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As a cook and writer,
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I've long been intrigued by the
flavours and fragrances
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of Middle Eastern cooking -
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one of the oldest and most
influential cuisines in the world.
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Now I want to find out more.
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You know, there really is only one
true way
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to get to know a region's food,
and that's to go there.
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To eat the food amongst the people
who cook it and eat it every day.
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That way, it's seasoned
with a sense of place -
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the landscape, the culture
and traditions.
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That's incredible.
So join me on my journey...
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Can I have a look in your cupboard?
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..to discover ingredients and
recipes that defined three countries
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with truly exciting food stories.
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Cheese and roses, it shouldn't work!
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Places considered to be the key
pillars of Middle Eastern cuisine.
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My adventure takes me across
northern Iran
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to taste Persian
dishes with a rich heritage,
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to Lebanon with its Arab-influenced
flavours of the Levant,
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and to Turkey, where the recipes
born of a diverse landscape
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have travelled the world.
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I did a date pattern - I should
have done a walnut pattern.
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My appetite for new flavours
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takes me through ancient and
beguiling lands -
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but, more importantly,
into people's homes.
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I absolutely loved it,
and I can't thank you enough.
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This is my chance to learn new
techniques and recipes
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that aren't in books
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but have been handed down
through generations...
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How long does it take you?
Five minutes. Five minutes?
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Well, I'd better get
a move on, then.
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..and I'll share the secrets
I'll discover
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by cooking recipes
inspired by my journey.
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This time, I visit a rapidly
changing nation.
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From the dishes of Ottoman palaces
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to the rustic home cooking
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at the heart of Turkey.
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I start in Istanbul,
home to 15 million people -
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today, a rapidly-changing,
thriving city
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that straddles both Europe and Asia.
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Formerly Constantinople,
the heart of the Ottoman Empire.
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From here, rich sultans ruled
over swathes of Europe,
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Asia and North Africa,
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bringing far-away flavours back to
their palace kitchens
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to create the world's most
flamboyant food of its time.
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One of Istanbul's most prestigious
hotels was once a sultan's palace.
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The grandeur and opulence
is clear to see,
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echoed not just in
its chandeliers and marble,
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but also in the classic
Ottoman dishes it creates.
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At the height of the Empire,
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the finest chefs were summoned
from far and wide
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to experiment with
ingredients and techniques,
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to engineer dishes
fit for the sultan's table.
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A whole fish baked in salt
would have been a true spectacle.
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At the time, salt was a highly
prized commodity all over the world.
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You...
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This is the sultan showing off.
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It's the idea of a silver salver
being presented to your guests
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with a huge, whole fish
baked in glistening salt.
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It's as much show as it is flavour.
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It's delicious. It's delicious...
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..but the point of this dish
is about the location.
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It's about how glamorous
and how beautiful the room is.
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It's about the exquisite china.
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It's about the way
the food is presented.
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This is fashionable food.
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It's fun and it IS about theatre.
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Baklava - the sticky, sweet pastry
dessert loved the world over -
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was another dish perfected
for the sultan's pleasure.
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40 paper-thin layers of filo pastry
sandwiched with finely chopped nuts
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and trickled with syrup made each
mouthful a work of culinary art.
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Even today, the apprentice bakers
must work in the kitchen
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for at least five years
before touching the pastry...
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Thank you.
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..and there's also an art
to eating it.
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You check that it's golden.
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You put your fork in and then
cut right through with a knife.
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If you tip it upside down,
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there should not be a drip of syrup
that falls off it.
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You then dip into your
thick clotted yoghurt -
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that's the crust on the top
of the yoghurt -
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and then into the
ground pistachios...
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..and then you put it
into your mouth upside down,
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so that the bottom layer of pastry,
which is the most buttery...
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..just touches the roof
of your mouth.
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You need a bit of practice
to eat it elegantly...
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..but it is very, very good.
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It's not sickly and sweet -
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it's nutty and it's flaky
and it's light.
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This is lovely.
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While the sultans were eating fine
foods from around the world,
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most of the country was enjoying
simple home-cooked dishes
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inspired by the produce
of its diverse landscape.
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I'm going to a lokanta -
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it's a canteen-style cafe popular
all over Turkey
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that serves homely lunches
to the urban workforce.
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It's also where I'll meet my guide
and translator for my journey,
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Sibel Samli.
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Hey, Nigel.
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I'm liking this place.
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Welcome. Wow.
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Historically, Turkey didn't have
much of a restaurant culture...
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..but just over a century ago
the lokanta,
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with its domestic recipes
and warm-welcome atmosphere,
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emerged as an exception...
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..and are now one of its most
enduring food institutions.
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So, tell me, what's going on?
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OK, so this is a classic
weekday lunch
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for anyone who works and lives
in Istanbul.
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And do I choose one thing
or a couple of things?
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How does it work? Well, Turks
usually don't consider a meal a meal
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if it doesn't have meat in it.
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I mean, there's a lot
of veg, for sure -
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green beans, you'll have a lot
of potato and meat mixed.
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Chickpeas, courgettes, beans.
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But then you also have lamb, beef.
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This is what I call comfort food.
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You know, lots of juices,
lots of flavours and juices.
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This is slow-cooked food,
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served quickly and without fuss
to hungry regulars
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at simple communal tables.
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It is very basic, but it's a massive
luxury to be able to walk in,
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eat fresh, warm food
within 30 minutes
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and go back to work.
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And reasonably priced, I'm thinking.
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Yes, very. Shall we sit down?
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The culture of going out at
lunchtime for a sandwich -
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is that here? Mm-mm.
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I think everyone would be outraged
if anyone ever suggested
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that they had to have
sandwiches for lunch!
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80, 90% of the workforce
will break for lunch
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and come to a restaurant
like this.
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You find variations of it
in the poshest neighbourhood
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and the poorest neighbourhood.
They're all...
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Cos they'll all cook the same foods.
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It's kind of an extension of home,
in a way.
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Yeah, yeah.
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This is utterly delicious.
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And no sandwiches!
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Food like this every day.
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Absolutely, it's utterly delicious.
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This food is right up my street -
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quality ingredients that don't need
to shout or show off,
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but just sit well together.
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Simple home cooking
with subtle, warm flavours.
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The kind of dish
I like to make at home.
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Roughly chop an onion
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along with an assortment
of red and yellow peppers.
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Add to a large roasting tin.
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Choose a selection of tomatoes
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and add a few sprigs of thyme.
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Trickle the mixture
with olive oil and then bake.
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After 50 minutes, add butter beans,
a good pinch of allspice,
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and return to the oven
for ten minutes.
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Briefly boil green beans in salted
water and then plunge into cold -
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this keeps their vibrancy.
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Fold in the beans at the last
minute, so they just warm through,
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and then serve.
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Simple stews like this are, for me,
the true taste of Turkey...
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..born from the fertile soil
of its agricultural heartland
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in central Anatolia.
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This vast area lies east
of Istanbul - Asian Turkey...
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..and it's where
my journey continues.
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Some believe this is where
crop cultivation first began.
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Many foods, not just Turkish,
can be traced back to Anatolia,
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and the country is one of the few
nations in the world
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with the diversity and volume of
produce to be self-sufficient.
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Many of its people still live
close to the land,
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as they have done for centuries.
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It is dawn in the central
Anatolian district of Develi,
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and the timeless morning routine
begins once again.
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Songul has left the village
just once in her whole life.
