:16:28

and the fact that somebody shares their food with me...

0:16:280:16:31

..is everything...

0:16:320:16:34

..but also, to share their craft,

0:16:340:16:38

their expertise, their knowledge -

0:16:380:16:40

they've also shared their way of life.

0:16:400:16:42

It just makes me...

0:16:420:16:44

..just so, so grateful.

0:16:440:16:46

My exploration of Anatolian cuisine continues

0:17:020:17:05

50 miles west of Develi in the evocative landscape of Cappadocia...

0:17:050:17:10

..peppered with rock-carved homes,

0:17:140:17:16

fascinating rock formations and ancient vineyards.

0:17:160:17:20

Once a secret natural wonder,

0:17:210:17:24

this is now a World Heritage site

0:17:240:17:26

and one of Turkey's most popular tourist attractions.

0:17:260:17:30

I'm here to find out more about the classic storeroom staple pekmez,

0:17:380:17:43

a grape-based molasses used widely in both sweet and savoury dishes.

0:17:430:17:48

So I've come to meet Faruk on his family vineyard.

0:17:510:17:54

So, how long have grapes grown on this land?

0:17:570:18:00

Thousands of years, these type of grapes are here -

0:18:010:18:05

but this garden, from my grandfather.

0:18:050:18:07

This is the most...

0:18:070:18:08

..sweetest one.

0:18:100:18:11

These have all been growing...

0:18:110:18:13

..without giving any water.

0:18:140:18:16

Times are changing, and these days Faruk is one of the few locals

0:18:250:18:30

still making his own pekmez.

0:18:300:18:32

So, you must have seen quite a lot of change around here.

0:18:340:18:38

Yes, for sure.

0:18:380:18:40

When I was a kid, we had more trees and more greens.

0:18:410:18:47

Just like this. Everywhere was like this.

0:18:480:18:51

Nobody is looking after.

0:18:510:18:53

Why is nobody looking after it?

0:18:540:18:56

They're running hotels or different kind of tourisms.

0:18:560:19:01

More easier for them to make the life like that.

0:19:010:19:05

And the tourism damaging all the land -

0:19:060:19:09

by the ballooning, by the quad bikes, by the hiking.

0:19:090:19:14

What do you see as the future,

0:19:140:19:16

if you look forward 20 years, 50 years?

0:19:160:19:19

I feel very, very sad.

0:19:190:19:21

I hitch a lift with Faruk to his home in the village to watch

0:19:310:19:35

the harvested grapes be transformed into pekmez.

0:19:350:19:39

This is a special soil we use.

0:19:520:19:55

This feels... This feels like flour.

0:19:560:19:59

Yes, it is like a flour.

0:19:590:20:01

Very, very fine.

0:20:010:20:03

This volcanic soil, known as marl, is sprinkled on the grapes.

0:20:050:20:10

HE SPEAKS OWN LANGUAGE

0:20:100:20:13

Now, they're ready to press.

0:20:150:20:16

No other ingredients are added.

0:20:200:20:22

Marl is purely a natural agent used to remove acidity

0:20:230:20:27

and clarify the juice.

0:20:270:20:29

You have a lot of fun doing this, don't you?

0:20:300:20:32

He's the mayor of the town.

0:20:340:20:36

-The mayor?

-He's the mayor of this village, can you believe?

0:20:360:20:39

I wouldn't get my mayor to do this!

0:20:390:20:41

Over the centuries,

0:20:440:20:45

the methods for its domestic production have barely changed.

0:20:450:20:49

So this liquid, it looks milky at the moment because of the stones...

0:20:490:20:53

Because of the stones, yes.

0:20:530:20:55

-..but that will sink to the bottom...

-Yes, in a few hours.

0:20:550:20:58

..and then we'll get the clear juice.

0:20:580:21:00

Pekmez has a honey-like consistency

0:21:100:21:13

and is made by boiling the juice and reducing it to a thick syrup...

0:21:130:21:18

..a process that takes around seven hours.

0:21:200:21:23

You know, it's the sounds that make this place as much as anything.

0:21:260:21:30

Sounds that probably haven't changed for hundreds of years.

0:21:310:21:36

The pot of molasses bubbling...

