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TURKISH MEZE

The Turkish appetizers are known as meze. Belonging to the same category as the

hors d’oeuvres and tapas of Spain, the taste is very different. Mezes are served as starters or it can be served as the main course or as the accompanier of main dishes.

Traditionally raki tables with mezes were served in restaurants, called “meyhanes”. If men preferred to drink with friends to share a good talk and to enjoy good music then went to “meyhanes”. Nowadays under the influence of the emancipation it is also frequented by women.

The variety of mezes are numerous, there are at least more than 300 different varieties and next to the traditional mezes every region has it’s different flavour and taste.

Cold mezes are served first followed by hot ones accompanied by warm lavas or pide with butter. Traditional Turkish meze platter consists of for example fetta cheese (Turkish cheese), melon, köfte (meatballs), humus, rice stuffed vine leaves, böreks, aubergine salad, fried courgette patties, fried seafood. The colourfull meze platter also consists of a wide variety of spicy herbs such as, rocca, bittercress and parslane. In most of the mezes olive-oil, lemon-juice or vinegar is being used.

Since mezes contains lots of vitamins and minerals, the Turkish mezes are perfect for todays healthy and conscious way of eating.

It is definitely worth trying, an enjoyable evening and delious dinner guaranteed. For the ones who live in Washington we recommend: Meze (restaurant, bar, lounge) in Washington DC. Or when you are in Ankara you must experience: Zenger Pasa Konagi.