The ABC-Game, about Countries and their Food!

[Paradise-on-Earth]

T for Turkey!





Germany and Turkey have a quite unique relationship based on Germany, having invited almost a million of Turks for working here, in the 60'ies. Today there are almost 3 millions of Turks living in Germany: They belong intricately into the German culture, now. In my elementary school, about 50% of the students were Turkish. The stories these kids told from their home sounded like fairytales, for me! The food that they brought to share from home tasted so fascinating. I ALWAYS wanted to see Turkey. But I wasn't interested in the classic beach-holidays, and, not knowing the language at all, it seemed as a huge adventure to go there. So... I never dared it.

Turkey is one of the countries where just a part belongs to Europe- in this case, a small part. The almost 16 million citizen of Istanbul (which is not the capital, that would be Ankara) are defining this border. This feels so amazing! So very very special! I want to drive over the Bosporus-bridge, that spans the strait between Asia and Europe!

In the old Abe-Forum was a Turkish young woman, who lived in Istanbul and her family of origin came from a rural area, where apricots got planted in big style. She described how the whole village smelled like apricot in early summer... It felt like a beautiful dream, to me! I desire to SEE it. And SMELL it. And TASTE it! I want to share the harvesting in the rose-fields, in the early morning, when the fragrance is the strongest. I want to wander the bazaars, with all the amazing spices, the beautiful handicrafts, the fascinating lamps- and the sweets.

I want to see and feel and explore Turkey- and most of it, Istanbul! I want to see all this amazingly beautiful parts of the city... I want to spend so much time there. Time to understand, time to embrace, time to simply ENJOY. I would love to have a guide who shows me how to approach it, what to see where and when! Oh, wouldn't that be nice!





Meze is an assembly of savoury bites- salads, hummus, creams, grilled vegetables that either serve as side dishes or all on their own.



Lahmacun is called the Turkish pizza, topped with vegetables and sometimes lettuce, served with a bit of lemon juice



Pide and Meze at it's side. Pide is sort of a pizza topped with minced meat, vegetables and cheese. Very yummy, you can eat it to go or as a full meal.



You will get Simit- like a Pretzel, all over the place as streetfood. Here Simit gets served with honey and clotted creme from buffalo milk, called kaymak.


Simit with savoury stuffing



(One more time I take directly from a foodblog a description that I like especially) "Another fantastic street food that’s popular in Istanbul is Kumpir, which is a stuffed baked potato, or jacket potato (for the UK travelers). A Turkish baked potato is fluffy on the inside, served with butter and cheese, plus any and all other toppings you might like, such as ground meat, veggies, olives, sauces and more cheese. This tasty dish is a very popular street food and can be found throughout Turkey."



vendors sell fresh pressed pomegranate- or orange juice, in the streets.



Kuzu Pirzola Delightful grilled lambchops



Manti- Turkish Ravioli, tiny noodles, usually stuffed with lamb and topped with chili powder, ground sumac, tomato sauce, garlicky yogurt, and hot butter to create a very tasty meal.



Şiş Kebap are meat skewers in many unique varieties with vegetables and dips.


...I needed to stop. The delightful recipes and the artful presentations seem to have no end!
So, I just squeeze in some sweets to finish this rampage, that is SO not complete!!



I think, this stands on the Turkish bazaars are awesome. I would sooo LOVE to shop there!! Here are nuts, dried fruit, and different Turkish sweets- as (on the left) squishy Turkish delight, rolled in confectioners sugar =Locum, in flavors as rose, orange, lemon, pomegranate and hazelnut, (in the background) much harder and chewy fruit jelly =Lokum sticks or Finger-Lokum with nuts embedded, and on the right special Baclava-rolls, Nuts baked into different special dough... see below. They come in endless shapes and forms, as rolls, nests, little packages, "mussels", "cigarettes"... and all are SO good!





assorted Baclava. An awesome pastry made of very thin, crispy dough, filled with grated nuts (in Turkey pistaccio is the favourite, but walnut is in high demand as well), and soaked in syrup. To die for!!!



Tahini-Helva is a crispy, brittle delicious candy made from mostly sesame-flour and sugar. Added chocolate or nuts give it very special looks and tastes. I always thought Helva would not be my pot of tea, but recently I got hold of a very good brand, and you could get addicted to that.