0:21:380:21:40

..the crackling of the fire...

0:21:420:21:43

COW MOOS

0:21:460:21:47

..the cow, chickens.

0:21:470:21:49

Today, the pekmez will be the crowning glory

0:21:510:21:55

of an age-old Anatolian lunch.

0:21:550:21:57

We are having gozleme,

0:21:590:22:01

a savoury filling encased in the yufka...

0:22:010:22:03

..the simple flatbread made from just flour and water.

0:22:050:22:08

There will be two varieties of gozleme...

0:22:110:22:13

..one filled with spinach and white cheese,

0:22:150:22:18

the other with potato and dill.

0:22:180:22:20

The yufka wraps are wafer-thin, so only need a short blast of heat.

0:22:300:22:35

Pekmez has been called the healing syrup of Anatolia,

0:22:390:22:43

widely believed to cure everything from colds to anaemia,

0:22:430:22:47

because of its high iron and vitamin content.

0:22:470:22:50

That's incredible!

0:22:520:22:54

-Incredible.

-Did you ever have something this flavour?

0:22:560:23:00

-No, never.

-This is the way...

0:23:000:23:03

The way of living in Anatolia.

0:23:030:23:05

It kind of bothers me that it may not continue.

0:23:050:23:08

It will continue in the factories, massive,

0:23:080:23:12

which is not the same thing.

0:23:120:23:14

Faruk's Anatolia is changing fast.

0:23:200:23:22

The regional capital Kayseri is home to thriving industries

0:23:240:23:28

set up to feed Turkey's booming economy.

0:23:280:23:31

130 factories opened here in a single day,

0:23:330:23:36

and since the '90s, its population has doubled to almost a million...

0:23:360:23:41

..many of them leaving their rural homes in favour of urban life.

0:23:430:23:47

It's just one of many examples of the growth of new cities

0:23:480:23:52

right the way across Anatolia...

0:23:520:23:54

..and this is the dilemma that Turkey faces -

0:23:540:23:57

modernity...

0:23:570:23:59

..without losing their traditions,

0:24:000:24:03

without losing the flavour of the land.

0:24:030:24:06

Turkey is an enormously diverse country.

0:24:130:24:16

There are seven distinct regions,

0:24:160:24:18

with every climate imaginable,

0:24:180:24:21

from the torrid conditions of the Anatolian plateau

0:24:210:24:24

to the misty green mountains of the eastern Black Sea.

0:24:240:24:28

The benefit of such a diverse climate

0:24:290:24:31

is the wealth of regional variation in the food.

0:24:310:24:35

I've come to the Trabzon region of the Black Sea,

0:24:370:24:40

to the town of the same name,

0:24:400:24:42

to taste a bread-based dish that is eaten all over Turkey,

0:24:420:24:46

but here is made with a very special local flourish.

0:24:460:24:50

Hello.

0:24:520:24:54

SHE SPEAKS OWN LANGUAGE

0:24:540:24:55

Pide, please.

0:24:560:24:58

Pide is normally made as a boat-shaped leavened bread

0:25:010:25:04

with a variety of toppings...

0:25:040:25:06

..from dried beef or minced lamb to spinach -

0:25:090:25:13

but in this case...

0:25:130:25:15

..it's cheese. There's no olives grown around here - or not many.

0:25:150:25:19

This is a dairy culture.

0:25:190:25:21

While sheep and goat's cheese is very popular in Turkey,

0:25:210:25:24

in the Black Sea region, only their local cows' kolof will do.

0:25:240:25:30

Just in case that's not enough dairy...

0:25:300:25:32

It's going to be good.

0:25:320:25:33

..a generous scoop

0:25:330:25:34

of the region's iconic, deep yellow highland butter is also added.

0:25:340:25:39

The locals say that without butter, there is no taste -

0:25:390:25:43

and they are certainly not taking any chances here.

0:25:430:25:46

Ah!

0:25:500:25:51

I've never seen anything like this in my life.

0:25:530:25:56

It's almost like a fondue.

0:25:560:25:58

It's like cheese soup held within a crust...

0:25:580:26:01

..and it squeaks.

0:26:020:26:03

There's a special local way to cut this -

0:26:060:26:09

carefully remove the top of the crust.

