Deemed as one of the world's top three cuisines
(along with French and Chinese), Turkish
dining is fabulous in that it includes an enormous
variety of preparation, techniques and flavors. Turkey is also
blessed with its natural resources and geography for growing fruits,
vegetables, baby lamb and beef. Turkey is completely self-sufficient
agriculturally and a major exporter of foodstuffs.
You'll be dining in the style of the Ottoman sultans.
Here are some tidbits of what to expect and check our sample
menu page for a full day's actual menu:
Breakfast
You'll begin your days with a Mediterranean breakfast.
Fresh fruit, olives, feta and kasar cheeses, pine honey, sour
cherry jam, eggs prepared to order, sliced tomatoes and freshly
baked bread brought to you in a rowboat from villagers on shore.
Ample squeezed orange juice, coffee (includingTurkish coffee)
and tea are always provided.
Aegean Lunches
After a morning of exploration and sailing, Captain
Engin and Chef Ahmet will anchor for lunch. You can expect an
array of dazzling `mezes`
to begin with, including such appetizers as fresh beans in olive
oil, sauteed aubergine in tomato-garlic sauce, green salad, and
a main course of oven baked courgette casserole.
Alternatively, you may choose to enjoy your lunch
on shore at one of our suggested
restaurants or a small, family run taverna en-route.
Afternoon
tea
Captain Engin will anchor for your afternoon tea
and coffee while Chef Ahmet effortlessly produces his family's
traditional börek for accompaniment. It will then be time
for another swim before continuing on to your next anchorage for
dinner.
Happy Hour
& Sunset Dinners
Once you have anchored for the evening, your crew
will serve cocktails to order while Chef Ahmet prepares dinner.
It might be grilled calamari, tarator sauce with crushed pine
nuts, sauteed purslane, and stuffed vine leaves as starters, followed
by grilled sea bream with a light olive oil and lemon sauce to
be passed around. Or, it might be lightly spiced chicken with
vegetables. Remember that the menu preferences are for you to
indicate and choose.
Perhaps the biggest irony of having a very conservative
Turkish government in power which taxes alcoholic beverages very
highly, is that Turkish wine and its production are absolutely
blossoming. This is the time to imbribe! In recent years, Turkish
wines have taken gold and silver awards
in London and Paris. After all, this is where the ancient Hittites
first began producing wine, and the geography, climate and terrain
are perfectly suited for excellent grape production.
If you are a connieuseur of
fine wines and wish to try the best that Turkey
hast to offer, a gulet charter is the perfect opportunity
to do so. Depending on your preferences, we'll have a selection
of wines ready for you at proper temperature and the right
glasses at your embarkation. You can taste each and decide
which wines you would like to have (and in what
quantity!), and we'll stock your gulet with them prior to
your departure from the harbor.
Our suggestions are Angora, Cankaya, Kavaklidere
Bogazkere-Öküzgözü, and Saraffin
to begin with. |
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The national drink in Turkey is raki
- over 70% of alcoholic beverages sold are raki.
Similar to Greek ouzo, French pastis and Lebanese arak, it is
a licorice-flavored, rather potent spirit which turns milky white
when water and ice are added to it. The manner in which it is
prepared and served is an art form which our
crew will be happy to show you.
"Ask not what you can do for
your country. Ask what's for lunch."
--Orson Welles