...and finally, one needs Turkish Coffee. The Turks brought Coffee from Ethopia into Middle East, then to whole Europe, and from there it went into the rest of the world. Turkish coffee gets grounded very fine and boiled in a Cezve. This mocha does not get filtered, is very strong and intense, and gets served with sugar and sometimes a bit of rosewater.

...I am so eager to be there!

[spiritualcookie]

Thank you for making all these interesting posts Elke! The food from Slovenia looks sooo inviting! So homey and welcoming! It makes me want to visit there now! And the halva from Turkey - the picture you posted looks exactly like the kind we used to put on our toast for breakfast as a child growing up - The Turkish one I think is similar to the type you get in lots of Middle Eastern countries

[spiritualcookie]

United Kingdom:

There is a lot to cover! I think I will choose my favourites and then list the other famous dishes I didn't get around to describing in detail.

SAVOURY:

Yorkshire Pudding

Yorkshire puddings are baked pastries that are eaten often alongside a Sunday Roast. Made from a batter of eggs, flour, and milk, they are light, savoury and delicious puffy pastry. Some people like to pour gravy over them, which softens them so it soaks up all the flavour, but I personally like them crisp and gravy-free

Roast Potatoes

This is a very simple dish, yet as part of a Sunday Roast, roast potatoes are many people's favourite part of the meal. When done right, they are crispy on the outside, and fluffy on the inside. Every family has its own favourite way of making them; Some swear by making them only with goose fat. Some say you must par-boil before baking; others say you must knock them about in the pot before baking! others use a twice- baked method. With simple seasoning or more complex mixtures with the likes of onion powder, paprika, and rosemary - there are lots of techniques! Some more traditional than others. Whatever way you make them, you know you've got a good roast potato recipe when the result is savoury, comforting, with an inside that is deliciously melt-in-your-mouth. Yum!
If you get a chance to experience a traditional British Sunday Roast, it's a delicious feast!

British people have a thing for potatoes. Jacket potatoes are also a very common small meal for many at "tea time" (the late afternoon meal that comes after lunch, which is some people's dinner). Jacket potatoes with tuna and sweetcorn, jacket potatoes with baked beans, jacket potato with cheese, or simply jacket potato with a knob of butter, salt and pepper.


Pies
Brits do savoury pies quite well.
From the big casserole dish pies like shepherd's pie and cottage pie, which are filling, warming and hearty, (and guess what? They're also topped with mashed potatoes! )

to the smaller one-person sized pies like "steak and kidney pie" you often find in pubs,

Chicken and mushroom pie, pork pie, steak and ale pie, cheese and onion pie,.. Yes, there are lots! There are traditional "pie and mash" shops that sell pie along with mashed potatoes (oh! potatoes have come up again! )

Cornish Pasties

Cornwall is in the South Western part of the UK, and it is famous for Cornish Pasties. These are semi-circular pastries, stuffed with filling - usually a meat and vegetables. It makes for a warm, filling snack that's easy to eat on the go. A good street food.

Mushy Peas

Whilst mushy peas don't look that enticing... they are so delicious! Served traditionally as a side dish to fish and chips, they are made by mushing peas with heavy cream, butter, (sometimes garlic), salt and pepper. Simple, creamy and oh so tasty! It is said that using marrowfat peas will give you a smoother, creamier consistency.

Other famous British savoury dishes:
- Fish and Chips - I recommend having these in a coastal town where the fish will be freshest. The best I had in the UK was in Jersey (a small island, so everywhere was coastal!)
- Bangers and mash
- Scotch egg
- Jellied eel
- Crumpets
- Marmite
- Beans on toast
- Toad in the hole

SWEET:

Welsh Cakes

Wales is a part of the UK, on the Western side, and one of the most delicious desserts they have is Welsh cakes. They look simple and perhaps not the most impressive on sight alone. But if you're lucky enough to have one made fresh, and eat it while it's still steaming hot, after being freshly sprinkled with fine sugar, it is one of the most delicious things I've tasted! Soft, buttery, warm and melt-in-your-mouth - they are sweet and absolutely lovely! We were lucky enough to stumble upon a woman making them fresh in a food market and it was quite an experience!
They are said to be quite simple to make, so should be fairly easy to try making at home

Scones with jam and clotted cream

Traditionally these are eaten as part of an Afternoon tea. There is a whole debate on whether you're meant to put jam first and cream on top, or cream first and jam on top. I'm a jam-first girl because it's much easier to spread cream on top of jam than jam on top of cream! The textures and flavours go so well together! The dry scone, with the moist jam and creamy cream - it balances out well!

