Döner: It's made by stacking beef (et) or chicken (tavuk) on an upright, rotating spit, and slicing off thin strips.
The strips are then put in a gyro-like sandwich, (bazlama) or thin bread, pressed panini-style (ekmek arası- literally "between bread"), or in a wrap with lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes etc (dürüm). There are dozens of dishes prepared with döner, but my favorite is iskender. Iskender is when the döner meat is layered on a thick pita-like bread then slathered with tomato sauce and red pepper butter, and usually accompanied by roasted tomatoes and peppers. And it's amazing.
Yogurt is a common topping, which leads me to...
Yogurt: It's everyone's favorite condiment. Usually homemade, it's a little thicker than yogurt in the states- and when you (shamefully) buy it at the store, it comes in a huge tub. Think a little less than a gallon of yogurt. It's eaten on döner, pasta, any kind of meat, or solo- or if you're my roommate, by itself with garlic, salt, and hot sauce. It's far more versatile than I ever gave it credit for.
Pide: Think pizza. Now make it an oval shape with pointy ends, and about half the size of a large pizza. Subtract tomato sauce. Options are cheese, ground beef sprinkled on top, various veggies, or all of the above. Top with parsley and/or squeeze a fresh slice of lemon over it, slice into strips before eating. That's basically pide.
Köfte: Similar to a flattened meatball. You can buy it in various forms: patties, strips, chunks, you name it. It comes on sandwiches, or by itself with an assortment of veggies next to it- usually lettuce, shredded carrots, shredded beets, and patates tava (french fries). It's basically ground beef and spices, not bad by itself.
Kısır: Another of my favorites. It's made with bulgur, like the tiny pasta in couscous, plus tomato paste, spices, parsley, and slice cucumbers and other veggies. It's extremely good and healthy- and easy to make. A month or so ago three of our favorite students came to the apartment, arms filled with fresh groceries, and cooked it for us because Alex and I had mentioned we wanted to learn how. Of course, they wouldn't let us lift a finger, but we watched from a distance. The end result is delicious.
Mantı: Like ravioli, but better. It's basically a little square square of dough with a bit of meat in the center, and then the ends are pinched together. It's already cooked, so it's boiled just until it's warm/soft, then heated in the oven. Covered in garlic, spices, and yogurt, among other things.
Simit: Simit holds a special place in my heart. It's sold in carts on every corner in the metropolitan areas, like NYC hot dog vendors. It's also sold in the mornings by men who walk down the street balancing a board on their head, piled high with simit, as they holler "SIII-MIT! SI-MIIIIIT!" At six a.m. It's a bit like a thin bagel or untwisted pretzel, a loop of dense bread coated in sesame seeds. The circle is about six inches from end to end, and the bread itself is a cylinder from 3/4 to 1 1/2 inches in diameter. The best part is that it's very cheap, usually 3 simit for a lira in the morning, and as little as 7/lira by the late afternoon- as they get stale.
Ayran: A drink made of yogurt and water. They like it a lot, Marina adored it. I don't really get it. It comes in these funny sealed cups, and it's available everywhere from our cafeteria to nice restaurants.
Çay: "Chai"- plain black tea. Turkish people drink tea (or, godforbid, Nescafe) after most meals, as well as pretty much any time they're sitting still.
Like many things in Turkey, it can be delivered- whether you're sitting in a public park, working at a corner shop or teaching in a university, there's always someone running around offering çay to anyone within earshot.
....And as predicted, I'm bored. I'll think of more at some point, I'm sure.
Recent escapades include the discovery of a sweet bar/club/music scene, IF Performance Hall. It's not really a performance hall- closer to a glorified brick basement with a bar. But it's a good crowd and there's great live music, and a cheap cover charge. Alex and I saw Bedük, a fun Turkish techno artist who sings mainly in English, despite not speaking a word. We've met Mexican and Colombian volleyball players and various other expats, and were introduced to fun new music. Alex and I also finally made a trip to Ulus, the oldest part of Ankara, bought beautiful headscarves, and saw the remains of the Ogüst Tapınağı- a temple built in 200 BC as a tribute to the Phrygian gods, then rededicated to the Roman emperors (Ogüst meaning Augustus), then converted to a Christian church in 400 AD. In the early 15th century, the stones from the walls were used to build the mosque now standing adjacent- but one wall and entrance remains. We also climbed to the Citadel, claimed (in Phrygian lore) to have been built and founded by King Midas.
Wall of Ogüst Tapınağı
The Citadel, from a distance
yo this food sounds amazing. when you come home you best be cooking some for me. and don't forget about my hookah!
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