| Ceremonial keşkek tradition | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Country | Turkey |
| Reference | 388 |
| Region | Europe and North America |
| Inscription history | |
| Inscription | 2011 (6th session) |
Keşkek, also known as kashkak, kashkek, or keške, is a ceremonial meat or chicken and wheat or barley stew found in Turkish, Iranian, Greek, Armenian and Balkan cuisines.
In 2011, keşkek was confirmed to be an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Turkey by UNESCO.[1][2]
History
[edit]The first known written reference to the dish is found in a copy of Danishmendname dating back to 1360.[3] Keşkek is documented in Iran and the region of Syria as early as the 15th century;[4] it is still consumed by many today, traditionally during religious festivals, weddings[5] and funerals.
The dish's name alludes to kashk, which in 16th- to 18th-century Iran had sheep's milk added to wheat or barley flour and meat, mixed in equal parts.[6]
Under the name of κεσκέκ, κεσκέκι and κισκέκ (keskék, keskéki, and kiskék), it is a festival dish in Lesbos[7] and among Pontian Greeks.[8] In Lesbos, keşkek is prepared on summer nights when a ceremonial bull is being slaughtered, which is then cooked overnight and eaten next day with wheat.[9]
Keşkek is called "haşıl" in Northeast and Middle Anatolia regions in Turkey.
The Slavic word kasha may have been borrowed from the Persian کَشک : kishk.[10]
Keşkek is known as harissa in Armenia.[11] Harissa bears strong similarities to keşkek in terms of its preparation and cooking process; however, harissa is associated with different symbolic meanings.[11]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, Nomination file 00388
- ^ "Turkish dish and Korean tightrope walking join UN intangible heritage list", UN News Center 28 November 2011
- ^ Nişanyan Dictionary, etymology of Keşkek
- ^ Sun, Ernesto (2011). "Kashkek". Global Ecovillage Network. Retrieved 2024-02-17.
- ^ "Ceremonial Keskek Tradition".
- ^ see Aubaile-Sallenave
- ^ Caragh Rockwood - Fodor's Greece 1997
- ^ Κεσκέκ (Παραδοσιακό ποντιακό φαγητό)
- ^ Greece, by Paul Hellander, Lonely Planet series
- ^ Gil Marks, Encyclopedia of Jewish Food, p. 314
- ^ a b Aykan, Bahar (2016). "The politics of intangible heritage and food fights in Western Asia". International Journal of Heritage Studies. 22 (10): 802. doi:10.1080/13527258.2016.1218910. S2CID 151557119.
Bibliography
[edit]- Françoise Aubaile-Sallenave, "Al-Kishk: the past and present of a complex culinary practice", in Sami Zubaida and Richard Tapper, A Taste of Thyme: Culinary Cultures of the Middle East, London and New York, 1994 and 2000, ISBN 1-86064-603-4. excerpts
External links
[edit]- Cooking keskek in Lesbos
- Cooking keskek for the Bull's Festival in Ayia Paraskevi, Lesbos in 1996
- A plate of Turkish chickpea keşkek in Merzifon on the Black Sea coast.
