TURKISH DRINKS | Ihlamur, boza, sahlep, coffee...

Experience the Flavor of Turkish coffee

For the Turks, coffee must be Turkish coffee because it is not simply a drink rather it has its own history, institutions, rituals, its own rules when and how you will drink it and even a tradition of fortune telling. This coffee is prepared by bringing into boil the thinly concentrated roast coffee beans in a pot with sugar then put in a cup where the residue of the coffee beans settled. Turkish coffee is served extremely hot with a glass of cold water to freshen the mouth so you can experience the better taste of the coffee. This drink is traditionally dished up with Turkish delight like chocolate sticks.

Ooh la la Ihlamur Tea

Turkey is the second largest tea market in the world. Drinking tea is a very old tradition in Turkey. Turkish tea is usually served hot, aromatic, invigorating and always available any time and anywhere in Turkey. One of the most popular kind of teas in Turkey is Ihlamur, a linden-flower tea that has no caffeine in it and mostly available during winter. This is an herbal tea which helps reduced the effects of coughs and colds and relaxation benefits most especially during winter months in Turkey. Tea-drinkers are one of the most common sights in Turkey. Drinking fresh and hot tea like Ihlamur is one of the life’s superb little luxuries of Turkish people.

Let’s have Sira

Sira is one of the popular Turkish non-alcoholic drinks made from a slightly fermented grape juice and due to its high fructose content, it tastes sweet. The color of this drink is terracotta and usually served with iskender kebab, one of the famous meat foods of Turkey. The grape juice used in this drink was made from crushing grapes then undergo the process of fermentation that will eventually made into wine. Fermentation is the conversion of sugar from the fruit juices into alcohol using yeast. Sira is a drink that also helps in digestion so it is best recommended to drink it after meal.

Tursu Suyu

Tursu Suyu is a non alcoholic drink that is popular in Turkey which is made of pickle juice. Tursu is a pickle made with salt water used for preserving it with garlic to add more taste and flavor. It is often served as appetizer for the meal and the water from the tursu itself is consumed as a healthy drink. Tursu making is a common tradition during autumn season. There are a wide variety of vegetables that you can used in tursu like carrots, cucumber, cabbage and many more depending on the taste you want for its juice.

Lip Smacking Boza

Boza is a drink for winter nights in Turkey. It is a cold drink made from a fermented grain served with cinnamon and roasted chick peas. Boza usually has a little acidic sweet flavor and has low alcohol content. It is a drink that mirrors the notable culture of Turkey which instigated in Mesopotamia during 8000-9000 years ago. And at this time, this drink is commonly imbibed by janissaries in the army. It is a warming and strengthening beverage for soldiers because of its vitamin A, B and E content as long as it was not consumed in adequate quantity to cause drunkenness. You should not drink Boza during your meal, it should be drink separately.

Juicy Salgam Suyu

Salgam Suyu is a widespread drink in Southern Turkey from Adana. This drink came from the juice of a black carrot pickles which were salted, seasoned and flavored with the sweet smelling turnip that was fermented in barrels. Salgam Suyu is commonly handed out cold in big glasses together with long wedges of pickled carrots and hot paprika relish is put in before serving it to give more flavors. It is best to drink with Adana Kebab and with raki, another popular drink in Turkey. Raki and Salgam Suyu are served in separate glasses. Salgam Suyu is deemed to cure hangovers but drinking excessively may give you a large amount of intestinal gas.

AYRANtastic

Ayran is a popular refreshing drink in Turkey during summer months. This Turkish drink is a mixture of yogurt, water and salt served in a glass filled with ice. It is a white and creamy beverage that you can also drink during cold weather. For a thinner consistency of this drink you can reduced the amount of the yogurt depending on the tang of a person and you can also used milk for its liquid. Ayran is a very healthy drink that can be dished up with any meal like kebabs, pilaf, koftes and other meat dishes or just a quick cool snack drink.

SAHLEPerific

Sahlep is one of the famous beverages in Turkey made from sahlep flour before the popularity of coffee and tea arise and later became an alternative drink in coffee houses. To make the drink more attractive, they spread cinnamon over it before serving it. The sahlep powder used for the drink is a mixture of different spices which gives a very unique taste. Sahlep is a hot creamy beverage served during winter in many coffee shops and tea houses all around Turkey. It can be drink alone or with pie or cake. This beverage is a traditional drink that was being served during the Ottoman Empire.

Raki, Turkish National Drink

Raki is a traditional drink in Turkey which is the unofficial national drink of the Turks. It was produced from the sediments of grapes that were made available from the wine making process only. Raki is a distillation drink that needs more technical knowledge and equipment for processing this kind of beverage. Raki is best served with cold dishes like tomatoes, seafood, cucumber and lettuce. Raki contains aniseed which makes this drink changes its color and became a milky white when you add water which will give an absolutely great taste. This drink affects person’s mood that sometimes gives a feeling of well being and enjoyment.

The Terrific taste of Kefir

Kefir is a fermented milk drink that came from the region of Caucasus. It is prepared by immunizing cow, goat or sheep’s milk with the grains of kefir at ambient temperature overnight. The fermentation of the lactose produces sour, sparkling and slightly alcoholic drink with consistency that can be compared to yogurt. This drink can give different health benefits by fermenting it for shorter or longer period of time to change its nutrient content. Some drink this beverage straight but many find it too sour and favor to add some fruits, honey or maple syrup or any other sweeteners. Kefir is a drink that can be served any time of the day.

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