What goes behind the food organization in Turkey?
Traditional Turkish cuisine
Turkish cuisine is mainly derived from Ottoman cuisine the heritage of a great empire that lasted for 700 years.
Bearing in mind how big and ethnically diverse the Ottoman Empire was, it is no surprise that many other different cultures influenced Turkish food today. Regions such as Balkan, Asian, Arabian and Mediterranean regions.
Though typical dishes may vary; there are some common key ingredients that can be found almost universally. Those dishes are; lamb, beef, rice, eggplants, peppers, onions and of course for Turkey is famous desserts pistachios, almonds, and hazelnuts.
Some must-tries
Absolute must ear is rice served as a side dish with almost every meal. Turks love to eat plain rice stirred with butter and add sometimes tomatoes, chickpeas, eggplant and various spices.
Another unavoidable must-try is Turkish pizza called Lahmacun. The meal consists of thin dough topped with minced meat and vegetables, then sprinkled with parsley and lemon juice. It goes very well with Ayran (a salty yoghurt drink) and is a relatively cheap, fast snack.
The sweet side of life in Turkey
Think of the sweetest dessert you ever ate, then multiply that by three and you will understand how sweet dessert Baklava. This dessert is a perfect choice for those who have a strong sweet tooth. The recipe for this super sweet treat dates back to the 15th century.
Additionally, baklava is one of the most popular treats to eat between meals. If the sweetness is too much for you, a good tip is to eat it with unsweetened tea.
Baklava is made out of filo pastry filled with nuts and held together with sweet syrup. If you are interested in a lighter dessert that is less sweet Turkish Muhalebbi is the way to go. That is a creamy, milk-based pudding, thickened by rice flour, topped with syrup. For additional flavour cinnamon, saffron and some pistachios are added.
Other Turkish delights you must try are: (gelatinous candies made from starch and sugar), Tahini (crushed sesame seeds), flour or semolina Helva or Marzipan (Turkish world).
The Coffee Culture
It is well known that Turkish coffee is a big part of the country's cultural heritage. Drinking coffee is almost like a social ritual ever since the 16th century.
This beverage is so loved that even the world for breakfast (kahvalti) translates literally as ”before coffee”. It is so deeply rooted in a culture that even at engagements part of the tradition is that bride has to show coffee-making skills that are judged by the groom's family. When you finished sipping on your tasty cup of coffee hostess in Turkey can use leftover (emudi) in the bottom of the cup for fortune-telling. That can end up being a very fun experience.
Turkish coffee has a brewing process, unlike any other world coffee. The coffee is first blended, then roasted and then ground. Special tools are used for the whole processes, like the copper boiling pot (cezve) and the artistic ceramic cups in which it is served.
The Tea Culture
We spoke about coffee, but did you know that Turkish tea is also is equally beloved drink in this country.
Black and strong and served to boil hot in a tulip-shaped glass. Just like with coffee, there is a specific ritual for preparing Turkish tea. The strong tea is served along with the rest of the water, which can be added to dilute the strength of the tea, depending on your individual preferences.
Preparation of provisioning for gulet cruise
We would like to share some of our secrets with you about what we are doing in order that the meals prepared by the chef on a gulet are superb.
With our respect to traditional Turkish hospitality; we can not leave things on the chance! For this reason, we asked the professional guidance of Mrs OZLEM WARREN who is one of the well known Turkish Chef in her field.
More details can be found HERE
According to her advice, we created our sample menu which can be individually customized by our esteemed guests as well. Enjoying a foreign country also means exploring the local cuisine.
In this case, Turkey is one of your best choices, the variety of dishes is enormous and the quality excellent. With the added pleasure of dining outside on the aft deck of your boat, the culinary experience can be a memorable part of your yacht charter. Your talented cook on board will serve dishes to have you lingering over meals, determined to discover the secret ingredients.
Let’s share what we are hiding from you while aiming for your absolute satisfaction on board.
Because your satisfaction is our main goal
You can truly put your trust in our hands because our work is not done until you are unconditionally happy with every aspect of our service. Our gulet experts will first take all your wishes into careful consideration in order to provide you with an amazing experience. Because of our personalized approach and strict adherence to high standards we have been rewarded by many satisfied clients. We have to focus on your pre-listed food and drinks preferences or even special requests…
In Turkey, we go the extra mile for you and we entirely plan and prepare your food menus until you are 100% satisfied.
After we receive your food preferences our Destination Manager Feride will proceed with picking up the preference list and head to the Turkish market. She will then handpick and purchase the food from our well-trusted suppliers, and choose only the food that is high quality, fresh and local quality. (Shopping Order; which is consists of min 300 items) After food is purchased and gathering Chef will plan out a weekly menu. Excellent food is a guarantee!
Beverages
Drink orders are separated from food provisions and all your drinks preorders will be on the list (you’ll get an accurate pre-invoice in advance, to know the exact amount you have to pay for ordered drinks). Your beverage list is very important so we kindly ask you to fill the beverage list with the quantities, brand marks, and your special rare drinks (If you have any).
All provisions & beverages should be loaded on board before our guest’s arrival – on Embarking Date in between 10:30 – 13:00 pm on Saturdays!
Bodrum Market place
Fethiye fish market
Famous spices from Bodrum market
Directly from garden to onboard – simply ORGANIC
Talented crew
Beverages
Challenging Saturdays
Here are few routines of Feride’s colorfull Saturdays…
“My favorite moment is placing flowers in guests cabins as a final golden touch.” – says Feride.
