I Conquered The Volcano!

             My view of the volcano, Mt. Erciyes.
 
Well, I went up a Volcano, I didn't really conquer it, but I did conquer some pretty amazing Turkish food. If you didn't see my newest video, you can check it out below! I talk all about some of my favorite Turkish food.




Some Turkish food is simply too good to just talk about once though, so in case you're curious, here you go!

 

Künefe

If you know me, or if you watched my video, you had to know this one was coming. Kunefe, the crunchy, warm, sweet, and somehow-cheesy plate full of heaven. Kunefe! For me, it doesn't really get better than that. My first trip to Turkey I was actually blindsided by the dish. I had never heard of it before. It happened when I was visiting a college-town of sorts in eastern Turkey, and we had been out all day. I thought the night was just about over when my friend asked if I was in the mood for something sweet. I deferred to my partial life motto,  "I can always eat more.".

So we headed through the cold night, cutting through a few alleys to get to our destination. Which reminds me, Turkey at night is very interesting. At night, the tourists start to disperse, and the working class emerges. Young people start to hit the streets to socialize. Or late-night dives open up for those who don't care about being seen with a beer in their hand. I noticed some of these things for the fist time during that walk to the restaurant. When we arrived, we were quickly ushered to the nicer second floor of the parlor, which seems to be common in Turkey. The waiter came, and my friend ordered Kunefe for the table. This restaurant in particular actually had a spot where you could watch your dessert being made by the chef. Thinking back on that magical moment, watching the mustachioed man tossing the dessert through the air, arranging the various toppings while music drifted up from downstairs, I start to wonder if the whole experience was simply meant to put a spell on me. Regardless, what happened next changed me forever.

I tasted it.

Let me say this, Kunefe is nothing spectacular to look at, it honestly looks like a bland circle of hashbrowns. But the taste, it started with the crunch of the wheat. It's soon followed by the gooeyness of the melted cheese inside, which then helps to dispense the sweetness throughout your mouth. It just hits you. And did I mention, this one was topped with a scoop of sweet cream ice cream? 

Needless to say, I got hooked instantly. So whether in Turkey, or simply visiting a Turkish restaurant here, I'll be found hunting down a plate-full of Kunefe. 

Turkish Coffee

I need to say that my ignorance about Turkish coffee before visting Turkey, must be my own fault, because after returning from Turkey with a new-found appreciation for the drink, it wasn't that hard to find a cup of it. Turkish coffee has apparently been very popular here and in the western world for a long time. I can pretty much find Turkish coffee in any part of the city without looking very hard.

As I said, Turkish coffee was new to me when I visited Turkey. It was simple, yet perfect at the same time. It doesn't have any sort of syrups. No splashes of soy milk. You won't find cookies crumbled on top. Nope, just a tiny cup of espresso-style coffee. 

You can find them in most any restaurant or coffee shop in Turkey. Usually it will be served in an ornamental silver cup with a lid. As far as preparation, you simply take about a cup of water, a scoop of espresso, a tablespoon(Or less) of sugar, heated in a pan for 10 minutes at a low heat. Stir the whole time, and make sure you don't boil it. Then you serve it in an espresso-sized cup. Don't worry about what to do with the grounds either, they're supposed to be in the cup. That's it! Despite it's simplicity, the drink is marvelously smooth. Perfect for a night with friends over warm conversation. It's so nice, I've even made it at home a few times. 

I've had many other wonderful foods in Turkey, but these are ones that stuck out to me tonight. And if you got all the way down here wondering when I was going to talk about that volcano, I have some disappointing news, that's a story for another day.  I promise there's more coming soon though, thanks for checking out the blog!