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THEY SPEAK LOCAL LANGUAGE
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Nigel, Songul. I'm Nigel.
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She says there's more
in the back room, as well.
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They finish this in the summer
and then make it again.
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This and next door will last
for about six months.
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This is the store-cupboard version
of a thin, unleavened flatbread,
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yufka, popular throughout Turkey.
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Irresistible.
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Once baked, it contains
very little water...
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..which means that it can be stored
for months
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and then rehydrated when needed.
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Wheat was first cultivated in Turkey
around 10,000 years ago,
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and the first breads
probably looked a lot like this.
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It's like a work of art!
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LAUGHTER
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It's just, it's beautiful.
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Songul has offered to show me how
they make one of their staple meals,
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manti.
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Manti starts with a simple dough
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made from flour, water,
salt and eggs.
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While Songul kneads and rolls
the dough, her daughter-in-law
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makes the filling from minced beef,
onions, herbs and ground cumin.
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It's clear to see that this dish
has been made many times.
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These ladies are a dab hand.
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Ah, OK, into strips.
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So, she's saying, basically,
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her older sister lives in Ankara,
the capital,
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and she's saying that her older
sister says that there is a machine
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that does the cutting now,
so they should buy that,
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and she's saying
we're not city slackers,
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we're villagers,
and we're used to doing it.
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And then a little pinch of meat.
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How much? In the centre.
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The influence of manti on more
modern foods like ravioli
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is plain to see.
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And then like that?
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Can you imagine how long
you'd have to wait for dinner
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if it was up to me?
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It's not long before the topic
of conversation veers away
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from the cooking.
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So she says she was in love
with Songul's son,
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but because they thought her father
wouldn't allow her to get married
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00:13:52,880 --> 00:13:58,360
to him, they ran away to Ankara,
to the aunt's house,
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and then they stayed
there for three days
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until the families agreed
on the marriage.
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It's pretty common in this village,
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because if they're in love,
but the family have other plans,
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then the girls just run away.
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Preparing the food
with Songul is a joy.
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Manti is boiled and its sauce
is prepared by grating garlic
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into home-made yoghurt...
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..and a moment for me to find out
how Songul feels
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about life here
on the Anatolian plateau.
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This seems quite a hard way of life.
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I'm just wondering,
would you prefer to work...
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..an easier job in the city?
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Yeah, it's home.
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So, do you think that your children,
and particularly your grandson,
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do you think that they will take on
this way of life afterwards?
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The sad thing about that is that
maybe this farm wouldn't be here
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if it's not passed on
to another generation.
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It's all very well for me
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to talk about preserving
a traditional way of life -
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making your own yoghurt
and your own cheese
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and having a cow in the yard...
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..but this is hard!
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This is survival.
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This is absolutely essential,
it's crucial to their lives.
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The hot dumplings are topped with
a dollop of the garlicky yoghurt
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and finished with smoked, sweet,
crushed red chillies
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warmed in olive oil.
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This is amazing.
245
00:16:22,400 --> 00:16:25,080
You know, there is nothing
that means more to me...
246
00:16:26,400 --> 00:16:28,840
..than sharing food -
247
00:16:28,840 --> 00:16:31,640
and the fact that somebody
shares their food with me...
248
00:16:32,720 --> 00:16:34,280
..is everything...
249
00:16:34,280 --> 00:16:38,080
..but also, to share their craft,
250
00:16:38,080 --> 00:16:40,160
their expertise, their knowledge -
251
00:16:40,160 --> 00:16:42,560
they've also shared
their way of life.
252
00:16:42,560 --> 00:16:44,680
It just makes me...
253
00:16:44,680 --> 00:16:46,360
..just so, so grateful.
254
00:17:02,160 --> 00:17:05,320
My exploration of Anatolian
cuisine continues
255
00:17:05,320 --> 00:17:10,200
50 miles west of Develi in the
evocative landscape of Cappadocia...
256
00:17:14,360 --> 00:17:16,960
..peppered with rock-carved homes,
257
00:17:16,960 --> 00:17:20,680
fascinating rock formations
and ancient vineyards.
258
00:17:21,960 --> 00:17:24,720
Once a secret natural wonder,
259
00:17:24,720 --> 00:17:26,720
this is now a World Heritage site
260
00:17:26,720 --> 00:17:30,200
and one of Turkey's most popular
tourist attractions.
261
00:17:38,440 --> 00:17:43,760
I'm here to find out more about
the classic storeroom staple pekmez,
262
00:17:43,760 --> 00:17:48,800
a grape-based molasses used widely
in both sweet and savoury dishes.
263
00:17:51,320 --> 00:17:54,440
So I've come to meet Faruk
on his family vineyard.
264
00:17:57,000 --> 00:18:00,240
So, how long have grapes
grown on this land?
265
00:18:01,400 --> 00:18:05,000
Thousands of years,
these type of grapes are here -
266
00:18:05,000 --> 00:18:07,800
but this garden,
from my grandfather.
267
00:18:07,800 --> 00:18:08,960
This is the most...
268
00:18:10,240 --> 00:18:11,960
..sweetest one.
269
00:18:11,960 --> 00:18:13,640
These have all been growing...
270
00:18:14,680 --> 00:18:16,400
..without giving any water.
271
00:18:25,760 --> 00:18:30,200
Times are changing, and these days
Faruk is one of the few locals
272
00:18:30,200 --> 00:18:32,520
still making his own pekmez.
273
00:18:34,800 --> 00:18:38,920
So, you must have seen quite a lot
of change around here.
274
00:18:38,920 --> 00:18:40,240
Yes, for sure.
275
00:18:41,800 --> 00:18:47,240
When I was a kid, we
had more trees and more greens.
276
00:18:48,480 --> 00:18:51,360
Just like this.
Everywhere was like this.
277
00:18:51,360 --> 00:18:53,040
Nobody is looking after.
278
00:18:54,560 --> 00:18:56,200
Why is nobody looking after it?
279
00:18:56,200 --> 00:19:01,200
They're running hotels
or different kind of tourisms.
280
00:19:01,200 --> 00:19:05,120
More easier for them to make
the life like that.
281
00:19:06,640 --> 00:19:09,840
And the tourism damaging
all the land -
282
00:19:09,840 --> 00:19:14,640
by the ballooning,
by the quad bikes, by the hiking.
283
00:19:14,640 --> 00:19:16,600
What do you see as the future,
284
00:19:16,600 --> 00:19:19,560
if you look forward 20 years,
50 years?
285
00:19:19,560 --> 00:19:21,760
I feel very, very sad.
286
00:19:31,760 --> 00:19:35,920
I hitch a lift with Faruk to his
home in the village to watch
287
00:19:35,920 --> 00:19:39,200
the harvested grapes
be transformed into pekmez.
288
00:19:52,600 --> 00:19:55,560
This is a special soil we use.
289
00:19:56,800 --> 00:19:59,720
This feels... This feels like flour.
290
00:19:59,720 --> 00:20:01,520
Yes, it is like a flour.
291
00:20:01,520 --> 00:20:03,520
Very, very fine.
292
00:20:05,280 --> 00:20:10,520
This volcanic soil, known as marl,
is sprinkled on the grapes.
293
00:20:10,520 --> 00:20:13,200
HE SPEAKS OWN LANGUAGE
294
00:20:15,240 --> 00:20:16,920
Now, they're ready to press.
