Ottoman cuisine

Ottoman cuisine is the cooking of the Ottoman Empire, a vast territory spanning southeastern Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. It is regarded as the forerunner of today's Turkish cuisine and is known for bridging Persian, Arab and Indian culinary traditions.

History

Ottoman cooking grew out of the coexistence of many peoples under a single state. According to the sources, its greatest flourishing coincides with the height of the empire, between 1453 and 1650, when it spread from Europe to Egypt and absorbed influences from each region.

The empire also served as a channel for the spread of foods. One example is boza, a fermented cereal drink found in several countries that once lay within its sphere of influence, showing how products travelled across its borders.

Culture

Ottoman cuisine draws on a wide range of ingredients, and its dishes often balance meat with rice and vegetables. Like other Mediterranean cooking, it relies heavily on vegetables and olive oil. Its legacy survives in Turkish cooking and in the cuisines of the Balkans, the Caucasus, the Middle East and North Africa, where many dishes, drinks and techniques of Ottoman origin remain common.