For those who travel engaged in culinary pursuits, the Turkish Cuisine is a very, curious one. The variety of dishes that make up the Cuisine, the ways they all come together in feast-like meals, and the evident intricacy of each craft offer enough material for life-long study and enjoyment. It is not easy to discern a basic element or a single dominant feature, like the Italian "pasta" or the French "sauce". Whether in a humble home, at a famous restaurant, or at a dinner in a Bey's mansion, familiar patterns of this rich and diverse Cuisine are always present. It is a rare art, which satisfies your senses while reconfirming the higher order of society; community and culture.

A practical-minded child watching Mother cook "cabbage dolma" on a lazy; gray winter day is bound to wonder : "Who on earth discovered this peculiar combination of sauted rice, pine-nuts, currants, spices, herbs and all tightly wrapped in translucent leaves of cabbage all exactly half an inch thick and stacked up on an oval serving plate decorated with lemon wedges? How was it possible to transform this humble vegetable to such heights of fashion and delicacy with so few additional ingredients? And, how can such a yummy dish possibly also be good for one"

The modern mind, in a moment of contemplation, has similar thoughts upon entering a modest sweets shop in Turkey where "baklava" is the generic cousin of a dozen or so sophisticated sweet pastries with names like : twisted turban, sultan, saray (palace), lady's navel, nightingale's nest... The same experience awaits you at a "muhallebi" (pudding shop) with a dozen different types of milk puddings.

One can only conclude that the evolution of this glorious Cuisine was not an accident. Similar to other grand Cuisine of the world, it is a result of the combination of three key elements. A nurturing environment is irreplaceable. Turkey is known for an abundance and diversity of foodstuff due to its rich flora, fauna and regional differentiation. And the legacy of an Imperial Kitchen is inescapable. Hundreds of cooks specializing in different types of dishes, all eager to please the royal palate, no doubt had their influence in perfecting the Cuisine as we known it today The Palace Kitchen, supported by a complex social organization, a vibrant urban life, specialization of labor, trade, and total control of the Spice Road, reflected the culmination of wealth and the flourishing of culture in the capital of a mighty Empire. And the influence of the longevity of social organization should not be taken lightly either. The Turkish State of Anatolia is a millenium old and so, naturally, is the Cuisine. Time is of the essence; as Ibn'i Haldun wrote, "The religion of the King, in time, becomes that of the People", which also holds for the King's food. This, the reign of the Ottoman Dynasty during 600 years, and a seamless cultural transition into the present day of modern Turkey led to the evolution of a grand Cuisine through differentiation, refinement and perfection of dishes, as well as their sequence and combination of the meals.

It is quite rare when all three of the above conditions are met, as they are in the French, the Chinese and the Turkish Cuisine. The Turkish Cuisine has the extra privilege of being at the cross-roads of the Far-East and the Mediterranean, which mirrors a long and complex history of Turkish migration from the steppes of Central Asia (where they mingled with the Chinese) to Europe (where they exerted influence all the way to Vienna). All these unique characteristics and history have bestowed upon the Turkish Cuisine a rich and varied n umber of dishes, which can be prepared and combined with other dishes in meals of almost infinite variety, but always in a non-arbitrary way This led to a Cuisine that is open to improvisation through development of regional styles, while retaining its deep structure, as all great works of art do. The Cuisine is also an integral aspect of culture. It is a part of the rituals of everyday life events. It reflects spirituality, in for ms that are specific to it, through symbolism and practice.

Anyone who visits Turkey or has a meal in a Turkish home, regardless of the success of the particular cook, is sure to notice how unique the Cuisine is. Our intention here is to help the uninitiated to enjoy Turkish food by achieving a higher level of understanding of the repertoire of dishes, related cultural practices and their spiritual meaning.

SOUPS
Coming in a wide variety, these may be light, or rich and substantial They are generally based on meat stock and served at the start of the meal. Lentil soup is the most common and best loved variety.