0:26:090:26:12

Break it into pieces

0:26:150:26:17

and then dip it into the molten cheese.

0:26:170:26:20

Mm! It's kind of like the pizza you always want but never quite get.

0:26:250:26:30

This is the food that the word "gorgeous" was invented for.

0:26:300:26:33

It's the only way to describe it...

0:26:330:26:35

..and I will gorge.

0:26:360:26:38

Pide fillings can be as varied as you like,

0:26:410:26:43

and the dough is really simple to make.

0:26:430:26:45

Mix 450g of flour with seven grams of dried yeast.

0:26:500:26:56

A pinch of salt, and 350ml of water.

0:26:560:26:59

Knead, and leave to rise for an hour.

0:27:020:27:05

Roll out and shape the dough.

0:27:050:27:07

For my filling, I'm grating a handful of Turkish cheese,

0:27:090:27:13

thinly slicing tomatoes,

0:27:130:27:16

and sujuk, a Turkish sausage.

0:27:160:27:18

Trickle with olive oil...

0:27:210:27:22

..then bake for 20 minutes.

0:27:240:27:26

The final dish is truly comforting.

0:27:270:27:31

The landscape around Trabzon is well suited to dairy farming,

0:27:400:27:44

and much of it is carried out in the traditional way of moving the herds

0:27:440:27:49

between the highlands and lowlands with the seasons.

0:27:490:27:52

With winter fast approaching,

0:27:550:27:57

I'm keen to see the mountain pastures

0:27:570:27:59

before the roads become impassable.

0:27:590:28:01

The view is fast disappearing.

0:28:040:28:06

One minute it's snow-capped mountains,

0:28:060:28:09

and the next minute it is thick and very eerie mist.

0:28:090:28:12

This is one of the many summer villages

0:28:200:28:23

which serve as seasonal dwellings for the local herders.

0:28:230:28:27

So, we are over 2,000 metres high,

0:28:290:28:32

and the village is deserted.

0:28:320:28:34

The winter crocuses are starting to come out,

0:28:360:28:38

which is a sign for the herdsmen to take their cattle down

0:28:380:28:42

from the lush mountain pasture down into the valley.

0:28:420:28:45

The snows are well and truly on their way.

0:28:470:28:49

Whilst dairy is what this area is traditionally associated with,

0:28:580:29:02

the last 100 years has seen a new industry flourish

0:29:020:29:05

in the rainy fertile foothills of the mountains.

0:29:050:29:08

Tea in Turkey is big business,

0:29:140:29:17

and locally, in the Rize province an hour's drive east of Trabzon,

0:29:170:29:21

it's so important even the local football team is named after it.

0:29:210:29:25

The misty foothills of the Black Sea mountains

0:29:270:29:30

are home to over 200,000 independent tea gardens,

0:29:300:29:34

who supplied Turkey's insatiable thirst for a good brew.

0:29:340:29:39

The further I head into the mountains,

0:29:390:29:41

the more I can see how absolutely crucial tea growing is to this area.

0:29:410:29:47

You can almost smell it.

0:29:470:29:49

Any tiny little space on the slopes of the hillside,

0:29:490:29:52

there's a row of tea bushes.

0:29:520:29:53

I've been invited to take part in a tea harvest.

0:29:580:30:02

It's an early start,

0:30:020:30:03

so bed and breakfast are part of the deal.

0:30:030:30:06

Sibel introduces me to brother and sister Lale and Gokhan.

0:30:090:30:14

They are Hemshin, a minority group of Armenian descent.

0:30:140:30:19

They still live in their family home,

0:30:190:30:21

which I'm told has a bit of a story all of its own.

0:30:210:30:25

How long have you lived here?

0:30:260:30:28

Do you know how old the house is?

0:30:330:30:35

OK.

0:30:380:30:39

Deliciously creaky.

0:30:400:30:42

And that's their mother.

0:30:460:30:47

So, it was their grandfather that made this house from scratch -

0:30:590:31:05

but he never got to live in it

0:31:050:31:06

because he died very young in Poland.

0:31:060:31:09

He was shot during the First World War.

0:31:090:31:11

The hand prints are from when they sacrificed an animal

0:31:150:31:20

to bless the house when the last foundations were put in place.

