On the left in the photo you can see the end result of a week of diligent work. Probably the very first instant soup in the world. Tarhana comes from the Far East and was taken by westward migrating peoples during the Seljuk rule.
The Origin of Tarhana
In the time of the Seljuks (1071-1308) there was a complete migration from the Far East, due to the many devastating wars. Peoples moved from what is now Western Russia to Scandinavia, to the areas around the Caspian and Black Sea and more south to Anatolia. At the time of the spread of the Ottomans over Europe, the Tarhana was taken to the Balkans.
A legend from Seljuk times tells of a great warlord who enjoyed a meal with a poor family and was very pleased with the soup. When asked what kind of soup this was to the lady of the house, she replied “Dar Hane my lord, enjoy your meal”. Dar means narrow and small and Hane means House in old Turkish. The woman actually answered “small house soup”. Over time is the word Darhane hybrid to the present Tarhana.
Whether it is because of the sun or the basic products, it is not known, but the most appreciated types of Turkish Tarhana come from the areas around Uşak, Denizli, Kahramanmaraş and Beypazarı. There are many ways of preparation and seasoning, but the basic ingredients are always flour and yogurt. Before the mill for grinding grains was widely used, crushed wheat and oat grains were used and a soured type of milk was used as a fermentation material. The other ingredients can include: red chilies, onion, tomato, cooked chickpeas, mint, thyme, basil and salt.
In some areas the ingredients (except for the yoghurt and flour) are first fried or stewed, in other areas the dough is made from raw vegetables.
Tarhana and Health
Research has shown that Tarhana, when mixed with milk instead of water, is a complete baby food. In addition to breastfeeding, this can be started between the 4th and 6th month. This research was carried out by Prof. Dr. Reha Artan, teacher and practicing pediatrician at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, affiliated with Akdeniz Hospital in Antalya. From the research of Prof. Dr. Reha Artan has also suggested that Tarhana is a healthier food than other homemade soups, mashes and even better than fruit snacks. Tarhana is rich in vegetable proteins, dietary fiber and low in proteins. In addition, homemade Tarhana is free from product enriching additives. Due to the presence of wheat flour, Tarhana does not fit in a gluten-free diet.
Nutritional value table prepared by NEVO
Product | 100 grams of Tarhana from a package |
---|---|
Energy (kJ) | 212 |
Energy (kcal) | 51 |
Protein (g) | 0.7 |
Carbohydrates (g) | 5 |
Fat (g) | 2.8 |
Fatty acids totally saturated (g) | 1 |
sodium (mg) | 325 |
Potassium (mg) | 27 |
Tarhana is actually only made in the countryside. Small factories in Turkey nowadays produce ‘organic’ Tarhana. Under strict control of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, production is hygienic and almost machine-driven. This Tarhana is packaged in plastic-lined cotton sachets and offered for sale in most supermarkets and specialty pasta shops. The well-known soup brands make Tarhana in their own way with product improvers, which dissolve more easily in water and have a constant taste. Organically produced Tarhanas have their own specific taste depending on the raw materials used and the age of the product. Such Tarhana deteriorates in flavor after a storage period of a year or more.
If you want to make Tarhana yourself, follow the recipe below.
Tarhana dough for Tarhana from Trakya (European part of Turkey)
Quantities are for a ‘large storage box’ of dry product.
Ingredients
- 1 kg red peppers used for puree preparation, good ripe broad pointed peppers (kabya)
- 2 kg of well-ripe tomatoes
- 2 large onions
- 300 gr Turkish or Bulgarian yogurt
- 1/2 bunch of parsley
- 1/2 bunch of fresh mint
- a good pinch of dried thyme
- generous teaspoon of ground black pepper
- salt, preferably coarse natural salt, to taste
- As much flour as needed
- If after two days the whole does not become a nice light mass, knead in a packet of dry yeast (for 1 kg of flour).
Preparation method
- To easily peel off the skin, boil the peppers in a little water, then cut them very finely.
- Grate the tomatoes and onions and finely chop the fresh herbs. All this can also be done in the food processor.
- Add the yogurt, the rest of the ingredients and finally the flour. Add enough flour to form a firm to hard dough. Knead the dough twice a day for five days. If the dough is too wet to knead, add a little flour each time.
- On the fifth day (this can take a few days longer depending on the temperature) the dough will start to stick to your hands and stop rising, then leave it overnight.
- The next day, make small chunks of the dough and put it on a clean sheet to dry, in the wind, but out of the bright sun. In the absence of sun, this should also be possible in a convection oven, on a low setting with the door open. After a few hours you will see that you can crumble the chunks with your hands. Before they are completely hard and dry, grind them well in the food processor and let them dry for a few more days, turning over from time to time.
- The Tarhana is now ready to be put away and to make Tarhana soup.