Izmir Historic City Centre

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21 Jan 2024

*Kemeralti Delicacies-1**

Kemeralti has a great gastronomy mosaic thanks to its 2500 years history. There are many delicacies which reaches from past till today. This is the first part of the incredible tastes of Kemeralti.

Desserts

Helva

Helva made from flour, tahini and semolina are very common in the Turkish cuisine. Traditionally in Ottoman households, one of the many kinds of helva is made to give away to friends and family on special occasions such as one’s birth, death, start of the military service, return from pilgrimage, first and last day of school, purchase of a house, prayers for rain and yogurt day (the day a sheep stops breastfeeding).

Homemade helva is put in small containers and given to each and every neighbour around the house on the first days of the three holy months of Islam (Rajab Mudar, Sha’baan, Ramadhan).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halva

Yogurt with Honey

Although there is uncertainty when this fermented milk product first appears in history, it is presumed to have been made for the first time in around 5000-4000 BC by humans using ant eggs and anthill soil.

While it contains high levels of calcium and vitamins like riboflavin(B2), cobalamin(B12), pyridoxine(B6), it is known that the word yogurt has originated from Turkish and spread to European languages. The word first appears in Divan-ı Lügat-i Türk (first comprehensive Turkic language dictionary).

Black Mulberry Sherbet

Black mulberry sherbet or otherwise known as shurup (syrup) is one of the notable Ottoman sherbets that is known to be consumed during the holy month of Ramadhan.

Being one of the sherbets made from seasonal fruits, it is thought to be beneficial for many illnesses and commonly utilized among locals. It is a top choice for those wanting to have a refreshment in Kemeraltı Bazaar especially during hot summer months.

Ezme

Ezme is a dessert with three main types consisting of walnut, pistachio and almond though it is not exactly known when it has entered our culinary history.

Especially when it is made with walnuts, ezme is preferred for its making without the use of additives and easy digestion due to cholesterol lowering abilities of its main ingredient.

One of the best desserts to accompany the Turkish coffee experience, it is also one of the most popular desserts in the Kemeralti Bazaar.

Şambali

In the early 20th century, Balkan immigrants arrive in Turkey with the recipe for the famous revani dessert. Meanwhile, immigrants who were forced to leave the Hejaz-Yemen region due to the ongoing war arrive in Izmir and introduce the Aleppo dessert.

The residents of Izmir remove the extensive use of eggs and flour in the revani and achieve the dense, hard and crunchy texture of the Aleppo dessert. Thus şambali transforms into a street delicacy born in the Kemeraltı Bazaar. It gains geographic association with the name İzmir Şambalisi.

Sübye

Thought to have arrived in Izmir for the first time in 1492 by the Sephardi Jews, it soon spread from the palace to become popular among the locals, who also call it other ways like “subiyya, subiye”.

Said to be consumed to break religious fast and in events of celebrations by the Jewish population, it is made with ingredients other than melon seeds such as almonds, hazelnut kernels and raisins (from red grapes). The oldest written source about Sübye is an Arabic cookbook dating back to the 13th century.

Foods

Boyoz

Boyoz is a pastry made from unfermented dough closely linked with Izmir’s cuisine, originally brought by the Sephardi Jews migrating to Anatolia in 1492.

It has gained geographic association with the name Izmir Boyozu. Boyoz, or the Spanish “bollos” is the plural word meaning “little loaf”. As boyoz is not sold commercially outside of Izmir, it is also called İzmir böreği in other cities.

According to legend, the first boyoz in Izmir was made by Boyozcu Avram Usta. After his death boyoz was sold under the name Avram Usta’s boyoz.

Söğüş

Being present in our culinary culture for 500 years and born from the Yörük (nomadic) culture, söğüş was known as “Tandırbaş” in the past.

According to the historical travelogue records from the 16th century, it was made to be offered to the students of the Abdal Mehmet complex.

It is known to be a pioneering street food tradition in Bursa, Çanakkale and especially Izmir.

Midye

According to the findings in the Yeşilova mound, people were gathering mussels from the gulf for 8500 years. It is possible that Midye (stuffed mussels) is the oldest food in Izmir. It is thought to have arrived to the Ottoman empire under the name “Midyayi dolma” from the Armenian population during the Byzantine period.

Known as an Armenian appetizer among the Ottomans, it has survived until today as a street delicacy. It is one of the most well-known street foods in Izmir especially in the Aegean and Marmara regions of Turkey.