0:31:200:31:25

Gosh, sacrificing an animal.

0:31:250:31:26

All I did was open a bottle of wine when I moved in.

0:31:260:31:30

Gosh.

0:31:300:31:31

After a sound night's sleep, it's time to pick some tea.

0:31:530:31:57

The morning drizzle is not enough to stop my lesson in tea harvesting.

0:32:110:32:15

-So, sides first and then on top.

-OK.

0:32:180:32:21

-Yeah? Is that OK?

-OK.

0:32:230:32:25

I'm doing this very slowly but how long does it take you to pick a row?

0:32:270:32:33

Five minutes?

0:32:350:32:36

Well, I'd better get a move on, then!

0:32:370:32:40

It's just the top young leaves,

0:32:400:32:42

when the leaves are small and they are very pale green.

0:32:420:32:45

That's the ones you want. That's what I'm trying to get.

0:32:480:32:50

Historically, Turkey has always been a coffee-drinking nation.

0:32:530:32:58

It's only with the fall of the Ottoman Empire,

0:32:580:33:00

the First World War and the closing of their traditional trading roots

0:33:000:33:04

that the prices went up and they had to find an alternative...

0:33:040:33:08

..and that alternative was tea.

0:33:090:33:11

They've been drinking it and growing it ever since,

0:33:110:33:14

to the point where they are now

0:33:140:33:15

probably the world's greatest consumer per capita.

0:33:150:33:19

That's good news for the locals here.

0:33:200:33:22

The leaves are left to dry

0:33:250:33:26

and will be sold to the government-owned tea company Caykur,

0:33:260:33:30

whose fixed rates provide this family with a stable income.

0:33:300:33:34

I'm looking forward to a cuppa...

0:33:370:33:39

..but, even more, to my breakfast.

0:33:420:33:45

Cheese is an essential part of the Turkish breakfast table...

0:33:470:33:51

..but here in the Black Sea, it's the centrepiece.

0:33:520:33:56

Lale is making muhlama.

0:33:590:34:01

This is a fondue-like creation made using local aged Trabzon cheese,

0:34:030:34:08

as well as melted highland butter and flour.

0:34:080:34:12

This is a Hemshin dish and stems from their ancestral roots

0:34:150:34:19

as cattle herders.

0:34:190:34:21

In their family, they were the last generation

0:34:220:34:25

to have a traditional upbringing high on the mountain pastures...

0:34:250:34:28

..but by the looks of it, their taste for dairy remains strong.

0:34:320:34:36

Did somebody mention a bit of breakfast?

0:34:360:34:39

They didn't mention a feast.

0:34:400:34:41

Ah, thank you.

0:34:500:34:51

Throughout Turkey,

0:34:530:34:54

breakfast is considered the most important meal of the day -

0:34:540:34:57

but this is something else.

0:34:570:34:59

Everything on this table has been home-made

0:35:010:35:03

or picked from their garden.

0:35:030:35:05

For someone like me, who adores dairy produce...

0:35:070:35:11

..this is like all my birthdays have come on one day.

0:35:140:35:16

No!

0:35:300:35:31

Can I come and live here?

0:35:340:35:37

I wasn't expecting

0:35:420:35:44

almost all of the cheese I would eat in one year...

0:35:440:35:46

..at one meal.

0:35:480:35:49

This is splendid.

0:35:500:35:52

Just a generation ago, there weren't many roads in these mountains...

0:36:000:36:04

..and because they were so isolated,

0:36:060:36:09

local communities had to be especially resourceful.

0:36:090:36:12

I'm travelling nearly 100 miles further east

0:36:170:36:20

to the tiny village of Macahel,

0:36:200:36:22

close to the Georgian border.

0:36:220:36:24

I've come to meet a Georgian family

0:36:320:36:35

and to taste a favourite Turkish dessert, helva,

0:36:350:36:39

with a unique local twist.

0:36:390:36:41

HE SPEAKS OWN LANGUAGE

0:36:490:36:51

This is 70-year-old Nasim,

0:36:560:36:59

his son Kenan,

0:36:590:37:01

and granddaughters, Irem and Irmak -

0:37:010:37:05

three generations of honey-hunters.

