Turkish Cuisine Trivia Quiz

Answer: Sour

Turkish people add a lot of lemon juice or vinegar in their soup. One of the most popular soups is lentil soup: Melt some butter in a pan and add 1 finely chopped onion. Add 6 glasses of water after the onion has turned pink and wait till it boils. Add a glass of lentils and a tablespoon of rice.

After they soften, add a glass of cold water and a spoonful of flour. Don't forget to stir so there's no clotting. Wait for another 5-6 minutes. Then add some chopped garlic and 2 spoonfuls of vinegar. Drink while it's still boiling hot.

Answer: Rice is not put into boiling water but sautéed first

Turkish people do not like their rice sticky. So here's how to make it: The ratio of rice to water should be 1/1.5. Put some butter in a deep pan and melt it. Then add the rice (which was previously washed in lukewarm water and then dried) and stir until the rice starts to change colour. Meanwhile boil the water in a separate pan and then add it to the rice along with salt. Turn down the heat and wait until the rice absorbs the water. Do not serve as soon as it is cooked. You must put a paper towel or a piece of cloth on the pan, cover the lid and wait at least 15 minutes. You can now eat your "pilav".

Answer: Olives

No matter what's for dinner or lunch, you gotta have some salad with it. Here's the recipe for 4 people: Cut 1 large onion into thin strips. Mix it with salt and squeeze it to take away the bitterness. Add 2 tomatoes, 1 large cucumber, 3 green peppers and a handful of parsley, all finely chopped.

In a small bowl mix some vinegar, olive oil and salt. Pour onto the salad. Your salad is now ready to eat.

Answer: Courgettes

Mucver is a side dish often eaten yogurt. This is how you make Mucver for 4 people: Peel and grate 4 courgettes. Crumble some white cheese (Turkish cheese similar to Greek feta cheese) and then add it to the courgettes along with a handful of finely chopped parsley and dill, 3 eggs, some salt and black pepper and a glass of flour. Mix them well.

Heat some sunflower oil in a pan and then pour the mixture one spoonful at a time. Fry both sides and then serve cold or hot with yogurt.

Answer: Onion

The name of this dish translated to English means "The Imam Has Fainted" (Imam is the Muslim counterpart of a priest.) In case you want the Imam to faint, here's the recipe: Place 3 aubergines in a pot and slit them in the middle. Make a mixture with 3 onions and 3 green peppers in thin slices, 3 tomatoes and 10 cloves of garlic in small cubes, 3/2 teaspoonfuls of salt, 2 teaspoonfuls of sugar, 1 teaspoonful of black pepper and a glass of chopped parsley. Fill the aubergines with the mixture. Pour one glass of olive oil on the aubergines and add half a glass of water in the pot. Cook until the mixture in the aubergines softens.

Answer: Stuffed

Making "dolma" with vine leaves is quite a difficult task because you have to roll the vine leaves one by one with the ingredients. So I'll give you the recipe for "courgette dolma", which is much easier: Peel and carve the inside soft part of 3 courgettes. Mix 250 gr. of minced meat, a pinch of black pepper and a spoonful of salt, a handful of chopped parsley and/or dill, 1 spoonful of tomato puree and 100 gr. of rice (You can also add cinnamon and dried mint if you like the taste.) Fill the courgettes with the mixture. Put in a deep pan. Add water until the courgettes are covered. Cook in medium heat until the inside is cooked. Serve with fresh yogurt.

Answer: Green peppers & tomatoes

Menemen, which is called Melemen in some regions, is very easy to make: (this recipe is for four people) Chop 6 green peppers. Peel and dice 3 tomatoes. Heat some olive oil in a frying pan (you can also use butter or margarine) and then add the peppers. Stir-fry them for a few minutes and then add the tomatoes.

After five minutes add five eggs and stir. Add a pinch of salt and black pepper. Cook for another 5 minutes. Eat with toast or bread fresh out of the bakery.

Answer: Chicken

Though "Tavukgogsu" (chicken breast) is a sweet dish made with milk, it contains chicken. You must first cook half a chicken breast in boiling water, shred it into very thin pieces and let it cool. Put 8 tablespoons of rice flour and 250gr. of sugar into a saucepan and while cooking in medium heat, add 1 litre of milk. Do not stop stirring while it's heating.

When it comes to a boil, add the chicken breast and cook for 45 minutes. Continue to stir as often as you can. Then pour it into a deep and rectangular dish.

After it cools down, put it in the fridge and wait until it is cold. Cut into portions and sprinkle some ground cinnamon before serving.

Answer: Eugénie de Montijo, French Empress

It's not easy to make a dish that will please an empress so be careful when you are doing this: Grill 3 aubergines (with their skins on) by holding over a flame and turning slowly. When the skin begins to break and the inside becomes soft, peel them and put the inside into a saucepan. Mix it with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Stir it for 10-15 minutes. Meanwhile melt 4 tablespoons of butter and add 6 tablespoon of flour. Wait until the flour turns brown. Add the mixture into the aubergines. Slowly add a few tablespoons of hot milk and beat it until it looks like mashed potatoes. Finally add 2 tablespoons of grated cheese (Parmesan would be good but the cheese used in Turkey is "kasar", a bit like cheddar.) Cook several minutes more. Serve with any kind of meat dish while still hot.

Answer: Saffron cakes

Saffron cakes are from Iranian cuisine and not popular at all in Turkey. This time the recipe is simple: Have two glasses; one for the "Raki" and one for plain water. Get a few pieces of cheese and melon. Fry your calamaris in batter. This is called "Cilingir Sofrasi - The Locksmith's Table" because "Raki" can open any mouth like a locksmith can open any door. For the utmost pleasure, eat and drink very slowly. Don't forget, it's the conversation that matters on a Locksmith's Table!