One thing you notice in the fruit stands and food stores around here - if it's in season you can have it; if it isn't, forget it. None of this asparagus from Chile or California lettuce for us. To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven. That's not always a bad thing. When they're available, the cherries here are beyond belief. There's nothing to compare with a tomato from our local manav in the summer.Mandarin oranges (mandalinas) began appearing a couple of weeks ago. They were green, but very good. Yesterday we bought another bagful. They were a beautiful orange, and they still had fresh leaves attached.
So that's what oranges taste like!
On the other hand, we tasted our first persimmon this morning. They're called cennet hurması here: dates of heaven. Well, maybe. To me it's kinda like the fruit version of okra - slimy and bland. Pity we have a kilo of them. Fortunately I've found a recipe for persimmon cake. I must go and get some baking powder soon.
The ones we got last night were tomato-sized and orange. The other day the manavcı talked me into buying a few hundred grams of some little brown ones. They taste sort of like date custard; not quite as slimy as the big orange things but still not what I'd choose to spend my days in heaven eating. I guess we're not qualified to be Turks yet.
1 comment:
Have you tried the chestnuts in honey? You can get them in cans. They are to *die* for. Or, if there aren't any in heaven, then they are to live for.
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