0:37:050:37:07

OK.

0:37:090:37:10

For a food, for a product that is so difficult to harvest...

0:37:120:37:17

..I guess it's got to be very, very special indeed.

0:37:180:37:20

The hives have to be really high up the tree

0:37:240:37:28

to protect the honey from the bears.

0:37:280:37:30

Ohh!

0:37:530:37:54

THEY LAUGH

0:37:540:37:55

Wow! Look at this!

0:37:550:37:57

What defines the character of a honey...

0:38:050:38:08

..are the flowers that... the bees feast on,

0:38:080:38:11

where they get their nectar.

0:38:110:38:14

It's everything that is in this landscape,

0:38:140:38:16

that is on this mountainside.

0:38:160:38:18

That is what I want on my toast.

0:38:210:38:23

Every morning.

0:38:240:38:25

I'm going to cook with Kenan's wife, Reyhan.

0:38:360:38:40

Her version of helva has been made here for generations

0:38:400:38:43

from locally-sourced ingredients -

0:38:430:38:46

and most importantly, honey.

0:38:460:38:49

That's why it's got a toasty flavour to it. OK.

0:39:050:39:09

Thank you.

0:39:100:39:11

So that's really quite coarse and nutty.

0:39:300:39:32

This is your own recipe, or is it...? Is it a local one?

0:39:380:39:42

It is the most homely smell. It's the most welcoming smell.

0:39:510:39:55

SHE SPEAKS OWN LANGUAGE

0:39:560:39:57

So, make a little well in the middle.

0:39:590:40:02

And then... Oh, no measurements.

0:40:020:40:05

Look at that!

0:40:060:40:08

So, this is melted butter and water.

0:40:140:40:18

Everything here, from the flour

0:40:180:40:21

right the way through to the walnuts and the local honey

0:40:210:40:23

and the butter from their cows, it is all from this landscape,

0:40:230:40:26

every single bit of it.

0:40:260:40:27

Historically, the local honey

0:40:290:40:31

was used by this small mountain community

0:40:310:40:33

at a time when sugar was not readily available.

0:40:330:40:36

You couldn't get across the mountains to Georgia,

0:40:380:40:40

you couldn't get into Turkey.

0:40:400:40:41

You were trapped here, so you had to make the best of what was here.

0:40:410:40:45

Maybe with some dishes like this helva, only honey will do.

0:40:450:40:50

So, this recipe is made the way it is

0:40:520:40:53

because historically there was no sugar here.

0:40:530:40:56

And you use honey in all your pastries?

0:41:090:41:11

As darkness falls,

0:41:380:41:40

I feel moved to have shared the day's events with the family.

0:41:400:41:43

Three generations gathering honey

0:41:450:41:47

and a dish injected with this delicious locality

0:41:470:41:51

makes my stay here all the more memorable.

0:41:510:41:54

That honey!

0:41:560:41:57

It's just so soft and so buttery...

0:41:580:42:01

..and your secret is this toasting and roasting,

0:42:010:42:05

over and over and over again...

0:42:050:42:07

..to get this depth of flavour.

0:42:080:42:09

When snow comes, these mountain villages

0:42:170:42:20

can be cut off for five months.

0:42:200:42:22

So before I head back down to sea level, I'm visiting Cevizli,

0:42:220:42:27

literally the village of walnuts.

0:42:270:42:29

Here, the local women are busy with their winter preparations.

0:42:360:42:40

Ayse and her neighbours are batch cooking,

0:42:440:42:46

and I'm getting a chance to taste another Turkish favourite.

0:42:460:42:50

Borek - a thin, flaky pastry with sweet or savoury fillings.

0:42:510:42:56

The local speciality filled with the crop of the valley, walnuts.

0:43:000:43:05

So you don't really roll it, you actually stretch it.

0:43:050:43:08

This is much easier to do it as a group

0:43:080:43:11

because you can each take a corner and pull.

0:43:110:43:14

If I was cooking this on my own,

0:43:140:43:16

I'd be going round and round the table trying to pull it.

0:43:160:43:18

Finely-chopped walnuts are soaked in butter before being expertly rolled.

0:43:220:43:27

A mixture of teamwork and experience.

