Trying new foods is one of the
joys of living and traveling in a foreign country.
I'll try just about anything once.
However, I had to pass on the fish eyeballs my husband tried in Little India in
Singapore.
I'm also not a fan of Işkembe Çorbası - Turkish tripe
soup. Apparently, this traditional soup is good after you've had one too many
drinks, but I'll stick to the tantuni vendors off of Istiklal Caddesi.
Last week, I tried boza while exploring the Vefa
neighborhood in Istanbul. I'd recently heard more about this strange Turkish drink
thanks to Claudia over at A
Seasonal Cook in Turkey.
Boza is made from hulled millet that is cooked with water and sugar and
then left to cool and ferment. At first, I thought the mixture looked a bit
like egg nog, which I love.
The bozacı ladels the boza from a large marble vat into
individual glasses. The drink is then dusted with a liberal dose of cinnamon
and garnished with dried chickpeas.
This guy loved showing off the boza to us! |
I wasn't sure if I would like boza, but I wanted to try it.
Tip: Use a spoon.
Boza is tangy and slightly sweet and has the consistency of applesauce. That's
why you need a spoon. The dried chickpeas add an interesting crunch as you
"eat" this drink.
Well, I finished about half my
glass and left it on the old marble countertop in Vefa Bozacısı.
Boza is an unique Turkish drink! |
My verdict: boza is okay, but I'm not sure I'd try
it again.
If
you are visiting the nearby Süleymaniye Mosque, then you definitely must stop
by the famous Vefa Bozacısı, opened since 1876. Vefa, near the Aksaray bus stop, is a quaint, ramshackle
of a neighborhood that's worth exploring on its own. I took so many interesting
photos that day.
As Claudia says, "Liking
(boza) isn't the point." It's about experiencing a Turkish tradition.
And that I enjoyed.
What foreign foods have
you tried and not liked?
These two workers at Vefa Bozacısı were kind enough to pose for some more photos. |
The Vefa sign on a nearby sports club building. |