We are in the month of Ashura, the most fertile and sweet time of the year. The unique taste of our dessert culture, the symbol of abundance and fertility, the tricks of ashura came from the masters of gourmet dessert maker Hafız Mustafa 1864. The indispensable ingredients of the ashura cooked in the Ottoman palace kitchen; Experienced craftsmen, who said that it is "mixing rose and clove water and adding it to the ashura", also stated that they add zamzam water to the ashura. Hafız Mustafa 1864 masters underlined that the best recipe was actually the ashura prepared by our mothers and wives at home with the available ingredients.
The tradition of ashura, which has been going on for centuries with its rich nutritional content, has a very important place in the Islamic world. Ashura, which was prepared and distributed with the utmost care in the Ottoman palace kitchen, coincides with the tenth day of Muharram according to the Hijri calendar. Experienced masters of Hafız Mustafa 157, the representative of our 1864-year-old traditional dessert culture, stated that they first cooked ashura according to the Ottoman palace cuisine, and that they still maintain their 157-year-old originality by sticking to the same tricks. They listed the tricks of ashura prepared in the Ottoman palace kitchen as follows.
The Essentials of Ashura in the Ottoman Empire: Cloves and Rosewater
Legumes and dried fruits, which are soaked overnight and kept at room temperature, are boiled in a saucepan. Ashure, which has gained its consistency with the added starch, is left to cook together with the other ingredients. Finally, before turning off the gold, cloves and rose water, which are indispensable in the Ottoman palace kitchen, are mixed and added to the ashura together.
Experienced craftsmen of Hafiz Mustafa 1864 also emphasize that wooden spoons should be used when mixing the ingredients for ashura. In this way, he states that every ingredient in it preserves its taste and prevents it from being crushed.
In order to appeal to different tastes, different types of dried fruit and nuts can be added to the asurea, which originally consisted of legumes such as chickpeas, wheat and beans, without getting ahead of the main flavor. Hafız Mustafa 1864 masters stated that they used zamzam water in their recipes, thus increasing the abundance of every dessert.
Indispensable of Our Catering Culture
In addition to its rich content that leaves a mark on the palate, another feature of ashura is that it is served in bulk. It also emphasizes the importance of strengthening the friendship, trust, abundance and sharing between the Islamic faith and the tradition of many other religious beliefs. It is also believed that thanks to this distribution, houses will be blessed throughout the year. This year, Muharram will start on 9 August and end on 7 September.
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