An old Turkish saying advises one to "eat sweetly and speak sweetly". Sweets and desserts have always been an important and distinctive element of Turkish cuisine. That was true in Ottoman times and is just as true today. Interestingly enough however, they also fulfill an important social and ritual function. Halvah (Helva), a confection made from semolina, is offered on the occasion of major changes in people's lives: a birth, a death, induction into the army, return from pilgrimage, upon settling in a new home, enrolling and graduating school; and also on special occasions such as praying for rain, etc.
One of the most important holidays in the traditional calendar is the one that marks the end of the 30-day period of daytime fasting during the month of Ramadan. A popular Turkish name for the Ramadan festival is "Seker Bayrami" (literally "Sugar Holiday'), which is a sort of caps-tone to the lavish desserts prepared for the sundown meals during the holy month. These desserts are elaborate not only in their ingredients but also in their visual impact and presentation.
The desserts and confections of Turkey bear witness to the rich history of its people's cuisine and geography. The dessert known as "Tavuk gögsü", made with the milk-white meat of chicken breast was introduced into ancient Rome from the Mediterranean and reintroduced into Anatolia by the Romans. The blanc mange made in Turkey and known as "Kazan dibi" must certainly be one of the loveliest parts of the mosaic that Turks have inherited from the ancient civilizations of Anatolia.
Then there's "Asure", a festive pudding of cereal grains, sugar, and raisins. According to a legend, it was originally concocted in the galley of Noah's ark from whatever was left in the pantry. The pudding is served traditionally on the tenth day of the month of Muharrem according to Islamic calendar, when preparing a batch of "Asure" and distributing it to neighbors and acquaintances is still a common custom in many areas. The Ottoman palace kitchens produced a refined version of "Asure" that was blended and strained; more common folk had to chew through the grains. They still do, to great enjoyment. Many different parts of the Ottoman Empire contributed their own local specialties to the palace kitchens where they were refined and transformed into a distinctively Ottoman- Turkish cuisine.
Turkish desserts usually fall into one of three categories:
Many fresh and dried fruits are stewed into compotes in which the fluid is as important an element as is the fruit itself. Desserts made