295
00:20:20,360 --> 00:20:22,080
No other ingredients are added.
296
00:20:23,640 --> 00:20:27,480
Marl is purely a natural agent
used to remove acidity
297
00:20:27,480 --> 00:20:29,000
and clarify the juice.
298
00:20:30,320 --> 00:20:32,440
You have a lot of fun
doing this, don't you?
299
00:20:34,400 --> 00:20:36,600
He's the mayor of the town.
300
00:20:36,600 --> 00:20:39,680
The mayor? He's the mayor of this
village, can you believe?
301
00:20:39,680 --> 00:20:41,600
I wouldn't get my mayor to do this!
302
00:20:44,200 --> 00:20:45,520
Over the centuries,
303
00:20:45,520 --> 00:20:49,320
the methods for its domestic
production have barely changed.
304
00:20:49,320 --> 00:20:53,840
So this liquid, it looks milky at
the moment because of the stones...
305
00:20:53,840 --> 00:20:55,960
Because of the stones, yes.
306
00:20:55,960 --> 00:20:58,760
..but that will sink to
the bottom... Yes, in a few hours.
307
00:20:58,760 --> 00:21:00,480
..and then we'll get
the clear juice.
308
00:21:10,360 --> 00:21:13,320
Pekmez has a honey-like consistency
309
00:21:13,320 --> 00:21:18,160
and is made by boiling the juice
and reducing it to a thick syrup...
310
00:21:20,120 --> 00:21:23,280
..a process that takes
around seven hours.
311
00:21:26,760 --> 00:21:30,320
You know, it's the sounds that make
this place as much as anything.
312
00:21:31,960 --> 00:21:36,080
Sounds that probably haven't
changed for hundreds of years.
313
00:21:38,920 --> 00:21:40,800
The pot of molasses bubbling...
314
00:21:42,320 --> 00:21:43,760
..the crackling of the fire...
315
00:21:46,400 --> 00:21:47,880
COW MOOS
316
00:21:47,880 --> 00:21:49,440
..the cow, chickens.
317
00:21:51,960 --> 00:21:55,120
Today, the pekmez will be
the crowning glory
318
00:21:55,120 --> 00:21:57,360
of an age-old Anatolian lunch.
319
00:21:59,120 --> 00:22:01,080
We are having gozleme,
320
00:22:01,080 --> 00:22:03,840
a savoury filling encased
in the yufka...
321
00:22:05,520 --> 00:22:08,560
..the simple flatbread made
from just flour and water.
322
00:22:11,320 --> 00:22:13,440
There will be two varieties
of gozleme...
323
00:22:15,520 --> 00:22:18,440
..one filled with spinach
and white cheese,
324
00:22:18,440 --> 00:22:20,880
the other with potato and dill.
325
00:22:30,360 --> 00:22:35,320
The yufka wraps are wafer-thin,
so only need a short blast of heat.
326
00:22:39,400 --> 00:22:43,240
Pekmez has been called the
healing syrup of Anatolia,
327
00:22:43,240 --> 00:22:47,840
widely believed to cure everything
from colds to anaemia,
328
00:22:47,840 --> 00:22:50,640
because of its high iron
and vitamin content.
329
00:22:52,840 --> 00:22:54,080
That's incredible!
330
00:22:56,920 --> 00:23:00,000
Incredible. Did you ever have
something this flavour?
331
00:23:00,000 --> 00:23:03,320
No, never. This is the way...
332
00:23:03,320 --> 00:23:05,960
The way of living in Anatolia.
333
00:23:05,960 --> 00:23:08,840
It kind of bothers me
that it may not continue.
334
00:23:08,840 --> 00:23:12,600
It will continue in the factories,
massive,
335
00:23:12,600 --> 00:23:14,200
which is not the same thing.
336
00:23:20,360 --> 00:23:22,840
Faruk's Anatolia is changing fast.
337
00:23:24,440 --> 00:23:28,520
The regional capital Kayseri
is home to thriving industries
338
00:23:28,520 --> 00:23:31,280
set up to feed
Turkey's booming economy.
339
00:23:33,360 --> 00:23:36,880
130 factories opened here
in a single day,
340
00:23:36,880 --> 00:23:41,000
and since the '90s, its population
has doubled to almost a million...
341
00:23:43,280 --> 00:23:47,440
..many of them leaving their rural
homes in favour of urban life.
342
00:23:48,920 --> 00:23:52,680
It's just one of many examples
of the growth of new cities
343
00:23:52,680 --> 00:23:54,880
right the way across Anatolia...
344
00:23:54,880 --> 00:23:57,840
..and this is the dilemma
that Turkey faces -
345
00:23:57,840 --> 00:23:59,400
modernity...
346
00:24:00,760 --> 00:24:03,480
..without losing their traditions,
347
00:24:03,480 --> 00:24:06,720
without losing the flavour
of the land.
348
00:24:13,400 --> 00:24:16,720
Turkey is an enormously
diverse country.
349
00:24:16,720 --> 00:24:18,920
There are seven distinct regions,
350
00:24:18,920 --> 00:24:21,600
with every climate imaginable,
351
00:24:21,600 --> 00:24:24,640
from the torrid conditions of the
Anatolian plateau
352
00:24:24,640 --> 00:24:28,200
to the misty green mountains
of the eastern Black Sea.
353
00:24:29,800 --> 00:24:31,960
The benefit of such
a diverse climate
354
00:24:31,960 --> 00:24:35,200
is the wealth of regional
variation in the food.
355
00:24:37,720 --> 00:24:40,840
I've come to the Trabzon
region of the Black Sea,
356
00:24:40,840 --> 00:24:42,720
to the town of the same name,
357
00:24:42,720 --> 00:24:46,880
to taste a bread-based dish
that is eaten all over Turkey,
358
00:24:46,880 --> 00:24:50,480
but here is made with
a very special local flourish.
359
00:24:52,720 --> 00:24:54,160
Hello.
360
00:24:54,160 --> 00:24:55,400
SHE SPEAKS OWN LANGUAGE
361
00:24:56,320 --> 00:24:58,080
Pide, please.
362
00:25:01,360 --> 00:25:04,640
Pide is normally made as
a boat-shaped leavened bread
363
00:25:04,640 --> 00:25:06,440
with a variety of toppings...
364
00:25:09,160 --> 00:25:13,080
..from dried beef
or minced lamb to spinach -
365
00:25:13,080 --> 00:25:15,120
but in this case...
366
00:25:15,120 --> 00:25:19,560
..it's cheese. There's no olives
grown around here - or not many.
367
00:25:19,560 --> 00:25:21,240
This is a dairy culture.
368
00:25:21,240 --> 00:25:24,960
While sheep and goat's cheese
is very popular in Turkey,
369
00:25:24,960 --> 00:25:30,040
in the Black Sea region, only their
local cows' kolof will do.
370
00:25:30,040 --> 00:25:32,040
Just in case
that's not enough dairy...
371
00:25:32,040 --> 00:25:33,640
It's going to be good.
372
00:25:33,640 --> 00:25:34,960
..a generous scoop
373
00:25:34,960 --> 00:25:39,600
of the region's iconic, deep yellow
highland butter is also added.
374
00:25:39,600 --> 00:25:43,480
The locals say that without butter,
there is no taste -
375
00:25:43,480 --> 00:25:46,080
and they are certainly
not taking any chances here.
376
00:25:50,640 --> 00:25:51,680
Ah!