PILAF
Generally made of rice, but also of bul gur (cracked wheat) and sehriye (vermi celli), pilaf is one of the mainstays of the Turkish table. The rice should not be sticky but separate into individual grains. The pilaf may include aubergines, chick peas, beans or peas. Although pilaf is tra ditionally a course in its own right, in recent years it has appeared as a garnish with meat and chicken dishes at many restaurants.

BOREK
Thinly rolled pastry, often the paper thin variety known as yufka, is wrapped around vari ous savory fillings or arranged in layers . The myriad types of borek are unmatched delicacies when cooked to perfection. Boreks can be fried, baked, cooked on a griddle or boiled. Traditionally it was said that no girl should marry until she had mastered the art of borek making. Preferred fillings are cheese, rninced meat, spinach and pota toes. In the form of rolls filled with cheese or minced meat mix tures and fried, boreks are known as sigara (cigarette) boregi. Boreks should be light and crisp, without a trace of excess oil.

DONER KEBAP
Slices of marinated lamb on a tall vertical spit and grilled as it slowly turns are delicious. The cooked parts of the cone of meat are cut in very thin slices by a huge sword-like knife, and arranged on a plate with Ace or flat pide (pitta) bread. This dish is the most formidable obstacle to the victory of the hamburger in the fast food market. Doner kebap in rolls with slices of pick le and chips is the most common stand-up lunch for city office workers.

KOFTE
The diverse koftes of all shapes and sizes are a culinary world of their own. Finely minced meat mixed with spices, onions and other ingredients is shaped by hand, and grilled, fried, boiled or baked. Koftes are named according to the cooking method, g ingredients or shape. Plump oval kofte dipped in egg and fried have the evocative name of Ladies Thighs (kadin budu). Some koftes are cooked in a sauce as in the case of the delicious izmir kofte, the koftes are first grilled and then cooked with green peppers, potato slices and tomatoes in their own gravy.

DOLMA
A sophisticated flavour and skilful dexteri ty... Vegetables such as tomatoes, squash, aubergine and peppers are stuffed, while those like cabbage and vine leaves are wrapped around the filling. Dolmas to be eaten hot have a filling of minced meat and herbs, and those to eaten cold have a filling of rice.

MEZES
These are hors d'oeuvres figuring mainly at meals accompanied by wine or rakl . Eaten sparingly, they arouse the appetite before the meal proper. Examples of meze include fried aubergines with yogurt, lakerda (bonito pre served in brine), pastirma (pressed beef), humus (mashed chickpeas with sesame puree), fish croquettes, and lambs' brains with plenty of lemon juice. At many restaurants a selection of meze is brought to the table on a tray immediately after the drinks are served for the customers to make their choice.

KEBAPS
These are dishes of plain or marinated meat either stewed or grilled. Almost every district of Anatolia has its own kebap spe ciality. Sis kebap, consisting of cubes of lamb on a metal or wooden skewer, grilled over charcoal is the most widely known version both in Turkey and abroad. Slices of tomato and green pepper are frequently placed between the pieces of meat.

KADAYIF
A word derived from the Arabic for velvet, "kadife", kadayif is a kind of sweet borek made of refined flour and often filled with pistachio nuts, walnuts or clotted cream. The variety known as tel kadayif is made of fine dried strings of pastry cooked on a griddle, shaped and sweetened with syrup.

MUHALLEBI
This Turkish style blancmange is made with milk, sugar and ground rice. A muhallebici or pudding shop features on most main streets of Turkish cities, serving boreks as well as muhallebi and similar milk puddings.

There is a large choice of restaurants in Turkey. There are high quality restaurants and ones of international style in the main cities.

Everywhere in the country are a large number of small, popular restaurants which offer simple but tasty dishes for moderate prices. The meze (hors d'oeuvres) are often accompanied by rakl or wine. Fish and shellfish are fresh and very tempting.

At most of the establishments along the road, there is lamb roasted on a revolving spit, salads with tasty dressings, and fresh vegetables stuffed with savoury rice. If you cannot understand the names of the dishes, you can always go to the kitchen and choose from the dishes displayed.