Maple Pecan Plaits

Ok, these are not traditionally British. But they are very common in most supermarkets and bakeries and are one of my favourite baked goods you find in the UK, so I wanted to mention it. Made from croissant-like pastry, with a sweet maple-syrup flavoured filling and sprinkled on the outside with crispy pecan nuts, they are a wonderful sweet treat!

Bread and Butter Pudding

My mum made it with sweet enriched challah bread which makes it extra yummy. It's essentially bread, butter and jam, soaked in a custardy mix of milk and eggs, and baked in a casserole dish. Some people like to add dried fruit and raisins. The bread soaks up all the custard to become super soft. The resulting dessert is good to eat hot out the oven on a cold winter's day. Sweet and warming.

Other famous British sweet treats:
- Afternoon tea experience, with tiered platters of sandwiches and cakes.
- Sticky toffee pudding

- Spotted dick
- Apple crumble, served with custard or whipped cream or vanilla ice cream
- Trifle
- Eton Mess
- Jam Roly Poly
- Rhubarb and custard
- Toasted tea cakes
- Easter hot cross buns
- bakewell tart
- shortbread
- Eccles cakes

-

Tea

Brits love their tea. There is one brand called Bird & Blend that makes amazing unique flavours like "chocolate digestive tea" or "rhubarb and custard tea", "carrot cake tea", "banana bread chai" or even "apple strudel tea"! Every year at Christmas they have a tea advent calendar where you can taste a lot of different flavours (one new flavour every day of the countdown to Christmas) - it gets sold out very quickly because it's so popular!

-

Famous British Snack foods:
- Cadbury's chocolate (which many people love with all their hearts- though I have to admit I'm personally not a fan of it and much prefer other European chocolates!)
- Crisps with unusual flavours like marmite-flavoured twiglets, picked onion monster flavoured munch & prawn cocktail flavoured skips
- Jaffa cakes - orange and chocolate soft cookie / biscuits
- Biscuits like McVities chocolate digestives, Viennese biscuits, hobnobs, jammy dodgers, custard creams

- Terry's chocolate orange

- Battenberg cake: pretty pink and white marzipan-coated cake

- Tunnock's tea cakes

[Paradise-on-Earth]

Thank you for making all these interesting posts Elke! The food from Slovenia looks sooo inviting! So homey and welcoming! It makes me want to visit there now! And the halva from Turkey - the picture you posted looks exactly like the kind we used to put on our toast for breakfast as a child growing up - The Turkish one I think is similar to the type you get in lots of Middle Eastern countries

...you have put Halva on toast? Wow, I never thought about that!! What a clever and fascinating idea!

[Paradise-on-Earth]

Ohhh I LOVE the rampage of the UK!!

I was curious all the time what it will include. And reading it now is soooo satisfying, and so interesting!! I had no idea. I think, the TRUE culture is realllllly best explained by an insider, someone who knows because they are there and LIVE it!

Thank you sooo much!!
I just now flew through, but family is still around and I want to take my time to dig it deep!

[Paradise-on-Earth]

Yorkshire Pudding

Yorkshire puddings are baked pastries that are eaten often alongside a Sunday Roast. Made from a batter of eggs, flour, and milk, they are light, savoury and delicious puffy pastry. Some people like to pour gravy over them, which softens them so it soaks up all the flavour, but I personally like them crisp and gravy-free

Mushy Peas

Whilst mushy peas don't look that enticing... they are so delicious! Served traditionally as a side dish to fish and chips, they are made by mushing peas with heavy cream, butter, (sometimes garlic), salt and pepper. Simple, creamy and oh so tasty! It is said that using marrowfat peas will give you a smoother, creamier consistency.

I MUST try both soon! It looks and sounds mouthwatering!