377
00:25:53,080 --> 00:25:56,080
I've never seen anything
like this in my life.
378
00:25:56,080 --> 00:25:58,480
It's almost like a fondue.
379
00:25:58,480 --> 00:26:01,040
It's like cheese soup
held within a crust...
380
00:26:02,320 --> 00:26:03,560
..and it squeaks.
381
00:26:06,560 --> 00:26:09,560
There's a special
local way to cut this -
382
00:26:09,560 --> 00:26:12,120
carefully remove the top
of the crust.
383
00:26:15,520 --> 00:26:17,560
Break it into pieces
384
00:26:17,560 --> 00:26:20,880
and then dip it
into the molten cheese.
385
00:26:25,280 --> 00:26:30,520
Mm! It's kind of like the pizza
you always want but never quite get.
386
00:26:30,520 --> 00:26:33,560
This is the food that the word
"gorgeous" was invented for.
387
00:26:33,560 --> 00:26:35,360
It's the only way to describe it...
388
00:26:36,480 --> 00:26:38,040
..and I will gorge.
389
00:26:41,240 --> 00:26:43,640
Pide fillings can be as varied
as you like,
390
00:26:43,640 --> 00:26:45,880
and the dough
is really simple to make.
391
00:26:50,480 --> 00:26:56,000
Mix 450g of flour
with seven grams of dried yeast.
392
00:26:56,000 --> 00:26:59,920
A pinch of salt,
and 350ml of water.
393
00:27:02,320 --> 00:27:05,800
Knead, and leave to rise
for an hour.
394
00:27:05,800 --> 00:27:07,840
Roll out and shape the dough.
395
00:27:09,640 --> 00:27:13,800
For my filling, I'm grating
a handful of Turkish cheese,
396
00:27:13,800 --> 00:27:16,680
thinly slicing tomatoes,
397
00:27:16,680 --> 00:27:18,920
and sujuk, a Turkish sausage.
398
00:27:21,400 --> 00:27:22,720
Trickle with olive oil...
399
00:27:24,320 --> 00:27:26,560
..then bake for 20 minutes.
400
00:27:27,800 --> 00:27:31,440
The final dish is truly comforting.
401
00:27:40,640 --> 00:27:44,800
The landscape around Trabzon
is well suited to dairy farming,
402
00:27:44,800 --> 00:27:49,440
and much of it is carried out in the
traditional way of moving the herds
403
00:27:49,440 --> 00:27:52,440
between the highlands
and lowlands with the seasons.
404
00:27:55,280 --> 00:27:57,160
With winter fast approaching,
405
00:27:57,160 --> 00:27:59,720
I'm keen to see
the mountain pastures
406
00:27:59,720 --> 00:28:01,800
before the roads become impassable.
407
00:28:04,560 --> 00:28:06,840
The view is fast disappearing.
408
00:28:06,840 --> 00:28:09,320
One minute it's
snow-capped mountains,
409
00:28:09,320 --> 00:28:12,200
and the next minute it is
thick and very eerie mist.
410
00:28:20,680 --> 00:28:23,400
This is one of the many
summer villages
411
00:28:23,400 --> 00:28:27,760
which serve as seasonal dwellings
for the local herders.
412
00:28:29,920 --> 00:28:32,760
So, we are over 2,000 metres high,
413
00:28:32,760 --> 00:28:34,160
and the village is deserted.
414
00:28:36,520 --> 00:28:38,600
The winter crocuses
are starting to come out,
415
00:28:38,600 --> 00:28:42,360
which is a sign for the herdsmen to
take their cattle down
416
00:28:42,360 --> 00:28:45,560
from the lush mountain pasture
down into the valley.
417
00:28:47,520 --> 00:28:49,600
The snows are well and truly
on their way.
418
00:28:58,240 --> 00:29:02,000
Whilst dairy is what this area
is traditionally associated with,
419
00:29:02,000 --> 00:29:05,800
the last 100 years has seen a
new industry flourish
420
00:29:05,800 --> 00:29:08,760
in the rainy fertile foothills
of the mountains.
421
00:29:14,520 --> 00:29:17,000
Tea in Turkey is big business,
422
00:29:17,000 --> 00:29:21,120
and locally, in the Rize province
an hour's drive east of Trabzon,
423
00:29:21,120 --> 00:29:25,080
it's so important even the local
football team is named after it.
424
00:29:27,360 --> 00:29:30,800
The misty foothills
of the Black Sea mountains
425
00:29:30,800 --> 00:29:34,560
are home to over 200,000
independent tea gardens,
426
00:29:34,560 --> 00:29:39,240
who supplied Turkey's insatiable
thirst for a good brew.
427
00:29:39,240 --> 00:29:41,640
The further I head
into the mountains,
428
00:29:41,640 --> 00:29:47,200
the more I can see how absolutely
crucial tea growing is to this area.
429
00:29:47,200 --> 00:29:49,320
You can almost smell it.
430
00:29:49,320 --> 00:29:52,560
Any tiny little space on the slopes
of the hillside,
431
00:29:52,560 --> 00:29:53,960
there's a row of tea bushes.
432
00:29:58,440 --> 00:30:02,400
I've been invited to take part
in a tea harvest.
433
00:30:02,400 --> 00:30:03,800
It's an early start,
434
00:30:03,800 --> 00:30:06,200
so bed and breakfast
are part of the deal.
435
00:30:09,320 --> 00:30:14,240
Sibel introduces me to brother
and sister Lale and Gokhan.
436
00:30:14,240 --> 00:30:19,120
They are Hemshin, a minority
group of Armenian descent.
437
00:30:19,120 --> 00:30:21,760
They still live
in their family home,
438
00:30:21,760 --> 00:30:25,320
which I'm told has a bit
of a story all of its own.
439
00:30:26,520 --> 00:30:28,000
How long have you lived here?
440
00:30:33,480 --> 00:30:35,000
Do you know how old the house is?
441
00:30:38,440 --> 00:30:39,480
OK.
442
00:30:40,920 --> 00:30:42,320
Deliciously creaky.
443
00:30:46,040 --> 00:30:47,880
And that's their mother.
444
00:30:59,400 --> 00:31:05,080
So, it was their grandfather that
made this house from scratch -
445
00:31:05,080 --> 00:31:06,760
but he never got to live in it
446
00:31:06,760 --> 00:31:09,040
because he died very young
in Poland.
447
00:31:09,040 --> 00:31:11,120
He was shot during
the First World War.
448
00:31:15,280 --> 00:31:20,040
The hand prints are from when they
sacrificed an animal
449
00:31:20,040 --> 00:31:25,480
to bless the house when the last
foundations were put in place.
450
00:31:25,480 --> 00:31:26,800
Gosh, sacrificing an animal.
451
00:31:26,800 --> 00:31:30,040
All I did was open a bottle
of wine when I moved in.
452
00:31:30,040 --> 00:31:31,160
Gosh.
453
00:31:53,480 --> 00:31:57,280
After a sound night's sleep,
it's time to pick some tea.
454
00:32:11,600 --> 00:32:15,200
The morning drizzle is not enough
to stop my lesson in tea harvesting.
455
00:32:18,040 --> 00:32:21,480
So, sides first and then on top. OK.
456
00:32:23,520 --> 00:32:25,400
Yeah? Is that OK? OK.
457
00:32:27,640 --> 00:32:33,000
I'm doing this very slowly but how
long does it take you to pick a row?
