Generally,
I will eat just about anything before I turn my nose up at it.
That
excludes Turkish puddings. I hate to say it, but I’m not a big fan. It’s a
texture thing.
I
find most of the Turkish puddings to be chalky or starchy. They simply don't taste silky smooth compared to a bowl of freshly made French custard.
(Note: I also don’t like shrimp because of the texture thing, but I will eat
raw oysters. Odd. I know.) I’ve tried them and just don't like them.
So
I have avoided the infamous Turkish puddings.
In
Istanbul, there are dozens of shops called Muhallebici
(translated directly as a dairy bar) that sell a variety of puddings. On a
recent outing with Claudia of A Seasonal Cook in Turkey in Istanbul, I tried an extra special type of pudding called tavuk gögsü kazandibi (chicken breast
pudding).
 |
| Grab a spoon and dive right into this special Ottoman-era pudding in Istanbul! |
Yes,
this special pudding, dating back to the Ottoman period and served to Sultans
at Topkapı
Palace, is made from shredded chicken breast. It’s a milky, sweet pudding that
is enriched with cinnamon. The chicken is boiled, shredded and ground into a
sort of paste. Then the pudding is slowly cooked in a pot until the natural
sugars caramelize on the bottom, hence the Turkish phrase kazandibi, which means “bottom of a
pot.” You’ll notice the brown “burnt” coloring in my photo.
In my opinion, I think you’ll
find the best tavuk
gögsü kazandibi at Kısmet Muhallebicisi in Eminönü where Claudia took us. This
tiny mom and pop shop also is part of the Istanbul Eats
Culinary Walks. I swear you would never even know the pudding contains chicken! And
this pudding is smooth and NOT chalky like most!
And if you’re too
chicken to try this delicious chicken pudding, you can opt for a dessert
without. (Pardon the pun!)
I may be a Turkish
pudding convert.
Afiyet olsun!
Location:
Address:
Kazancılar Cad., Eminönü
Tel:
+90-212-513-6773
