Antakya through the kitchen door
Combining modern multiculturalism with ancient history, Antakya`s diverse cuisine is unique synthesis of the tastes of the Mediterranean, the middle east and Anatolia.We decide to discover this city (ancient Antioch), nestled against the majestic peaks of the Amanos Mountains, through its cuisine.The bridge that joins the two banks of the River Asi, which has given life to the city throughout its history, takes us straight to Uzun Garp, the Long Market. Stopping at one of the many shops selling kunefe (aka knaffeh, a rich pastry made of shredded filo dough filled with cheese and butter and drenched in sugar syrup) makes a tasty start to an Antakya stroll. The taste of kunefe depends on the quality of the ingredients used and, even more, on the skill of the maker. So how are we to judge a good kunefe?The masters, one of Antakya`s most experienced producers of the sweet, have the answer: “Kunefe pastry must be paper thin and crisp, and the cheese so fresh it will stretch to the length of a man`s height! Before you taste kunefe, which is shipped frozen to customers all over the world, you can also watch it being made. After this pleasant break, our destination is the Mosaic Museum, home to one of the world`s most important collections with up to 300 mosaics produced between the 2nd and 6th centuries.
Hummus, Oruk, Fresh Thyme
After leaving the museum, we sample the famous local cuisine at an upscale eatery ensconced in an Antioch house. The cold `mezze ` arrive at our table in the form of hummus (a puree of chickpeas and tahina), red pepper paste, toasted bread and `muhammara`, a combination of garlic, red pepper and walnuts dressed in sour pomegranate syrup. `Oruk` meanwhile is grenade shaped Antakya-style stuffed kofta, aka kibbeh. Made with plenty of ground meat and spices, it is neither boiled nor fried but baked in the oven in olive oil. One of our main dishes is `asur`, made by pounding wheat, chickpeas and meat to a paste.`Semirsek` meanwhile is a kind of beurek made of thin baklava- like filo leaves filled with a mixture of pounded meat, onions, parsley and an array of spices. But this far from exhausts Antakya cuisine, which is served to guests with just pride and features other dishes such as olive salad with the local `zahtar ` (fresh thyme leaves), eggplant salad dressed with olive oil, and bread with red peppers in olive oil, to name just a few. The food is truly outstanding, and as we are leaving we give Sunay Akin`s words their due: “The best mezze in the world are to be had in Antakya!”
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