458
00:32:35,600 --> 00:32:36,720
Five minutes?
459
00:32:37,720 --> 00:32:40,440
Well, I'd better get a move on,
then!
460
00:32:40,440 --> 00:32:42,280
It's just the top young leaves,
461
00:32:42,280 --> 00:32:45,000
when the leaves are small
and they are very pale green.
462
00:32:48,080 --> 00:32:50,960
That's the ones you want.
That's what I'm trying to get.
463
00:32:53,680 --> 00:32:58,080
Historically, Turkey has always
been a coffee-drinking nation.
464
00:32:58,080 --> 00:33:00,760
It's only with the fall
of the Ottoman Empire,
465
00:33:00,760 --> 00:33:04,960
the First World War and the closing
of their traditional trading roots
466
00:33:04,960 --> 00:33:08,040
that the prices went up and they
had to find an alternative...
467
00:33:09,400 --> 00:33:11,720
..and that alternative was tea.
468
00:33:11,720 --> 00:33:14,120
They've been drinking it
and growing it ever since,
469
00:33:14,120 --> 00:33:15,880
to the point where they are now
470
00:33:15,880 --> 00:33:19,000
probably the world's greatest
consumer per capita.
471
00:33:20,440 --> 00:33:22,600
That's good news
for the locals here.
472
00:33:25,080 --> 00:33:26,760
The leaves are left to dry
473
00:33:26,760 --> 00:33:30,880
and will be sold to the
government-owned tea company Caykur,
474
00:33:30,880 --> 00:33:34,520
whose fixed rates provide
this family with a stable income.
475
00:33:37,640 --> 00:33:39,240
I'm looking forward to a cuppa...
476
00:33:42,680 --> 00:33:45,720
..but, even more, to my breakfast.
477
00:33:47,720 --> 00:33:51,240
Cheese is an essential part
of the Turkish breakfast table...
478
00:33:52,880 --> 00:33:56,200
..but here in the Black Sea,
it's the centrepiece.
479
00:33:59,600 --> 00:34:01,840
Lale is making muhlama.
480
00:34:03,200 --> 00:34:08,680
This is a fondue-like creation made
using local aged Trabzon cheese,
481
00:34:08,680 --> 00:34:12,400
as well as melted highland
butter and flour.
482
00:34:15,400 --> 00:34:19,520
This is a Hemshin dish and stems
from their ancestral roots
483
00:34:19,520 --> 00:34:21,000
as cattle herders.
484
00:34:22,920 --> 00:34:25,440
In their family, they were
the last generation
485
00:34:25,440 --> 00:34:28,960
to have a traditional upbringing
high on the mountain pastures...
486
00:34:32,000 --> 00:34:36,960
..but by the looks of it, their
taste for dairy remains strong.
487
00:34:36,960 --> 00:34:39,040
Did somebody mention
a bit of breakfast?
488
00:34:40,240 --> 00:34:41,800
They didn't mention a feast.
489
00:34:50,200 --> 00:34:51,640
Ah, thank you.
490
00:34:53,320 --> 00:34:54,720
Throughout Turkey,
491
00:34:54,720 --> 00:34:57,800
breakfast is considered the most
important meal of the day -
492
00:34:57,800 --> 00:34:59,440
but this is something else.
493
00:35:01,080 --> 00:35:03,640
Everything on this table
has been home-made
494
00:35:03,640 --> 00:35:05,360
or picked from their garden.
495
00:35:07,520 --> 00:35:11,560
For someone like me,
who adores dairy produce...
496
00:35:14,160 --> 00:35:16,880
..this is like all my birthdays
have come on one day.
497
00:35:30,400 --> 00:35:31,720
No!
498
00:35:34,960 --> 00:35:37,040
Can I come and live here?
499
00:35:42,680 --> 00:35:44,280
I wasn't expecting
500
00:35:44,280 --> 00:35:46,720
almost all of the cheese
I would eat in one year...
501
00:35:48,040 --> 00:35:49,320
..at one meal.
502
00:35:50,840 --> 00:35:52,400
This is splendid.
503
00:36:00,480 --> 00:36:04,800
Just a generation ago, there weren't
many roads in these mountains...
504
00:36:06,800 --> 00:36:09,240
..and because they were so isolated,
505
00:36:09,240 --> 00:36:12,000
local communities had to be
especially resourceful.
506
00:36:17,200 --> 00:36:20,280
I'm travelling nearly 100 miles
further east
507
00:36:20,280 --> 00:36:22,360
to the tiny village of Macahel,
508
00:36:22,360 --> 00:36:24,400
close to the Georgian border.
509
00:36:32,960 --> 00:36:35,600
I've come to meet a Georgian family
510
00:36:35,600 --> 00:36:39,920
and to taste a favourite
Turkish dessert, helva,
511
00:36:39,920 --> 00:36:41,800
with a unique local twist.
512
00:36:49,360 --> 00:36:51,920
HE SPEAKS OWN LANGUAGE
513
00:36:56,040 --> 00:36:59,000
This is 70-year-old Nasim,
514
00:36:59,000 --> 00:37:01,000
his son Kenan,
515
00:37:01,000 --> 00:37:05,280
and granddaughters, Irem and Irmak -
516
00:37:05,280 --> 00:37:07,800
three generations of honey-hunters.
517
00:37:09,480 --> 00:37:10,520
OK.
518
00:37:12,600 --> 00:37:17,080
For a food, for a product
that is so difficult to harvest...
519
00:37:18,280 --> 00:37:20,720
..I guess it's got to be
very, very special indeed.
520
00:37:24,360 --> 00:37:28,000
The hives have to be
really high up the tree
521
00:37:28,000 --> 00:37:30,440
to protect the honey from the bears.
522
00:37:53,280 --> 00:37:54,800
Ohh!
523
00:37:54,800 --> 00:37:55,840
THEY LAUGH
524
00:37:55,840 --> 00:37:57,480
Wow! Look at this!
525
00:38:05,760 --> 00:38:08,680
What defines the character
of a honey...
526
00:38:08,680 --> 00:38:11,920
..are the flowers that...
the bees feast on,
527
00:38:11,920 --> 00:38:14,080
where they get their nectar.
528
00:38:14,080 --> 00:38:16,240
It's everything that
is in this landscape,
529
00:38:16,240 --> 00:38:18,000
that is on this mountainside.
530
00:38:21,440 --> 00:38:23,320
That is what I want on my toast.
531
00:38:24,400 --> 00:38:25,720
Every morning.
532
00:38:36,160 --> 00:38:40,160
I'm going to cook
with Kenan's wife, Reyhan.
533
00:38:40,160 --> 00:38:43,600
Her version of helva has
been made here for generations
534
00:38:43,600 --> 00:38:46,240
from locally-sourced ingredients -
535
00:38:46,240 --> 00:38:49,320
and most importantly, honey.
536
00:39:05,760 --> 00:39:09,040
That's why it's got
a toasty flavour to it. OK.
537
00:39:10,160 --> 00:39:11,600
Thank you.
538
00:39:30,040 --> 00:39:32,240
So that's really
quite coarse and nutty.
539
00:39:38,800 --> 00:39:42,280
This is your own recipe,
or is it...? Is it a local one?
540
00:39:51,520 --> 00:39:55,400
It is the most homely smell.
It's the most welcoming smell.
541
00:39:56,720 --> 00:39:57,960
SHE SPEAKS OWN LANGUAGE
542
00:39:59,600 --> 00:40:02,920
So, make a little well
in the middle.
