Tursu

Tursu, also known as torshi, is a family of pickled vegetables that is very common in the cuisines of the Middle East, the Balkans and the Caucasus. Its name comes from Persian, where torshi refers to a sour taste, and it remains a everyday part of the table across several countries in the region.

History

The name has Persian roots: torshi comes from torsh, meaning 'sour'. The word spread, with small variations, into many languages, from Kurdish and Turkish to Bulgarian, Serbian and Judeo-Spanish, which reflects how widely the practice travelled.

Pickling with vinegar is documented in the ancient Near East, and preserving food by salting and fermenting is also attested in the Greek and Roman world. From the eastern Mediterranean and North Africa the technique reached Sicily and Spain and later the Americas. The principle is simple: acidity, salt and the exclusion of oxygen keep unwanted microorganisms in check and allow the food to last for months.

In Iran, Armenia and Turkey, torshi is made with cucumbers, turnips, onions, carrots or olives, and sometimes cauliflower or peppers. In Egypt the same preparations are called both torshi and mekhallel, and they are a fixture at breakfast. In Israel, vegetables pickled in vinegar are common, and according to Jewish dietary tradition they are considered pareve, meaning they can be eaten with meat or dairy.

Culture

In Iran there are many kinds of torshi, shaped by regional customs and by different occasions, and in some families no meal feels complete without a bowl of it on the table. Across the region it is served as a meze, an appetiser that accompanies anise-flavoured spirits such as rakı, ouzo, tsipouro and rakia. In Turkey the brine itself is drunk as a beverage.

In Bulgaria, tsarska turshiya, the 'king of pickles', and selska turshiya, a rustic style, are especially well known. Making tursu at home is a widespread custom in autumn, in the countryside and in big cities alike. Today it is common in restaurants and supermarkets, which keeps a domestic preserving tradition very much alive.

Trivia