Turkish Delights…

Hello Cheese Enthusiasts!

Photo courtesy of mirandadventure

Now that Thanksgiving has past, I find myself thinking about Turkey all the time…No, not the “Plump & Juicy” kind, but the beautiful country of Turkey that is nestled in between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea.Officially called theRepublic of Turkey, it is truly a transcontinental country, located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia.

My Father traveled there years ago and told me of the ancient multi-level underground city in the Derinkuyu district in Nevşehir Province. Built sometime between 7,000 and 8,000 B.C., it burrows nearly 200 feet into the ground and could hold up to 20,000 inhabitants. My imagination was swimming just imagining its grandeur. 

More recently, my dear cousin traveled there in 2018 and sent some really beautiful photos and stories home. That is her photo of the balloons in Cappadocia, Turkey.

Because of all of this, I found myself wanting to write about Turkish foods and cheeses.

A quick internet search for “Turkish Groceries”, and I found one only 20 miles from my home called Figs & Olives. It has been a long time since I have spent that much time in a market, but Deya, their general manager was patient with me and made some great recommendations. I carefully read all of the packages, a few with broken-English translations, but I did not care…I found myself leaving the store with three grocery bags full, and a willingness to explore these culinary delights…

They carried Nabulsi Cheese and Ackawi Cheese, both are Jordanian style cheeses (just South of Turkey). These were both made by Karoun Dairies in central California. Out of the two, I chose the Nabulsi Cheese as it had black caraway seeds and I found it much more interesting. When tasting it, I found it similar to Paneer, but softer in texture. It could be used as a table cheese, or on a sandwich, but it really came to life when I grilled it in a few drops of extra virgin olive oil. This cheese has I higher pH, so it only melts slightly like Haloumi. It quickly got a crispy, golden brown crust on the outside and was simply delicious!! What a simple and tasty hors d’oeuvre! 

As expected, the store also carried Labneh, a soft cheese that is similar in texture to cream cheese, but it is made from strained yogurt and very popular in Middle Eastern cuisine (you may find it spelled lebneh, lebnah, labaneh, labane, labne, or labni). It has about half the fat and calories of standard cream cheese, but with a cultured yogurt “twang”. I was happy that they had the *Turkish İçim Labneh, as well as domestically produced Labne by Karoun Dairies. I enjoyed tasting both side by side, and appreciated their similarities, as well as their differences. I happily enjoyed it as a breakfast treat and served it with honey and dried apricots….but it was equally versatile when using with dinner…it was a great dip with vegetables, as well as an ingredient in the Tandoori Chicken (part of the marinade process). This chicken was then cooked on Tandoori swords and grilled over an open flame. 

As a side dish I served Falafel and used the Tzatziki Labne as a dip for them. Fresh and delicious! I also enjoyed local baked Lebanese Bread.

As I wind down my meal, time for a little Turkish coffee (or simply known as Türk kahvesi). It starts with a Ibrik, a specialized tall coffee kettle which is filled with a small amount of water and brought almost to the boiling point when the Turkish coffee powder is added and stirred in. Within just a minute, the coffee/water mixture boils up to the top. It is removed from the heat until the foam subsides, then returned to the heat until it foams up once again. This process is repeated 2 to 3 times. You let it settle for 30 seconds before it is pour into a small coffee cup to be enjoyed. Most people drink it black, but some sugar can be added for those who prefer. I enjoyed this with Ülker Tea Biscuits, which are just lightly sweetened.

Now that I have had two cups of coffee, I will be up half the night searching the internet for these Turkish cheeses: Fresh Kashar, Aged Kashar, Tulum, Turkish Smoked Cheese, and lastly, Konya Mold Cheese!!

I know that the term “Mediterranean diet” isn’t really used much anymore, but with flavors like these, I could see the term making a comeback!

Until next week,

Trevor

*In full disclosure, the company I work for produces Turkish İçim Labneh, and the domestic Karoun Dairies. I chose these cheeses not because they were my company’s, I chose them because these gave me the option of trying the authentic product from Turkey, as well as their domestic counterpart.