543
00:40:02,920 --> 00:40:05,120
And then... Oh, no measurements.
544
00:40:06,440 --> 00:40:08,040
Look at that!
545
00:40:14,040 --> 00:40:18,720
So, this is melted butter and water.
546
00:40:18,720 --> 00:40:21,120
Everything here, from the flour
547
00:40:21,120 --> 00:40:23,560
right the way through to the walnuts
and the local honey
548
00:40:23,560 --> 00:40:26,560
and the butter from their cows,
it is all from this landscape,
549
00:40:26,560 --> 00:40:27,800
every single bit of it.
550
00:40:29,360 --> 00:40:31,240
Historically, the local honey
551
00:40:31,240 --> 00:40:33,760
was used by this small
mountain community
552
00:40:33,760 --> 00:40:36,640
at a time when sugar
was not readily available.
553
00:40:38,120 --> 00:40:40,240
You couldn't get across
the mountains to Georgia,
554
00:40:40,240 --> 00:40:41,960
you couldn't get into Turkey.
555
00:40:41,960 --> 00:40:45,880
You were trapped here, so you had to
make the best of what was here.
556
00:40:45,880 --> 00:40:50,320
Maybe with some dishes like this
helva, only honey will do.
557
00:40:52,240 --> 00:40:53,920
So, this recipe
is made the way it is
558
00:40:53,920 --> 00:40:56,880
because historically there was no
sugar here.
559
00:41:09,680 --> 00:41:11,760
And you use honey
in all your pastries?
560
00:41:38,920 --> 00:41:40,600
As darkness falls,
561
00:41:40,600 --> 00:41:43,840
I feel moved to have shared
the day's events with the family.
562
00:41:45,160 --> 00:41:47,680
Three generations gathering honey
563
00:41:47,680 --> 00:41:51,120
and a dish injected with this
delicious locality
564
00:41:51,120 --> 00:41:54,080
makes my stay here
all the more memorable.
565
00:41:56,240 --> 00:41:57,320
That honey!
566
00:41:58,600 --> 00:42:01,960
It's just so soft and so buttery...
567
00:42:01,960 --> 00:42:05,360
..and your secret is this
toasting and roasting,
568
00:42:05,360 --> 00:42:07,040
over and over and over again...
569
00:42:08,120 --> 00:42:09,720
..to get this depth of flavour.
570
00:42:17,160 --> 00:42:20,240
When snow comes,
these mountain villages
571
00:42:20,240 --> 00:42:22,480
can be cut off for five months.
572
00:42:22,480 --> 00:42:27,520
So before I head back down
to sea level, I'm visiting Cevizli,
573
00:42:27,520 --> 00:42:29,800
literally the village of walnuts.
574
00:42:36,640 --> 00:42:40,440
Here, the local women are busy
with their winter preparations.
575
00:42:44,120 --> 00:42:46,640
Ayse and her neighbours
are batch cooking,
576
00:42:46,640 --> 00:42:50,000
and I'm getting a chance to
taste another Turkish favourite.
577
00:42:51,880 --> 00:42:56,440
Borek - a thin, flaky pastry
with sweet or savoury fillings.
578
00:43:00,040 --> 00:43:05,800
The local speciality filled with the
crop of the valley, walnuts.
579
00:43:05,800 --> 00:43:08,920
So you don't really roll it,
you actually stretch it.
580
00:43:08,920 --> 00:43:11,440
This is much easier to do it
as a group
581
00:43:11,440 --> 00:43:14,120
because you can each take a
corner and pull.
582
00:43:14,120 --> 00:43:16,000
If I was cooking this on my own,
583
00:43:16,000 --> 00:43:18,800
I'd be going round and round
the table trying to pull it.
584
00:43:22,320 --> 00:43:27,840
Finely-chopped walnuts are soaked in
butter before being expertly rolled.
585
00:43:27,840 --> 00:43:31,160
A mixture of teamwork
and experience.
586
00:43:31,160 --> 00:43:34,800
It so easy when you've got people
on one side and on the other
587
00:43:34,800 --> 00:43:36,920
that you can roll from both edges.
588
00:43:36,920 --> 00:43:38,880
I can see why everybody
gets together.
589
00:43:46,880 --> 00:43:49,960
Well, I'm hungry, because
I'm in this wonderful position
590
00:43:49,960 --> 00:43:51,880
of being teased every few minutes.
591
00:43:51,880 --> 00:43:54,160
I get this pastry taken out
of the oven
592
00:43:54,160 --> 00:43:56,160
and, "Not quite ready,
we'll turn it..."
593
00:43:56,160 --> 00:43:57,960
..and on cue, how lovely.
594
00:43:57,960 --> 00:44:00,680
Look at that. Smell those walnuts!
595
00:44:05,120 --> 00:44:08,400
So, this feels like a sort
of village Bake Off.
596
00:44:08,400 --> 00:44:11,840
Is this as much a social occasion
as it is to cook?
597
00:44:17,360 --> 00:44:20,080
OK. I like that idea.
598
00:44:20,080 --> 00:44:22,880
So, Ayse, tell me, is this
a traditional recipe?
599
00:44:37,440 --> 00:44:40,240
And does everybody make
it exactly the same?
600
00:44:51,120 --> 00:44:53,600
Are these this year's walnuts?
601
00:45:02,600 --> 00:45:05,120
If there are no walnuts this year,
602
00:45:05,120 --> 00:45:09,720
will you buy walnuts in to make this
or will you just simply not make it?
603
00:45:17,600 --> 00:45:18,680
Yes!
604
00:45:21,280 --> 00:45:23,120
Oh, look, it's still warm.
605
00:45:23,120 --> 00:45:24,640
It's straight out of the oven.
606
00:45:28,000 --> 00:45:29,960
Mmm!
607
00:45:33,840 --> 00:45:37,880
This is absolutely
and utterly beautiful.
608
00:45:37,880 --> 00:45:39,680
I don't know why...
Why is it so buttery?
609
00:45:39,680 --> 00:45:41,680
You didn't put much on.
That's amazing.
610
00:45:43,480 --> 00:45:46,000
While I'm tucking in
to the delicious borek,
611
00:45:46,000 --> 00:45:48,680
all around me are foods
being prepared for winter...
612
00:45:50,680 --> 00:45:55,120
..for when the weather changes,
and isolation descends.
613
00:45:55,120 --> 00:45:56,920
Over here,
614
00:45:56,920 --> 00:45:59,200
these little pieces of dough,
615
00:45:59,200 --> 00:46:02,160
being rolled out
with such dexterity.
616
00:46:02,160 --> 00:46:05,120
It starts out like the
traditional flatbread, yufka -
617
00:46:05,120 --> 00:46:09,720
flour, water and salt
rolled until paper-thin and baked...
618
00:46:11,040 --> 00:46:13,880
..but here, instead of
storing it whole,
619
00:46:13,880 --> 00:46:17,040
it is carefully rolled up
and trimmed.
620
00:46:17,040 --> 00:46:21,000
The real magic happens when it
comes out of the store cupboard.
621
00:46:21,000 --> 00:46:24,200
It's gently cooked
in a little bit of stock
622
00:46:24,200 --> 00:46:27,160
and then it has a little bit
of melted butter put with it.
623
00:46:27,160 --> 00:46:29,240
Slowly brought back to life,
624
00:46:29,240 --> 00:46:31,600
and then, on top, yoghurt.
