Turkish Family, Turkish Food, and the Stealing of My Heart

Our second night in Turkey we got to meet my best friend's Turkish family, and enjoy a Turkish meal together. I got to both help and watch an amazing mother and daughter make a traditional, incredible, full of life Turkish meal for us. The women in the kitchen cooking and talking; the men on the porch hanging out. Yes, I know (and live) the truth that men and women are equal. But there is something incredibly endearing about being with your own kind and sharing life together while you chop tomatoes, crush spices and laugh about the little things in life. And the big things too. It was my first time experiencing Turkish culture, and this is when Turkey stole my heart. Honestly, I still don't have it back.

My best friend's Turkish family.

Let the cooking begin!

Turkish people get their hands in their cooking. Everything is fresh, nothing is processed, and you use your hands for most everything rather than various tools and appliances. As we tried to learn how to do this, we wanted to roll this lentil/bulgar meal up like perfect little sausage-like rolls, but our Turkish family told us—no, make sure you can see your fingerprints so those eating the meal would know how much you cared about it, putting your very fingerprints on it.
Like I said, Turkey stole my heart.

The food speaks for itself! The main dish was a mix of Turkish spices, lentils, bulgar, onion and olive oil. You would take a lettuce leaf and put the main dish in the leaf, then squeeze fresh lemon juice on top of it and then in your mouth it goes! We also had a chicken dish that was cooked in a light, fresh tomato/parsely sauce, with rice that was cooked and slightly fried with olive oil and pine nuts. RIDICULOUS.

Loved eating on the floor with everyone. Lots of laughter, eating, enjoyment! Also, it's Turkish culture to grab what you'd like rather than ask for it (believing it is rude to interrupt someone from eating or talking, to get something for you). So, there was also lots of grabbing of food from across the way. Loved it!

And then, after we were done eating, the boys were kicked out and the girls enjoyed Turkish belly dancing!! Part 2 of Turkey stealing my heart!

Learning how to belly dance.

I gave an Uzbekistan scarf to our Turkish Mom for blessing us with her generous heart and amazing meal.