Tamena is a very famous Algerian pastry, traditionally served at the time of birth, when a new baby is born. It is a paste of roasted semolina (milled wheat), golden but not brown, honey and melted butter. Tamena is an important cultural gift that every family serves to people who come to congratulate the new born baby. In rural villages in Algeria, it is prepared and placed into pots and sold locally. Sales increase the local economy and can also be exported to other regional places. but it is … Read more
Zeit Zeitoun Olive oil production
Olive oil is obtained from the Olive (the fruit of Olea europaea; family Oleaceae), a traditional tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin. The oil is produced by grinding whole olives and extracting the oil by mechanical or chemical means. It is commonly used in cooking, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and soaps and as a fuel for traditional oil lamps. Olive oil is used throughout the world, but especially in the Mediterranean countries and, in particular, Greece where the largest consumption per … Read more
Village Charity Sense of solidarity, cooperation and gratitude through common meals
Village charities (köy hayırları) are traditional spreads organized in spring time where rural people come together, eat together and pray together to express their sense of gratitude, as well as creating a social space. Organized consecutively by the surrounding villages of towns (mainly Canakkale and Balikesir in the Aegean region), according to a certain calendar, village charities are an example of social and economic solidarity in addition to its religious aspect. Each year in March, … Read more
Hidrellez Fusion of the land and water as summer unfolds
One widespread belief suggests that Hızır is a prophet who has attained immortality by drinking the water of life (ab-ı hayat), and who has reached God, and wanders around among people from time to time, especially in the spring, helping people in difficulty, and distributing plenty and health. Various practices are performed on Hidrellez night in the belief that Hızır will bring blessing and abundance to the places he visits and the things he touches. Food bowls, pantries, and purses are left … Read more
Kashkek A dish of mutton or chicken and coursely ground wheat (Keşkek)
As a collaborative social practice, the preparation and cooking of kashkek requires a joint workforce. Before the cooking process, wheat is threshed jointly with a common rhthym in a special large stone mortar called 'dibek'. It is soaked in water over night, then boiled in big vessels. Together with the boiled mutton or chicken, it is smashed with thick sticks jointly until it reaches a special stiffness which determines its degree of taste. Then it is served with fried butter and tomato paste. … Read more
Tabla (Drum) A way to celebrate
The tabla is a membranophone percussion instrument (similar to bongos), used in Hindustani classical music and in popular and devotional music of the Indian subcontinent. The instrument consists of a pair of hand drums of contrasting sizes and timbres. The term tabla is derived from an Arabic word, tabl, which simply means 'drum.' The tabla is used in some other Asian musical traditions outside of India, such as in the Indonesian dangdut genre. Playing technique involves extensive use of the … Read more
Henna Used for hair dying and permanent tattooing
Henna has been used since antiquity to dye skin, hair, and fingernails, as well as fabrics including Silk and wool as well as for leather. Additionally, the name is misused for other skin and hair dyes, such as black henna or neutral henna, which are not derived from the plant. … Read more
Tulum Cheese Using goatskin casing for ripening and preserving goats cheese
Tulum cheese (Turkish: tulum peyniri) is a traditional Turkish goat's milk cheese ripened in a goatskin casing, called Tulum in Turkish. As a rich source for protein, calcium, fat and phosphorus, Tulum cheese is an important food for healthy nutrition, with its unique flavour provided by the natural microflora created in the goatskin during ripening. Tulum cheese is made by heating high-fat goat's milk to a temperature of 30 °C (86 °F) and subsequently souring it through the addition of a … Read more
Tarhana Natural Instant Soup
Tarhana is a traditional dish in Turkish cuisine that refers to a dough or powder made using various vegetables, spices, yeast, and yogurt. The name can refer to the actual powder or dough itself, as well as a soup made by using the dough or powder and adding boiling water. Created as a way of preserving food before the invention of refrigerators and other safe food storage methods, this is effectively one of the oldest instant soups. Tarhana mixes can be purchased from grocery stores, … Read more
Belly Dancing Dance for Celebration
Belly Dance takes many different forms depending on the country and region of practice, both in costume and dance style. New styles have evolved in the West as its popularity has spread globally. Belly Dance has: • Percussive movements - Staccato movements, most commonly of the hips, which can be used to punctuate the music or accent a beat. Typical movements in this group include hip drops, vertical hip rocks, outwards hip hits, hip lifts, and hip twists. Percussive movements using other parts … Read more