625
00:46:34,960 --> 00:46:38,120
I just think it's such
a lovely way to cook -
626
00:46:38,120 --> 00:46:41,320
with your friends, making things
for today - a treat -
627
00:46:41,320 --> 00:46:43,920
making things for tomorrow,
628
00:46:43,920 --> 00:46:47,240
and having, you know,
a good time, as well.
629
00:46:48,840 --> 00:46:51,080
Out on the veranda,
they are preserving fruit.
630
00:46:53,800 --> 00:46:58,120
Little trays of plums
drying out in the open air.
631
00:47:00,680 --> 00:47:04,160
It's fruit-leather drying
and it will be peeled off...
632
00:47:05,280 --> 00:47:08,480
..and then kept for the winter.
633
00:47:08,480 --> 00:47:11,360
Sometimes apricot, sometimes apples,
sometimes plum.
634
00:47:11,360 --> 00:47:12,600
I think this is apple.
635
00:47:16,560 --> 00:47:19,960
For this, fruits are boiled
to a thick syrup,
636
00:47:19,960 --> 00:47:21,680
a bit like pekmez,
637
00:47:21,680 --> 00:47:23,880
and are spread thinly
on fabric to dry.
638
00:47:25,080 --> 00:47:27,000
Nothing is wasted here.
639
00:47:27,000 --> 00:47:29,960
This is good food
born out of necessity...
640
00:47:34,160 --> 00:47:37,280
..and all this is about making
a squirrel-store for winter.
641
00:47:37,280 --> 00:47:39,360
It's not just about
having a good time,
642
00:47:39,360 --> 00:47:42,240
having your friends round
for a chat,
643
00:47:42,240 --> 00:47:43,840
a cup of tea and some cooking.
644
00:47:43,840 --> 00:47:45,960
There is a serious point to this.
645
00:47:45,960 --> 00:47:47,160
It's food that is...
646
00:47:48,240 --> 00:47:49,760
..picked when it's abundant.
647
00:47:51,120 --> 00:47:55,680
It's prepared, it stored and
it's kept for those dark, cold days
648
00:47:55,680 --> 00:47:58,000
when there is actually
nothing about.
649
00:48:01,880 --> 00:48:05,400
Another of Turkey's essential
dried staples is rice...
650
00:48:07,120 --> 00:48:09,680
..and pilaf is a favourite
national dish.
651
00:48:14,400 --> 00:48:18,800
First, wash the rice three times
to remove any excess starch.
652
00:48:21,840 --> 00:48:23,440
Sizzle butter in a pan.
653
00:48:25,640 --> 00:48:27,560
Add four tablespoons of orzo...
654
00:48:29,480 --> 00:48:33,560
..and 250g of baldo Turkish rice.
655
00:48:33,560 --> 00:48:34,680
Add chicken stock.
656
00:48:36,400 --> 00:48:39,560
Bring to the boil,
and then simmer for ten minutes.
657
00:48:40,720 --> 00:48:44,800
My pilaf uses half a kilo
of fresh mussels.
658
00:48:44,800 --> 00:48:47,440
Cover the pan and steam
for five minutes.
659
00:48:51,400 --> 00:48:54,560
Chop a handful of dill
and then add it to the pan.
660
00:48:57,920 --> 00:49:01,000
Fork the rice and serve in a bowl.
661
00:49:07,880 --> 00:49:10,560
The rice base can be home
to many fillings,
662
00:49:10,560 --> 00:49:13,960
but my next trip is to try one
that is new to me.
663
00:49:20,440 --> 00:49:25,240
So, before I head home, there is one
last stop I want to make
664
00:49:25,240 --> 00:49:27,400
on the shores of the Black Sea.
665
00:49:31,000 --> 00:49:35,360
I've come to Hopa, which is a few
kilometres from the Georgian border,
666
00:49:35,360 --> 00:49:38,480
because this is the beginning
of a very special season.
667
00:49:38,480 --> 00:49:40,680
It's the short season for hamsi,
668
00:49:40,680 --> 00:49:43,960
the tiny little fish
that are very, very valued -
669
00:49:43,960 --> 00:49:47,120
and tonight we'll be cooking them
and celebrating the season.
670
00:49:50,120 --> 00:49:53,400
The hamsi is a Black Sea anchovy
671
00:49:53,400 --> 00:49:56,760
and is celebrated in Turkey
as the prince of fish.
672
00:49:58,520 --> 00:50:00,880
For the Laz community who live here,
673
00:50:00,880 --> 00:50:05,200
a strong culture has grown out of
this short but abundant season.
674
00:50:07,680 --> 00:50:11,880
It is said that they never run out
of ways to cook hamsi,
675
00:50:11,880 --> 00:50:13,720
even including it in a dessert...
676
00:50:15,680 --> 00:50:20,360
..but, in recent years, commercial
fishing trawlers have muscled in,
677
00:50:20,360 --> 00:50:23,440
threatening the livelihoods
of these local fishermen.
678
00:50:26,960 --> 00:50:30,760
A fishing boat leaves the harbour
in search of its daily catch.
679
00:50:51,880 --> 00:50:55,360
I'm helping Tuna in the kitchen
to make hamsi pilaf...
680
00:50:57,400 --> 00:51:00,360
..the centrepiece of their
celebrations for centuries.
681
00:51:02,480 --> 00:51:06,480
The fish used in this dish have been
brought from the commercial catch
682
00:51:06,480 --> 00:51:08,080
sold at the local market.
683
00:51:10,320 --> 00:51:12,680
A clear indication of just how much
684
00:51:12,680 --> 00:51:15,360
the local fishing economy
has changed.
685
00:51:17,480 --> 00:51:20,960
Covering the whole base of the
baking tin
686
00:51:20,960 --> 00:51:24,640
with the little filleted anchovies,
and...
687
00:51:24,640 --> 00:51:27,200
Which is quite tricky because
they're very slippy.
688
00:51:27,200 --> 00:51:30,360
Other people's kitchens,
they are a delight to cook in
689
00:51:30,360 --> 00:51:32,800
but they're also
ever so slightly scary.
690
00:51:32,800 --> 00:51:34,680
Especially when you're
cooking recipes
691
00:51:34,680 --> 00:51:37,920
that they've done all their life,
and you're doing for the first time.
692
00:51:43,280 --> 00:51:47,160
The rice is added to the softened
onions and coated in oil...
693
00:51:50,160 --> 00:51:52,640
..and now welcomes
the other ingredients -
694
00:51:52,640 --> 00:51:55,280
tomato paste, chilli powder,
695
00:51:55,280 --> 00:51:58,760
dried mint and flour from
locally-milled corn.
696
00:52:07,960 --> 00:52:10,520
While we prepare the salad
to go with it,
697
00:52:10,520 --> 00:52:14,800
Tuna recalls childhood days
before the trawlers came.
698
00:52:14,800 --> 00:52:16,040
SHE SPEAKS OWN LANGUAGE
699
00:52:17,560 --> 00:52:18,840
When we were kids...
700
00:52:20,320 --> 00:52:23,600
..we used to be able to come down to
the shore and collect them
701
00:52:23,600 --> 00:52:25,240
in our T-shirts, you know...
702
00:52:25,240 --> 00:52:28,520
Really? That many? Yeah, catching
them in my hand, there were so many,
703
00:52:28,520 --> 00:52:31,640
but not any more.
