Maraş Tarhana Soup (Maraş tarhanası çorbası)
Overview
Maraş tarhanası from Kahramanmaraş is unlike ordinary tarhana. Instead of flour and vegetables, it is made from cracked wheat cooked with yogurt, spread into thin sheets, dried and broken into crisp shards, often studded with sesame seeds. Many people even snack on the dried pieces. For soup, the pieces are soaked and simmered into a creamy, slightly sour broth, often with chickpeas, and finished with garlic and butter sizzled with mint. The texture is smoother and the taste milder than the familiar powdered kind.
Pictures
History
Kahramanmaraş in southern Turkey is famous for its distinct food culture, including its stretchy ice cream and red pepper. Its tarhana grew out of the same need as other tarhana styles: to preserve summer yogurt and wheat for winter. The local method of drying it in thin, brittle sheets gave the city a recognisable product that is now sold in markets throughout Turkey.
Main ingredients
Maraş tarhana (yogurt and cracked wheat), butter, chickpeas, garlic, dried mint. The soup is built on water or stock and is usually served hot. Diet: vegetarian; not usually gluten-free.
Recipe outline serves 4 · ~35 min
Ingredients
- 100 g Maraş tarhana pieces
- 1.2 l water or stock
- 1 cup cooked chickpeas
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 30 g butter, 1 tsp dried mint
Method
- Soak the tarhana pieces in warm water for at least an hour until soft.
- Simmer with the stock for 15 minutes, whisking to break them up.
- Add the chickpeas and cook for 5 more minutes.
- Season, stir in garlic, and top with butter sizzled with mint.
Sources
Description, history and recipe written by SoupWiki and checked against the sources above. Calories and times are rough estimates.