Ayvayı yedik. “We ate the quince”. But it’s also used idiomatically and translates to “We’re in trouble”. Quince is such an odd fruit, isn’t it? Uncooked, it’s a completely hostile produce. It has furry skin, hard to slice, and the tannin its contains makes it practically inedible. At best you would be left with a mouth-puckering grimace. But add some water, sugar and assorted spices, and let it simmer for two hours and out comes heavenly Ambrosia. The Turkish cuisine has perfected exactly such a dish: Ayva tatlı - quince dessert. A humble name to match the simplicity of its preparation. Come November, they start appearing all over Istanbul: it's the beginning of quince season. You can buy them fresh in the bazaars, where the bargains and offerings piled on wooden tables are always dictated by what the farms and fields yield at the time. In many Lokanta places as well as dessert shops, it's the time of the year where this poached wonder is laid out on display again. But there is really only one place where we treat ourselves to this dish, the Queen of wintery desserts. Across the several metres-high gates of Galatasary High School you will see the entrance into Balık Pazar, and enter Sahne Sokak under a wrought-iron gateway. Wandering down this alley way, you find a colourful collection of shops: displays of fish (fresh and dried), spices, pickles, fresh vegetables, coffee pots, cheap jewellery and other knickknacks. It’s a multi sensory treat: the smells of fish, food cooking, mussels mingling with the friendly “Buyurun” calls from restauranteurs. It’s of course a colourful spectacle, too. My favourite spice trader is located in there, in the quieter side street of Dudu Odaları Sokak. And that’s exactly where we are heading for our quince dessert. Sakarya Tatlıcısı is a sweet shop that is famous for Ayva tatlı. According to TripAdvisor it has been operating there since 1942. Next to Bread sweets (Ekmek Kadayıfı) and other treasures, there is one tray in the window that catches one's eye: plump quince halves that are radiating a lush sweetness. Lusciously glazed by the syrup they have been cooking in, thickened on its own accord, thanks to the skin and pips releasing pectin in the cooking process, they have a lovely blushed red to them. Other sweet shops have been known to add artificial food colouring to their quinces, but at Sakarya's it’s all natural. Patience is a good chef when one deals with the uncongenial raw quince. Slowly, over time, the red will deepen as molecular reactions take place, the woodiness transformed to a firm, yet gentle texture.
The result is stunning: simple fruit, unaccompanied by any baked component, has a rare effect on me to be this satisfying. It has a rich sweetness without being cloying, and it’s pure joy to let a bite simply melt in your mouth. I love rolling it around to enjoy all the undertones of rose, lemon, and something quite indescribable, with a consistency of butter. The Kaymak (clotted cream) balances the sweetness of the quince, and adds to the luxurious textures, making for even silkier eating. Add a glass of unsweetened tea and … eyvallah, ayva! Going with a friend, a quince enthusiast, we share one portion, reasoning "if we want anything else, we will order more". We always feel satiated after our 1/2 portion. Ayvayı yedik. We ate the quince. Are we in trouble? Walking around a little bit after to burn off the few calories, I tend to think I've cheated the old proverb again. Type: Dessert (sit down or take away) Cost: 17TL for one portion and two teas
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AuthorInnate curiosity, learned (discovered) deep love and appreciation for Turkey, a bit of time at my hands, and always hungry: voila, a food blogger! Archives
September 2019
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