BAKLAVA
Anatolia for long centuries, and its ancestor may be a dish made by the Assyrians consisting of dried fruit sandwiched
between two layers of pastry and baked in the oven. The earliest record of baklava as we know it today locates it in
Damascus, from which city it spread to Gaziantep and from there to the rest of Turkey. By the 17th century at least the
fame of baklava had spread to Istanbul, since towards the end of that century baklava was being made by the palace
cooks as a special treat for the janissaries in Ramazan. The janissaries carried the trays of baklava out of the palace in
what was known as the Baklava Procession.
Künefe is considered to be one of the most delicious Turkish desserts,
especially in the city of Antakya (Antioch) located on Mediterrenean
Sea, in Southern Turkey. Although künefe shops are very common
throughout Hatay, Kilis, Adana, Mersin and Gaziantep provinces, the city
of Antakya in Hatay is known for the best künefe in Turkey. What
distinguishes Antakya’s künefe from others is the daily made fresh,
elastic cheese that is only made in Hatay region.
SÜTLAÇ
SÜTLAÇ
Sütlaç (meaning rice with milk in English) is a rice pudding - a delicious light dessert very popular in Ottoman cuisine. The dessert is made from rice mixed with milk as well as cinnamon and raisins to enrich the flavor. In Turkey rice is usually browned in a salamander broiler, can be sweetened with vanilla sugar or pekmez (fruit syrup) and sprinkled with cinnamon. Sutlac is served in small individual bowls either hot or cold.
TAVUK GÖĞÜSÜ (CHICKEN BREAST)
TAVUK GÖĞÜSÜ (CHICKEN BREAST)
You can't talk about dessert in Turkey without mentioning a pudding called "chicken breast," or "tavuk göğüsü" (tah-VOOK' go-OOZ-oo'). "Chicken breast" is a fascinating dessert because it actually contains fine shreds of white meat chicken!
Believe it or not, you can't detect even the slightest trace of chicken flavor. All you taste is a sweet, milky, full-bodied pudding with a touch of cinnamon.
The consistency of authentic "chicken breast" is much stiffer than pudding. A rectangular strip of the pudding is scraped from the bottom of a shallow pan and placed on the plate in a rolled shape.
It's usually cut rather than spooned. "Chicken breast" is served not only as a dessert, but along with coffee or tea during afternoon teatime.
There are several chain restaurants that specialize in "chicken breast" and other milk desserts where loyal patrons flock every day at teatime enjoy a delicious, nutritious plate of "chicken breast" with their Turkish coffee or tea.
This dessert is also a favorite of moms with small children. Can you think of a better way to get your child to eat their meat?
"Chicken breast" is very high in protein. You can also prepare it with skim milk and artifical sweetener to give you an ideal low calorie, low fat dessert.
KAZANDİBİ
KAZANDİBİ
If you love Turkish 'chicken breast' pudding, a stiff, milky pudding that contains shredded chicken breast, you're sure to love it's counterpart called "kazandibi" (kah-ZAHN' dih-BEE'). In Turkish "kazandibi" means, the very bottom of the pan. That's exactly where this dish comes from.
"Kazandibi" is actually the "chicken breast" pudding that has stuck to the sides and bottom of the pan while cooking. When the overcooked pudding is scraped off in long, wide strips, it's folded into portions with the darkened side up to make a roll.
The caramelized outer layer gives the pudding a hearty, earthy flavor that contrasts well with the sweet, milky layer left on the inside. Like "chicken breast" and other milk-based desserts Turkish cuisine is known for, "kazandibi" holds a special place in the hearts of adults and kids alike.
"Kazandibi" can be found at most Turkish restaurants and buffets. The very best comes from several famous chain restaurants that specialize only in milk desserts. Turkish pudding lovers flock to these cafes for a cup of Turkish tea or coffee along with their favorite dessert all hours of the day and well into the evening.