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Dishes and Food Culture of Siirt M. Akif Ik* Siirt has a rich culinary tradition; the women of Siirt approach cooking as if it were a work of art. Young girls generally learn to cook from their mothers. As every Siirt woman knows how to make the local foods, there are few professional cooks in the region. However on special days whoever is the best at making a particular dish, helps their relatives or neighbors to prepare it. In homes that have a garden or a yard, the kitchen is generally in a corner of the yard. In multistory traditional homes, it was located on the lower floor. Before the advent of gas stoves, kitchens included a hearth. Called the tefeye, the hearth was made from stone and mortar, and was located opposite the entrance. When a pot was on the hearth, an iron rod called a hacrke was placed under the pot so that it would not spill outwards. During the cooking, a shovel called an slam and tongs known as klbteyn were used. When the fire died down, the coals were pulled forward with another iron tool called a ngel, and an iron tripod was placed over them; this supported the pot. Those who were not well off burned manure. In addition to the hearth, food was cooked on braziers and wood stoves during the winter. Various beliefs about the wood stoves, known as soba, included: Never spill water on the soba, and Never spit on the soba, otherwise it will hit a jinn and youll become poor. There was also a belief against leaving dishes unwashed overnight: Never leave dirty dishes in the kitchen overnight; demons will lick them and the abundance of the home will flee. The kitchen walls had several niches in which pots and pans were kept, as well as certain constantlyused ingredients such as salt, pepper, mint and onions. Dishes were washed in an area which resembled a black shower basin, called a mssap, made of mortar or cement. The washed dishes, and especially the spoons, were placed into a woven basket in order to drain and dry cleanly. This basked was known as a eyhill maalok. There was no tap in the kitchen; water needs were met by carrying water. According to the familys means, lighting was provided by oil or gas lamps, which either hung from the ceiling or stood on a shelf. Also, in better-off households, leftover foods were kept in a screen cabinet or covered with a flat-topped woven basked called a sefoye. Every house had a pantry in order to store foods and drinks. In some houses, this was located in the basement, known as the tabok. Items such as cheese, butter, molasses and kavurma were usually kept in glazed earthenware vessels, while dry goods such as bulgur, rice, chickpeas, lentils and beans were stored either in muslin bags or in large wide-mouth bins called den. Fresh bread made for quick consumption was wrapped in clean cloth called gabarl acin and stored in round tin containers called beyz muravvoh. Dry bread intended for long-term use, called beyz keek, was either strong on ropes or kept in muslin bags.

The main oils used in cooking were butter and olive oil. Recently margarine and sunflower oil have come into used as well. Tail fat is used in dolma and kavurma. It is also cut finely and fried, and eaten at breakfast; this is known as sle. Herbs and spices such as black pepper (flfel), red pepper, flake pepper, mint, red basil (rihen), thyme (zahter), and coriander (kzbara) are used in large quantities. Salads generally make heavy use of onions. Onions are sliced thinly and kneaded with pepper past or sumac as a salad. Salads are also made from tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, lettuce,hammettita (madmak, knotweed) and haref (a type of thistle). On summer days when the tandr, an oven generally sunk into the floor) is being used, before making the beyz keek, the women generally arrange eggplants on long iron skewers and char them in the tandr. These are then peeled, crushed in a large wooden mortar and pestle called a dadoka, and then sauted with garlic and eggs and eaten with a fresh bread called beyz muravvoh. This dish is known as ebu gannu. Today the eggplants are usually either cooked in the oven or charred over a gas burner. In addition to the breads mentioned above, a rek called basmayat is made with milk and oil for special days. The tops are brushed with beaten egg and sprinkled with sesame and nigella. These can be eaten fresh, or dried for long-term storage just as with beyz keek. Formerly made in a tandr, rek is now made in ovens and bakeries. Drinks include ayran, sherbets, lemonade and sour cherry juice; in the winter, grape molasses (pekmez) is mixed with water and made into a sherbet called cllep. Wild rose petals are gathered and made into rosewater by packing into bottles, covering with water and leaving in the sun for eight to ten days. The water, which takes on the color and aroma of the roses, is sweetened with sugar and cooled with ice (in the old days, with snow). 1- orbt Zehtar (Bulgur Soup with Thyme) 2- orbt Basal (Onion Soup) 3- Lebeniye (Yogurt Soup) 4- Cecruniye 5- orbt Rs (Rice Soup) 6- Move (Red Lentil Soup) 7- Adesiye (Green Lentil Soup) 8- Tamatisiye (Dried Tomato Soup) 9- orbt Rite (Hand-Cut Noodle Soup) l0-Nube 11-Terbiyeli orba (Soup with Egg and Lemon) 12-ehriye orbas (Vermicelli Soup) 13-Un orbas (Flour Soup) 14-Prtye (Spinach Soup) 15-Zengronet l6-Kasabt Hanva (Tart Liver Soup) 17-Rus (Head and Feet Soup) 18-orbt ie (Cracked Wheat Soup) l9-Kriye (Squash Soup) 20-Tenhus (Yogurt and Rice Soup)