- Bangers and mash
- Toad in the hole
- Spotted dick
- Eton Mess

Brits seem to have a lot of humor!
once more! I enjoyed each bit of it!

[Paradise-on-Earth]

the Vatikan Gardens

We reached the last European Country in the alphabet...
V for Vatikan-City.

"With an area of 49 hectares (121 acres) and as of 2023 a population of about 764, it is the smallest state in the world both by area and by population. As governed by the Holy See, Vatican City State is an ecclesiastical or sacerdotal-monarchical state ruled by the Pope, who is the bishop of Rome and head of the Catholic Church.

Vatican City contains religious and cultural sites such as St. Peter's Basilica, the Sistine Chapel, the Vatican Apostolic Library, and the Vatican Museums. They feature some of the world's most famous paintings and sculptures. The unique economy of Vatican City is supported financially by donations from the faithful, by the sale of postage stamps and souvenirs, fees for admission to museums, and sales of publications. Vatican City has no taxes, and items are duty-free." (from Wikipedia)





I have been in the Vatican City, as it was included in our "scenic drive to- and through Rome", that we had booked on our Mediterranean Abe-Cruise. This excursion was meant by us to lay an eye on the holy and eternal City of Rome, but it was very clear that we wouldn't be able to get more of it other than a very quick glance. Nonetheless, it was a fascinating moment to stand on St Peters square and see the perfection of the huge buildings... while we were glad we hadn't set our hearts on getting in, to see the amazing cathedral from inside (not even to speak of the museums or large, beautiful gardens).

It was so funny to us that, as we stood there on this somewhat "spotlessly perfect" place, where there is no greenery to see far and wide, it is absolutely rid of anything nature- we had a wonderful discussion with a lady that shared the Abe-group, about the sculpting that I had done. And we got especially into describing the large-as-life sculpture of the Greek God Pan with his horns, the goat-legs and hooves... playing a flute, that I did. It dawned to us afterwards, with a huge smile of source-energy that I felt; that the catholic church had painted the devil in this exact image (while I had channeled Pan, the God of Nature, while I sculpted his image. And believe me, he is NOT evil or devilish!!)


Pope Francis, interacting with the Swiss Guards, who are the security in the Vatican

While I am no catholic, and indeed no fan of religion in general, I am a big fan of the last Pope, Francis. I LOVE how he doesn't give a rip what he would be supposed to do, but is exercising renegade-style, as not sleeping in his extravagant exquisitely decorated bedroom but instead in the one that was held for the Popes servant. He doesn't like to use the heavily armoured Papamobile, but uses a totally open one or even better, runs off and just mingles with the people. He shows up completely unexpected in the cafeteria of the Vatican and stands in line at the buffet, than eating with the workers and enjoying the time. He eats all over the world in soup kitchens with the poorest of poor, and tries his best to uncover the churches unspeakable misdeeds, as they were suppressing abuse-issues.









In googling what is eaten in Vatican city, I came across that Pope Francis- an Argentinian man, loves to eat most- it is Dulce de Leche, empanadas, steak and ice-cream. More to find in the cookbook of the Vatikan, that I really think about buying! (update: I did it.)




Besides the Cafeteria where the workers of the Vatikan are fed, there also is a Cafeteria added to the Bibliothek that is accessible to the public. Both hold basic Italian foods- as Pizza and Pasta. Reviewers state that the best about it is the chance to sit down for a while and rest your feet!

[Paradise-on-Earth]

I enjoyed this "game"! Thank you again for inspiring me to it, spiritualcookie!

I am done here. Really hoping that maybe others would use this thread on, to celebrate their famous food and countries... it is SUCH a wonderful inspiration to focus in love, curiosity, joy and fascination!

[spiritualcookie]

I know you made these posts for YOU (as is the Abe taught way! ) - but thank you for the interest and joy it has provided me too

I intend to come back to this thread and peek again at many of the entries to feel inspired by new things to make and taste in the future!

[Paradise-on-Earth]

I know you made these posts for YOU (as is the Abe taught way! ) - but thank you for the interest and joy it has provided me too

I intend to come back to this thread and peek again at many of the entries to feel inspired by new things to make and taste in the future!