Nişanyan
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Ottoman Dining

A lavish Ottoman feast.

Hello, I’m Müjde. Food culture and culinary history have always thrilled me. For decades I have been studying, with curiosity, the cuisines of this geography, reaching from Ancient Rome to Greek traditions, but most importantly to the Ottoman world. Together with my staff, I think we have finally reached the point where we can bring all this work to the table. Now I invite you to enjoy a lavish Ottoman feast that I have prepared with full fidelity to its original spirit.

Müjde Tönbekici and the kitchen staff with the dishes of the Ottoman dinner
№ 01 — The menu

The menu, with its history

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Two glasses of elderflower sherbet beside elderflowers
Ottoman dishes in copper bowls, seen from above
Welcome

Mürver, Elder Flower Sherbet

In traditions where alcohol consumption is prohibited, hundreds of varieties of sherbets are made to suit every season, derived from flowers, fruits, and plant roots. The concept of sherbet was introduced to Europe as “Sorbet”.

Cold Appetizers

Bean Fritter

Inspired by the Ottoman Empire’s first printed cookbook, Melceü’t-Tabbâhîn, this dish is a fritter ball made of beans, eggs, flour, and herbs, cooked in extra virgin olive oil.

Babagannuş

The only item on our menu containing tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants. These vegetables only arrived in Anatolia in the 17th century and became kitchen staples by the 19th century.

Mastava (Chard Cacık)

Yogurt, a staple in Anatolian cuisine and one of the few Turkish words that has made its way West, is used in this 15th-century Ottoman-inspired cold, creamy soup made with strained yogurt, chard, garlic, and olive oil, topped with beneficial nigella sativa seeds, also known as black cumin.

Warm Appetizers

Crispy Simit-Topik

Simit, a sesame ring bread dating back to the Seljuk cuisine of the 12th century and a mainstay of caravans, first appears in Ottoman archives in the 16th century. Topik, a labor-intensive dish prepared by Ottoman Armenians for Easter celebrations, is made with chickpeas, tahini, and onions, and seasoned generously. I learned the original recipe from my mother-in-law, Sona. Traditionally eaten cold, our stone oven adaptation adds a cosy touch of winter.

Liver Tava, Edirne Style

Edirne, the second capital of the Ottomans after Bursa. The recipe from the book “Aşçıların Sığınağı” (the cooks’ shelter) involves marinating famous Thracian lamb and beef liver with salt and onions, then fried in hot oil, served with parsley and onions.

Main Course

Stuffed Melon

A feast dish prepared for the circumcision ceremonies of the sons of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. The recipes often feature a combination of sweet and savory, with meat cooked with dry fruits, cinnamon, and cloves. Our main dish is a melon stuffed with rice, minced meat, leaf fillet, almonds, pistachios, raisins, coriander, dill, and parsley, slowly baked in a stone oven.

Ottoman Salad

A salad made with various fresh garden herbs, enriched with raw almonds and dry fruits, and notably lacking tomatoes and cucumbers.

Pickles

The Ottoman cookbooks feature 14 different pickle recipes, including those of raw fish and çağla (green almonds, plums).

Dessert

Light Cold Ashure

This special dessert traces back to the Prophet Noah. It’s said to be a celebratory dessert made from the remaining provisions after his ark landed on Mount Ararat. In Islamic tradition, it’s prepared during Muharram, the first month of the religious calendar, and distributed to the poor and neighbors. Sultan Abdulaziz’s Balkan-origin mother, Pertevniyal Sultan, famously prepared and distributed her own Ashure. It contains wheat, sugar, honey, dry legumes, and all kinds of dry fruits.

Homemade Rose Ice Cream

Rosewater is commonly used in many Ottoman desserts.

Sirkencibün Sherbet

A favorite of the mystical Islamic poet and Sufi mystic Rumi, who reportedly drank a glass of this sherbet daily. Recommended for digestion and health, it is made with honey, homemade vinegar, cinnamon, and cloves.

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