0:43:270:43:31

It so easy when you've got people on one side and on the other

0:43:310:43:34

that you can roll from both edges.

0:43:340:43:36

I can see why everybody gets together.

0:43:360:43:38

Well, I'm hungry, because I'm in this wonderful position

0:43:460:43:49

of being teased every few minutes.

0:43:490:43:51

I get this pastry taken out of the oven

0:43:510:43:54

and, "Not quite ready, we'll turn it..."

0:43:540:43:56

..and on cue, how lovely.

0:43:560:43:57

Look at that. Smell those walnuts!

0:43:570:44:00

So, this feels like a sort of village Bake Off.

0:44:050:44:08

Is this as much a social occasion as it is to cook?

0:44:080:44:11

OK. I like that idea.

0:44:170:44:20

So, Ayse, tell me, is this a traditional recipe?

0:44:200:44:22

And does everybody make it exactly the same?

0:44:370:44:40

Are these this year's walnuts?

0:44:510:44:53

If there are no walnuts this year,

0:45:020:45:05

will you buy walnuts in to make this or will you just simply not make it?

0:45:050:45:09

Yes!

0:45:170:45:18

Oh, look, it's still warm.

0:45:210:45:23

It's straight out of the oven.

0:45:230:45:24

Mmm!

0:45:280:45:29

This is absolutely and utterly beautiful.

0:45:330:45:37

I don't know why... Why is it so buttery?

0:45:370:45:39

You didn't put much on. That's amazing.

0:45:390:45:41

While I'm tucking in to the delicious borek,

0:45:430:45:46

all around me are foods being prepared for winter...

0:45:460:45:48

..for when the weather changes, and isolation descends.

0:45:500:45:55

Over here,

0:45:550:45:56

these little pieces of dough,

0:45:560:45:59

being rolled out with such dexterity.

0:45:590:46:02

It starts out like the traditional flatbread, yufka -

0:46:020:46:05

flour, water and salt rolled until paper-thin and baked...

0:46:050:46:09

..but here, instead of storing it whole,

0:46:110:46:13

it is carefully rolled up and trimmed.

0:46:130:46:17

The real magic happens when it comes out of the store cupboard.

0:46:170:46:21

It's gently cooked in a little bit of stock

0:46:210:46:24

and then it has a little bit of melted butter put with it.

0:46:240:46:27

Slowly brought back to life,

0:46:270:46:29

and then, on top, yoghurt.

0:46:290:46:31

I just think it's such a lovely way to cook -

0:46:340:46:38

with your friends, making things for today - a treat -

0:46:380:46:41

making things for tomorrow,

0:46:410:46:43

and having, you know, a good time, as well.

0:46:430:46:47

Out on the veranda, they are preserving fruit.

0:46:480:46:51

Little trays of plums drying out in the open air.

0:46:530:46:58

It's fruit-leather drying and it will be peeled off...

0:47:000:47:04

..and then kept for the winter.

0:47:050:47:08

Sometimes apricot, sometimes apples, sometimes plum.

0:47:080:47:11

I think this is apple.

0:47:110:47:12

For this, fruits are boiled to a thick syrup,

0:47:160:47:19

a bit like pekmez,

0:47:190:47:21

and are spread thinly on fabric to dry.

0:47:210:47:23

Nothing is wasted here.

0:47:250:47:27

This is good food born out of necessity...

0:47:270:47:29

..and all this is about making a squirrel-store for winter.

0:47:340:47:37

It's not just about having a good time,

0:47:370:47:39

having your friends round for a chat,

0:47:390:47:42

a cup of tea and some cooking.

0:47:420:47:43

There is a serious point to this.

0:47:430:47:45

It's food that is...

0:47:450:47:47

..picked when it's abundant.

0:47:480:47:49

It's prepared, it stored and it's kept for those dark, cold days

0:47:510:47:55

when there is actually nothing about.

0:47:550:47:58

Another of Turkey's essential dried staples is rice...

0:48:010:48:05

..and pilaf is a favourite national dish.

0:48:070:48:09

First, wash the rice three times to remove any excess starch.

0:48:140:48:18

Sizzle butter in a pan.

0:48:210:48:23

Add four tablespoons of orzo...

