Imperial Kitchen

On Friday, September 27, the Friends of the Kitchen gathered at the Matbah-ı Âmire—the kitchens in the second courtyard of Topkapı Palace, symbolized by their magnificent chimneys—where the traditions of the Ottoman Palace Kitchen have been kept alive in the finest detail for years... Led by our esteemed member, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Özge Samancı—Head of the Department of Gastronomy and Culinary Arts at Özyeğin University and a historian specializing in Ottoman and Turkish culinary history— the Friends of the Kitchen, who toured the Matbah-ı Amire, left Topkapı Palace with valuable insights into the palace kitchen. The tablakâr who carried meals to the palace on trays balanced on their heads, the tinmen who tin-coated copper strainers and serving dishes, the kuşhane where only the sultan’s meals were prepared, and the helvahane—which has survived to this day in its original form... While touring the Matbah-ı Amire—an institution in its own right—we discussed the ingredients sourced from all corners of the empire, the presentation of jam and coffee, and the transition from floor-level dining to table-top dining. Later in this special tour, we sampled a menu prepared exclusively for our association by Chef Özgür Üstün at the Avlu restaurant of the Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at Sultanahmet. Etli Kısır, Stuffed İzmir Artichokes, Steamed Sea Bream Stuffed with Seafood, Lamb Karski, and a five-course menu featuring fresh poplar figs with figs and white chocolate earned high praise from the Friends of the Kitchen, both for the harmony of the flavors and the menu planning, as well as for the taste of each dish. The Friends’ tour of Topkapı Palace concluded with a visit to the Turing Century-Old Brands Memory House.