Turkey is an incredible country. By now I am sure many of my
fellow students and travelers have elaborated on several of the fascinating things
Turkey has to offer. However, there is something I have seen which Turkey
consistently does well: food and restaurants! The food in Turkey has certainly
lived up to my expectations. My favorite dish so far was a scalloped potato
which was drenched in some sort of lemon sauce, cooked by the host mother of
our group’s home stay. Wow…those were incredible! (Don’t worry, Mom, your
cooking is still the best) I have even been able to taste Turkish macaroni and
cheese, which is my favorite food. We’ve been able to taste Turkish meatballs,
some of us have tried Baklava, which is a Turkish desert…I could go on and on
about the numerous dishes here.
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| Baklava, a Turkish staple |
If I am being completely honest, however, what has impressed
me more than the food is the restaurant atmosphere here in Turkey. This may be
partially due to the fact I don’t eat a lot of fancy restaurants; as a college
student, Lottie Nelson Dining Hall or Fast Food restaurants are my top choices.
However, even at more “normal” restaurants I have noticed a trend. Many Turkish
restaurants and cafes are very open-air places. There aren’t many decorations
all over the walls, there aren’t flat-screen televisions everywhere showing
ESPN (but if any Turkish restaurants want to start this trend I would be ok
with it), and there aren’t waiters and waitresses who sing happy birthday
(although we haven’t asked yet…so maybe they do…) . Besides the food, going to
a Turkish restaurant or café is about the people. The open and inviting environment
of the Turkish restaurant attracts people to come, slow down, and enjoy each
other…and the food, of course. We have experienced this in dining halls of
hotel rooms, small mountain cafes, seaside grills…even at a gas station
restaurant, efforts were made to create a welcoming and relaxing environment to
all people, native Turks or American tourists. This idea of communal dining is
very important to our group, as we gather around the table to share stories and
experiences from our daily travels, or stop to take a break and enjoy a village
coffee or tea.
This reminds me of how Jesus used the dining table as a
great equalizer. The meals Christ chose to share with other were partially
about nourishment and food, but they also served a greater purpose. Jesus ate
with people from all walks of life. He intentionally sought out the “worst”
sinners of the day, the tax collectors, prostitutes, and thieves. He invited
them to the table, to learn about them, to hear about their experiences. I am
sure Jesus had many meals alone with his disciples, in lands which were foreign
to them. To further prove it was not all about the food, Jesus’ last…and most
important…meal was a very simple one with his disciples. Traveling through
Turkey and eating in all different types of restaurants has reinforced my
belief in the nature of the dinner table.
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| Receiving cooking lessons from a professional chef! |
Something else I have seen in Turkish cuisine is the
service. Please don’t take this the wrong way. I am not bashing how American
restaurants operate. There are many places back home which offer quality
service. However, I have seen what we consider exceptional or “above and beyond”
service in the U.S. is what is considered the norm in Turkey. The waiters and
other staff are always ready and on the ball to provide with whatever you need.
But here is a more personal example. During our Izmir home stays, our group of
four guys did not arrive to our home until late on Friday night…well past
normal dinner hours. When we arrived, we were greeted warmly by our host
father, Haldair. After bringing us inside and introducing us to his mother,
wife, and daughter, he has us sit down at the dinner table. Around 11:00 at
night, dinner was served. It was a delicious meal. But as we started eating, I
noticed something. Haldair was not eating with us right away. He waited to see
that his guests were fed first and made sure we were taken care of. Now on
this night he may have eaten earlier in the evening, but he did the same thing at
every meal! He made sure we, his guests, were fed. Then he made sure his
wife and daughter had something as well, before he ate himself. What an example of servanthood!
This also reminded me of Jesus’ teaching on leadership as
service. The parable of the banquet comes to mind, where the servant at the end
of the table is invited to the head of the table to be served and treated as
royalty. Jesus’ instructions to put others first also come to mind here. It’s
been incredible to see the service. So tonight (or tomorrow, depending on when
you read this) take advantage of the time around your dinner table. It could be
your personal home table, a table at a nice restaurant, a table at a fast food
restaurant…maybe tonight you are traveling and your “table” is your lap while
you drive in the car. Whatever the case is, take some time to sit down and enjoy
your time with other at the table.
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| Michael and Dave at a restaurant for lunch |
And of course, your conversation can be about how what the
food on the table is (seriously, did I mention how delicious the food is here? It’s so good!)
Tastefully yours (see what I did there?)
-Logan Shellenberger
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