So, where have they gone?
704
00:52:37,160 --> 00:52:41,480
Basically it's because these big
ships are now using radar systems
705
00:52:41,480 --> 00:52:45,640
to find where the fish are, so they
collect all of them in one go.
706
00:52:45,640 --> 00:52:47,600
It's not that there aren't any fish,
707
00:52:47,600 --> 00:52:50,120
but for us little boats,
there's not much left,
708
00:52:50,120 --> 00:52:52,640
so then we get very little
left over, you know.
709
00:52:52,640 --> 00:52:53,760
It's luck.
710
00:52:57,280 --> 00:53:00,080
The dish is assembled
and ready for the oven.
711
00:53:02,280 --> 00:53:05,440
That smells good.
It smells fantastic.
712
00:53:05,440 --> 00:53:09,280
Just smell that dried mint
and that little bit of chilli
713
00:53:09,280 --> 00:53:11,680
that is in the rice.
714
00:53:17,360 --> 00:53:18,400
Like that?
715
00:53:21,760 --> 00:53:26,000
And now, just some all-important
finishing touches.
716
00:53:26,000 --> 00:53:27,760
Beautiful!
717
00:53:29,440 --> 00:53:30,600
Gorgeous.
718
00:53:32,520 --> 00:53:33,840
No, thank you.
719
00:53:44,400 --> 00:53:46,720
It's evening, and the boat
arrives back...
720
00:53:48,200 --> 00:53:49,440
..empty-handed...
721
00:53:53,320 --> 00:53:56,800
..but this small detail
isn't going to stop the party.
722
00:53:56,800 --> 00:53:58,680
We need two people downstairs.
723
00:54:02,080 --> 00:54:05,200
There's more than a little
chaos here.
724
00:54:05,200 --> 00:54:09,680
We decided we need an extra table,
so it couldn't go down the stairs,
725
00:54:09,680 --> 00:54:11,480
so it came through the window -
726
00:54:11,480 --> 00:54:14,120
but then, for some reason,
everything else -
727
00:54:14,120 --> 00:54:17,560
glasses, plates, tablecloth, chairs,
728
00:54:17,560 --> 00:54:19,960
and most of the food -
has come out of the window
729
00:54:19,960 --> 00:54:23,240
with us all stretching up
and grabbing it best we can.
730
00:54:23,240 --> 00:54:25,840
I'm not quite sure why we didn't
just use the stairs.
731
00:54:28,280 --> 00:54:30,240
The feast is laid out,
732
00:54:30,240 --> 00:54:33,560
with its magnificent centrepiece,
the hamsi pilaf.
733
00:54:37,520 --> 00:54:39,400
The party has started.
734
00:54:43,200 --> 00:54:45,240
Cheers. Cheers. Cheers.
735
00:54:52,160 --> 00:54:54,040
More rice.
736
00:54:54,040 --> 00:54:57,920
This is the dish.
I would love some, thank you.
737
00:54:57,920 --> 00:54:59,720
THE dish. THE dish.
738
00:55:02,280 --> 00:55:03,560
Mmm!
739
00:55:15,480 --> 00:55:17,240
So, this is how the Laz party.
740
00:55:18,840 --> 00:55:22,480
What I really love is the way that
as someone else comes to the table,
741
00:55:22,480 --> 00:55:25,280
you just all shove along
and shove along -
742
00:55:25,280 --> 00:55:26,360
and you started with six,
743
00:55:26,360 --> 00:55:28,960
and at some point you're going to be
sat on each other's laps.
744
00:55:28,960 --> 00:55:31,680
You never say no to a guest.
Exactly!
745
00:55:44,640 --> 00:55:48,200
The hamsi were always key
to survival in winter months,
746
00:55:48,200 --> 00:55:51,160
and the fishermen try
to hasten their arrival
747
00:55:51,160 --> 00:55:54,160
through a special dance
called the horon,
748
00:55:54,160 --> 00:55:57,680
said to be inspired by
the wriggling fish in the nets.
749
00:56:13,520 --> 00:56:17,680
These traditions, this dance,
this language,
750
00:56:17,680 --> 00:56:21,160
is specific to this tiny community -
751
00:56:21,160 --> 00:56:23,960
and I was asking Sibel, who has
accompanied me throughout this trip,
752
00:56:23,960 --> 00:56:26,440
why she didn't know the words,
and she said,
753
00:56:26,440 --> 00:56:29,280
because this is a language
that even she didn't speak.
754
00:56:29,280 --> 00:56:31,360
It's of a tiny little community.
755
00:56:33,640 --> 00:56:36,040
A community that is staying together
756
00:56:36,040 --> 00:56:38,840
and singing together
and eating together.
757
00:56:38,840 --> 00:56:42,640
They fish, that's what they do,
their lives are about fish.
758
00:56:42,640 --> 00:56:46,000
They are about the coast.
This is where they've been for years
759
00:56:46,000 --> 00:56:47,600
and this is where they belong...
760
00:56:49,240 --> 00:56:51,040
..and they are going to
preserve this
761
00:56:51,040 --> 00:56:52,640
for as long as they possibly can.
762
00:56:56,120 --> 00:56:58,720
The apparent depletion
of the hamsi stock
763
00:56:58,720 --> 00:57:01,560
lends a bittersweet edge
to these celebrations...
764
00:57:03,280 --> 00:57:05,240
..but the spirit of the people
765
00:57:05,240 --> 00:57:08,280
and the pride in their culture
is contagious.
766
00:57:10,520 --> 00:57:12,640
Turkey is immense.
767
00:57:12,640 --> 00:57:14,880
I thought I knew it.
768
00:57:14,880 --> 00:57:17,720
I thought I knew the country
and its food.
769
00:57:19,280 --> 00:57:20,960
I couldn't have been more wrong.
770
00:57:23,480 --> 00:57:26,760
This is a mosaic
of unique territories,
771
00:57:26,760 --> 00:57:28,280
each with their own heritage.
772
00:57:30,240 --> 00:57:33,200
I started this journey
tasting the food of the sultans
773
00:57:33,200 --> 00:57:35,920
with its opulence
and its extravagance.
774
00:57:35,920 --> 00:57:38,400
That was a little bit of a
red herring,
775
00:57:38,400 --> 00:57:40,840
because the real soul
of the food here
776
00:57:40,840 --> 00:57:42,800
is to be found in rural areas.
777
00:57:44,840 --> 00:57:48,360
It's different communities
living quite closely
778
00:57:48,360 --> 00:57:50,960
but very, very different.
779
00:57:50,960 --> 00:57:53,840
It's about preserving their
traditions, their way of life.
780
00:57:53,840 --> 00:57:55,240
Even their languages.
781
00:57:56,520 --> 00:57:58,680
It's also about
preserving your food,
782
00:57:58,680 --> 00:58:02,000
whether it's fish,
whether it's dairy produce,
783
00:58:02,000 --> 00:58:04,800
whether it's fruit and vegetables -
784
00:58:04,800 --> 00:58:07,360
but enjoying them
when they are here,
785
00:58:07,360 --> 00:58:10,400
and, then, clever ways of
keeping them for the winter,
786
00:58:10,400 --> 00:58:13,720
for the dark days when
there's very little else.
787
00:58:13,720 --> 00:58:16,880
This is a truly different Turkey
from the one I thought I'd see
788
00:58:16,880 --> 00:58:18,560
when I got off that plane.