Early on you when you start studying Turkish, you learn that you do not eat soup -- you drink it. If you have come straight to Turkey without ever having traveled abroad, then it is a new concept to contemplate. You may have taken “eating” soup for granted. Many of you have in the winter months enjoyed eating a hot bowl of homemade soup. It may even have been your preference during the summer. We ate soup to warm our bellies and fill up because although soup is a liquid food prepared from the juice or stock of meat, fish or vegetable, it is usually combined with various other ingredients and often contains solid ingredients. When pre-prepared, packaged soup became more common, the idea of a cup of soup was introduced. Many of us associate the verb “to eat” with a bowl and “to drink” with a cup. But even though Turks traditionally have served soup in a bowl with a spoon Turks have always drunk their soups.This Ramadan a wide range of instant soups are out on the market, advertised as “a different soup for each İftar.” Knorr knows how to sell and where to promote. You can see an advertisement next to the Blue Mosque promoting the use of soup powders to flavor traditional Turkish dishes for İftar meals. Women who have time to cook meals every day say they want “real soup” without artificial flavors and preservatives. But for those women who work this is not possible. The German brand, Knorr, with its familiar yellow, green and red signature logo, can now be found in virtually every hypermarket and corner shop in Turkey and has become the working woman’s best friend. It seems that Knorr has found its niche with a range of soups, stocks and sauces that have lent a flavorful aroma to millions of kitchens across the Middle East and beyond, where Muslims celebrate iftar. It’s worth a trip to the soup aisle to see the variety -- more selection than you can imagine, and you can stock up for wintry days around the corner.
Maggi bouillon cubes and Knorr are in my kitchen cupboard. One of my favorite traditional soups is red lentil soup. I came across a simply delicious recipe that is simple to prepare if you want to make it from scratch.
Red Lentil Soup (Shorbat Adas)
(Yield: 4 first course servings)
1 cup of dried red lentils
1 medium onion, diced
1 TB olive oil
2 chicken (or vegetable) bouillon cubes
2 bay leaves
1 ½ tsp cumin
¼ tsp black pepper
3 cups of hot water
Fresh lemon and parsley (optional, for garnish)
In a saucepan, heat the oil on medium heat and add the onion; sauté for 5 minutes or until the onion is slightly softened. Add the lentils, bouillon cubes, bay leaves, cumin, black pepper and hot water; cover the pot and bring the soup up to a rolling boil, then turn down the heat and let it boil gently for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste the soup for salt and pepper. Serve garnished with fresh lemon and a sprig of fresh parsley if desired.
I’d suggest that if you’d like to see how wives are trying to give their iftar meals an extraordinary flair you should visit this website: www.anediblemosaic.com
By the way, if you are studying English you probably have found the expression “soup up” interesting. Often it is used in reference to a car. It implies to modify something so as to increase its capacity to perform or satisfy, especially by increasing horsepower or speed. Maybe you have also heard the expression “in the soup” used to describe a person’s situation. It implies that he is having difficulties or in trouble.
Drop a note and share with us which soup is your favorite. As the Turks say, “Afiyet olsun!” (Enjoy your meal!)
Note: Charlotte McPherson is the author of “Culture Smart: Turkey, 2005.” Please keep your questions and observations coming: I want to ensure this column is a help to you, Today’s Zaman’s readers. Email: c.mcpherson@todayszaman.com