0:48:250:48:27

..and 250g of baldo Turkish rice.

0:48:290:48:33

Add chicken stock.

0:48:330:48:34

Bring to the boil, and then simmer for ten minutes.

0:48:360:48:39

My pilaf uses half a kilo of fresh mussels.

0:48:400:48:44

Cover the pan and steam for five minutes.

0:48:440:48:47

Chop a handful of dill and then add it to the pan.

0:48:510:48:54

Fork the rice and serve in a bowl.

0:48:570:49:01

The rice base can be home to many fillings,

0:49:070:49:10

but my next trip is to try one that is new to me.

0:49:100:49:13

So, before I head home, there is one last stop I want to make

0:49:200:49:25

on the shores of the Black Sea.

0:49:250:49:27

I've come to Hopa, which is a few kilometres from the Georgian border,

0:49:310:49:35

because this is the beginning of a very special season.

0:49:350:49:38

It's the short season for hamsi,

0:49:380:49:40

the tiny little fish that are very, very valued -

0:49:400:49:43

and tonight we'll be cooking them and celebrating the season.

0:49:430:49:47

The hamsi is a Black Sea anchovy

0:49:500:49:53

and is celebrated in Turkey as the prince of fish.

0:49:530:49:56

For the Laz community who live here,

0:49:580:50:00

a strong culture has grown out of this short but abundant season.

0:50:000:50:05

It is said that they never run out of ways to cook hamsi,

0:50:070:50:11

even including it in a dessert...

0:50:110:50:13

..but, in recent years, commercial fishing trawlers have muscled in,

0:50:150:50:20

threatening the livelihoods of these local fishermen.

0:50:200:50:23

A fishing boat leaves the harbour in search of its daily catch.

0:50:260:50:30

I'm helping Tuna in the kitchen to make hamsi pilaf...

0:50:510:50:55

..the centrepiece of their celebrations for centuries.

0:50:570:51:00

The fish used in this dish have been brought from the commercial catch

0:51:020:51:06

sold at the local market.

0:51:060:51:08

A clear indication of just how much

0:51:100:51:12

the local fishing economy has changed.

0:51:120:51:15

Covering the whole base of the baking tin

0:51:170:51:20

with the little filleted anchovies, and...

0:51:200:51:24

Which is quite tricky because they're very slippy.

0:51:240:51:27

Other people's kitchens, they are a delight to cook in

0:51:270:51:30

but they're also ever so slightly scary.

0:51:300:51:32

Especially when you're cooking recipes

0:51:320:51:34

that they've done all their life, and you're doing for the first time.

0:51:340:51:37

The rice is added to the softened onions and coated in oil...

0:51:430:51:47

..and now welcomes the other ingredients -

0:51:500:51:52

tomato paste, chilli powder,

0:51:520:51:55

dried mint and flour from locally-milled corn.

0:51:550:51:58

While we prepare the salad to go with it,

0:52:070:52:10

Tuna recalls childhood days before the trawlers came.

0:52:100:52:14

SHE SPEAKS OWN LANGUAGE

0:52:140:52:16

When we were kids...

0:52:170:52:18

..we used to be able to come down to the shore and collect them

0:52:200:52:23

in our T-shirts, you know...

0:52:230:52:25

-Really? That many?

-Yeah, catching them in my hand, there were so many,

0:52:250:52:28

-but not any more.

-So, where have they gone?

0:52:280:52:31

Basically it's because these big ships are now using radar systems

0:52:370:52:41

to find where the fish are, so they collect all of them in one go.

0:52:410:52:45

It's not that there aren't any fish,

0:52:450:52:47

but for us little boats, there's not much left,

0:52:470:52:50

so then we get very little left over, you know.

0:52:500:52:52

It's luck.

0:52:520:52:53

The dish is assembled and ready for the oven.

0:52:570:53:00

That smells good. It smells fantastic.

0:53:020:53:05

Just smell that dried mint and that little bit of chilli

0:53:050:53:09

that is in the rice.

0:53:090:53:11

Like that?

0:53:170:53:18

And now, just some all-important finishing touches.

0:53:210:53:26

Beautiful!

0:53:260:53:27

Gorgeous.

0:53:290:53:30

No, thank you.