- Last inspections on board after previous Guest’s disembark
- Grand cleaning
- Refilling both tanks with fresh water and fuel
- Follow up Provision
- Endless extra on spot needs of the Chef on board
- More than millions of telephone calls with the suppliers – service providers
- Checking the arrival & departure flights
- Monitoring transfer vehicles – chasing the drivers
- Final Gulet Crew Briefing onboard
There are also two menu options to choose from, VIP menu and Standard menu
VIP menu
In other words; Tailor-Made Exclusive Full Board Menu, which means; your breakfast will start with a glass of champagne plus caviare. Throughout the day you will be served mostly Mediterranian dishes, seafood with fresh vegetables, pastry, seasonal fruits, and traditional desserts. All kind of soft drinks according to guests preferences and wishes are included in the price.
Standard menu
Your day will start with a traditional Turkish breakfast, consisting of white cheese, olives, slices of cucumber and tomato, eggs, honey and jam. With Turkish breakfast, bread is a particular treat-freshly baked every day. Throughout the day you will also be served tea and coffee, with cookies and/or some traditional Turkish burek.
The main courses are lamb, beef, chicken-based and fresh fish-based. Rice & noodles often accompany main courses and salad on the side. Crew or local fishermen can supply fresh seafood depending on the season. All kind of soft drinks, local and imported drinks are extra.
Menu sample
Below you’ll find a sample of menus that can be prepared on board, of course, bear in mind that everything can be further personalized to your preferences.
Breakfast
The breakfast on board will be served as per our clients will, however includes pastries that are baked by our chef and freshly squeezed juices.
Day 1
Lunch
- Season Salad Breaded
- Cheddar Cheese
- Tabbouleh
- Artichokes in Olive Oil
- Homemade Turkish Ravioli with Yoghurt & Garlic
- Mixed Fruit Platter
Dinner
- Season Salad Breaded
- Cheddar Cheese
- Tabbouleh
- Artichokes in Olive Oil
- Homemade Turkish Ravioli with Yoghurt & Garlic
- Mixed Fruit Platter
Day 2
Lunch
- Fresh Green Beans in Olive Oil
- Carrot Salad
- Mixed Green salad with Chicken Slices
- Grilled Stuffed Calamari
- Fried Jumbo Shrimps
- Minty Fruit Salad
Dinner
- Turkish Summer Soup
- Season Salad
- Fava Bean Paté
- Fried Eggplants in Tomato Garlic Sauce
- Purslane with Yoghurt & Garlic
- Rice with Chickpeas Adana
- Kebab
- Candied Peaches with Bourbon Vanilla Ice Cream
Day 3
Lunch
- Season Salad
- Cabbage Rolls filled with Rice, Raisins & Pine Nuts
- Zucchini Tarator
- Stuffed Tomatoes
- Lemon Flavored Broccoli Salad
- Ottoman Kebab
- Mixed Fruit Platter
Dinner
- Onion Soup
- Season Salad
- Hummus
- ‘The Imam was Thrilled’
- Anchovies & Green Olives
- Boiled Potatoes
- Chicken Roulade Filled With Vegetables
- Sweet Bananas ‘en croute’
Day 4
Lunch
- Season Salad
- Black Eyed Peas
- Diced Cucumbers in Yoghurt, Garlic & Mint
- Stuffed Green Peppers
- Pastry Rolls with Feta
- Sweet-Sour Marinated Chicken Wings
- Mixed Fruit Salad with Orange Liqueur
Dinner
- Lentil Soup
- Season Salad Roman
- Beans in Olive Oil
- Smoked Eggplant Salad
- Cauliflower in Olive Oil with Onions & Lemon
- Spicy Potato Wedges
- Seabass on a Bed of Creamy Swiss Chard
- Cheesecake
Day 5
Lunch
- Season Salad
- Crab Salad in Olive Oil & Fresh Lemon
- Thick Yoghurt with Garlic & Dill
- Chicken Salad with Sesame Paste
- Spaghetti ‘Al Pomodoro’
- Framboise Ice Cream
Dinner
- Carrot Soup
- Stuffed Wine Leeves
- Diced Tomatoes in Sweet Pomegranate Dressing
- Purslane Salad Grilled
- Mushroom-Onion Sauté
- Traditional Turkish Mashed Potatoes
- Pepper Fillet Steak
- Apple Pie
Day 6
Lunch
- Season Salad
- Buttered Bulgur
- Pastrami Pastry
- Purslane with Yoghurt & Garlic
- Chicken Sauté
- Semolina Cake
Dinner
- Tomato Soup
- Season Salad
- Fish Salad
- Carrot Tarator
- Fried Mushrooms Topped with Cheese
- Bulgur with Vegetables
- Lamb in Tandoori
- Profiterol
Day 7
Lunch
- Shepherd Salad
- Onion Croquettes Leeks &
- Carrots in Olive Oil Chicken
- Carpaccio
- Turkish Pizza with Spinach & Fried Eggs
- Candied Pineapples with Ice Cream
Dinner
- Fish Soup
- Caesars Salad & Homemade Croutons
- Pickled Beet Roots
- Jumbo Shrimps in Spic
- Curry Rice
- Garlic Sauce
- Buttered Seabream
- Deep Fried Ice Cream
