Culinary culture could be described as the transformation of the natural instinct of hunger into an enjoyment. While we may never know who first thought of cooking food, it’s often guessed that it stemmed from someone accidentally tasting meat or vegetables that had fallen into a fire and realizing the flavor difference. With developments in agriculture and rising standards of living, culinary culture evolved and diversified. Recipes adapted to natural conditions and spread with migrations and wars, forming today’s diverse cuisines.
One hallmark of renowned world cuisines is that their recipes have been passed down through generations. Although recipes may evolve, we still recognize them at their core. In Turkish culinary tradition, however, knowledge was primarily passed down from master to apprentice, and we know early chefs not from their recipes but from old records where their names appear. Through these documents, we gain insights into the specializations within historic kitchens.
The first printed Turkish cookbook, Melceü’t-Tabbâhîn: A Refuge for Cooks, dates back to 1844. Written by Mehmet Kamil, a professor at the Imperial Medical School, it wasn’t unusual for a medical expert to write such a book. Most early Turkish books on food were actually centered on health and nutrition. These texts primarily explored the effects of foods, drinks, and spices on human health.
Since its initial release, A Refuge for Cooks has had nine additional editions and has been translated into various languages. The 12-chapter book contains 288 recipes, including dishes still known today, such as tarhana soup, sour soup, tomato pilaf, and tarator.