Pilafs 1- Rs (Rice Pilaf) 2- Nohutlu Pirin Pilav (Rice Pilaf with Chickpeas) 3- Perde Pilav (Pilaf Cooked in Yufka) 4- Rs al Lahem (Rice Pilaf with Meat) 5- Domatesli Pirin Pilav (Rice Pilaf with Tomatoes 6- ehriyeli Pirin Pilav (Rice Pilaf with Vermicelli) 7- Sever (Bulgur Pilaf) 8- ehriyeli Bulgur Pilav (Bulgur Pilaf with Vermicelli 9- Nohutlu Bulgur Pilav (Bulgur Pilaf with Chickpeas) 10- Yeil Mercimekli Bulgur Pilav (Bulgur Pilaf with Green Lentils) 11- Sever al Lahem (Bulgur Pilaf with Meat) 12- Taze Fasulyeli Bulgur Pilav (Bulgur Pilaf with Green Beans) 13- Domatesli Bulgur Pilav (Bulgur Pilaf with Tomatoes) 14- Kuru Soanl Bulgur Pilav (Bulgur Pilaf with Onions) 15- Ikru al Sever (Bulgur Pilaf with Tripe) 16- Kengerli Bulgur Pilav (Bulgur Pilaf with Kenger a type of thistle) 17- Po (Pilaf from finely-ground bulgur) 18- Hntiye 19- ie (Cracked Wheat Pilaf) Dolma and Sarma (Dolma refers to stuffed dishes; sarma refers to those made with cabbage, grape leaves etc. which are wrapped around the filling.) 1- Dolmas Made with Fresh Vegetables 2- Dolmas Made with Dried Vegetables 3- Katkl Dolma Dolma with Yogurt 4- Ekili Sarma - Sarma in Sour Sauce 5- Sarmas Made with Rice 6- Sarmas Made with Cracked Wheat) 1. Fresh Vegetable Dolmas These dolmas are made with eggplant, peppers, tomatoes and zucchini. Lean meat is cut finely with a knife (ground meat is not used), as well as onion and parsley. According to the type of dolma to be made, additions include rice, spices, salt, pepper and/or tomato paste and oil. The filling is put into the vegetables, which and then arranged in a pan, and covered with hot water. They are allowed to cook at low heat for 15 minutes, then sumac water (made by soaking sumac berries in water for several hours) is added, and they are cooked for 15-20 minutes more. 2. Dried Vegetable Dolmas These are made in the same way as fresh vegetable dolmas, above, but with dried eggplant and peppers, which must be softened in boiling water before stuffing. In Siirt, dolmas are traditionally always made with meat. However in recent times they have begun making the vegetarian olive oil dolmas as well.

3. Katikli Dolmas-Dolma with Yogurt Large zucchinis are peeled, then cut into long thin strips, like strapping. These are washed and salted generously. After an hour in the salt, they are washed again. A filling made of bulgur, lean ground meat, onion, red basil and spices (red pepper, salt, pepper) is kneaded as for i kfte (raw kfte) and squeezed into oblong pieces by hand. These are wrapped in the zucchini strips and arranged in the pot. Water to cover is added, and they are simmered till done. These are served topped with yogurt and butter heated with red pepper. 4. Ekili Sarma Sarma in Sour Sauce Bulgur, lean ground meat, onion, red basil and spices are kneaded as above and squeezed into oblong shapes. These are wrapped in blanched cabbage leaves. Sour pomegranate kernels are put into the cooking pot, and the sarmas are arranged on top of them. They are then cooked with a generous amount of water, and served with the resulting broth. 5. Sarma Made with Rice These are the same as the dolmas in the first and second recipes but made with grape, chard or cabbage leaves. 6. Cracked Wheat Sarma Sometimes instead of rice, cracked wheat is used for grape leaf and chard sarmas. These are called yaprak ie. These are generally made and eaten at gatherings of women. Brek and Other Baked Goods 1. Su Brei 2. Smeket 3. Salhiye (Brek with Puff Pastry) 4. Sac Brei (Brek made on a convex griddle) 5. Fatayor Markin (Gzleme dough rolled out thin and folded over a filling, then cooked on a convex griddle) 6. Kalbur Hurmas Sweet in which the dough is pressed on a sieve or grille to give a pleasing texture. 7. Havet Kfte (Meatballs and Croquettes) 1. li Kfte - Filled Kfte 2. Kitel - (Siirt Kfte) 3. Kitel Fum Kfte with Garlic) 4. Irk 5. Taptap 6. Kftel Leben (Kfte with Yogurt) 7. Bellog (Lentil Kfte) 8. i Kfte (Kfte of Raw Meat, Bulgur and Spices) Vegetable Dishes 1- Metfune 2- Trl (Similar to a Ratatouille)

3- Madlum (Eggplant or Zucchini layered with meat) 4- Other Vegetable Dishes Miscellaneous Dishes 1. Cokat (Stuffed Intestine) 2. Ikru (Stuffed Tripe) 3. Perive (Biryan Lamb cooked in a tandr) 4. Lahem Ala Udeyn Desserts/Sweets Many different sweets are made in Siirt and are very popular: 1- Baklava 2- Sar Burma (a rolled baklava) 3- Kadayf 4- Rayou Mekatip 5- Merket 6- Kalbur Hurmas Tatls 7- Siirt Pastas 8- Siirt Kurabiyesi 9- Keek Tari 10- KeekTeze 11- Keek Mhi 12- Semle (Cheese halvah) 13- Aside (Flour Halvah) 14- Havet 15- Lokma Tatls (Dough fritters) 16- Pekmezli Kadayf (Kadayf with Grape Molasses) 17- Kar Helvas 18- Smsmiye (Sesame with Grape Molasses) 19- Gebole 20- ernuniye 21- Muhallebi, Stla, Pelte (Rice Flour Pudding, Rice Pudding, Jellies)

Sources: SRT L YILLII (1973): Ajans Trk Matbaaclk Ankara 1973 KILIIOLU, Cumhur: Her Ynyle Siirt, Kadolu Matbaas Ankara 1993 ATALAY, mer: Siirt Tarihi, stanbul eltut Matbaas 1946.

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