0:53:320:53:33

It's evening, and the boat arrives back...

0:53:440:53:46

..empty-handed...

0:53:480:53:49

..but this small detail isn't going to stop the party.

0:53:530:53:56

We need two people downstairs.

0:53:560:53:58

There's more than a little chaos here.

0:54:020:54:05

We decided we need an extra table, so it couldn't go down the stairs,

0:54:050:54:09

so it came through the window -

0:54:090:54:11

but then, for some reason, everything else -

0:54:110:54:14

glasses, plates, tablecloth, chairs,

0:54:140:54:17

and most of the food - has come out of the window

0:54:170:54:19

with us all stretching up and grabbing it best we can.

0:54:190:54:23

I'm not quite sure why we didn't just use the stairs.

0:54:230:54:25

The feast is laid out,

0:54:280:54:30

with its magnificent centrepiece, the hamsi pilaf.

0:54:300:54:33

The party has started.

0:54:370:54:39

-Cheers.

-Cheers.

-Cheers.

0:54:430:54:45

More rice.

0:54:520:54:54

-This is the dish.

-I would love some, thank you.

0:54:540:54:57

-THE dish.

-THE dish.

0:54:570:54:59

Mmm!

0:55:020:55:03

So, this is how the Laz party.

0:55:150:55:17

What I really love is the way that as someone else comes to the table,

0:55:180:55:22

you just all shove along and shove along -

0:55:220:55:25

and you started with six,

0:55:250:55:26

and at some point you're going to be sat on each other's laps.

0:55:260:55:28

-You never say no to a guest.

-Exactly!

0:55:280:55:31

The hamsi were always key to survival in winter months,

0:55:440:55:48

and the fishermen try to hasten their arrival

0:55:480:55:51

through a special dance called the horon,

0:55:510:55:54

said to be inspired by the wriggling fish in the nets.

0:55:540:55:57

These traditions, this dance, this language,

0:56:130:56:17

is specific to this tiny community -

0:56:170:56:21

and I was asking Sibel, who has accompanied me throughout this trip,

0:56:210:56:23

why she didn't know the words, and she said,

0:56:230:56:26

because this is a language that even she didn't speak.

0:56:260:56:29

It's of a tiny little community.

0:56:290:56:31

A community that is staying together

0:56:330:56:36

and singing together and eating together.

0:56:360:56:38

They fish, that's what they do, their lives are about fish.

0:56:380:56:42

They are about the coast. This is where they've been for years

0:56:420:56:46

and this is where they belong...

0:56:460:56:47

..and they are going to preserve this

0:56:490:56:51

for as long as they possibly can.

0:56:510:56:52

The apparent depletion of the hamsi stock

0:56:560:56:58

lends a bittersweet edge to these celebrations...

0:56:580:57:01

..but the spirit of the people

0:57:030:57:05

and the pride in their culture is contagious.

0:57:050:57:08

Turkey is immense.

0:57:100:57:12

I thought I knew it.

0:57:120:57:14

I thought I knew the country and its food.

0:57:140:57:17

I couldn't have been more wrong.

0:57:190:57:20

This is a mosaic of unique territories,

0:57:230:57:26

each with their own heritage.

0:57:260:57:28

I started this journey tasting the food of the sultans

0:57:300:57:33

with its opulence and its extravagance.

0:57:330:57:35

That was a little bit of a red herring,

0:57:350:57:38

because the real soul of the food here

0:57:380:57:40

is to be found in rural areas.

0:57:400:57:42

It's different communities living quite closely

0:57:440:57:48

but very, very different.

0:57:480:57:50

It's about preserving their traditions, their way of life.

0:57:500:57:53

Even their languages.

0:57:530:57:55

It's also about preserving your food,

0:57:560:57:58

whether it's fish, whether it's dairy produce,

0:57:580:58:02

whether it's fruit and vegetables -

0:58:020:58:04

but enjoying them when they are here,

0:58:040:58:07

and, then, clever ways of keeping them for the winter,

0:58:070:58:10

for the dark days when there's very little else.

0:58:100:58:13

This is a truly different Turkey from the one I thought I'd see

0:58:130:58:16

when I got off that plane.

0:58:160:58:18

Download Subtitles

SRT

ASS