Miraculous milky way
A childhood memory, the taste of a mother’s embrace. That is what “muhallebi” is for Turkish people. A bit nostalgic and totally comforting. It is merely a simple milk pudding made of milk, sugar and rice starch, but there is much more to it. In Istanbul, the pudding shops, or “muhallebici” as they are called, have always played a pivotal role in society. They hold a very special place in the city’s collective memory. Nobody would argue about their importance in city life. Interestingly, however, until recently, nobody had attempted to delve deeply into the history of pudding shops. Now, a unique e-book takes on a wonderful journey through their history. The book titled “Cultural History of Muhallebicis in Istanbul,” published by Istanbul University Press, is available for free to everyone. The book was prepared by the highly competent and esteemed historians and researchers Arif Bilgin, Aynülhayat Uybadın and Kübra Sultan Yüzüncüyıl. Diving into this book is like taking a miraculous journey through time in the milky way of milk puddings.
Sweetest memories
Muhallebi is all about memories. For many, it is the memory of the first taste, much like baby food. Our memories of going out with our mothers include visits to a pudding shop. It is where we spent our pocket money on our escapes from school. It's also the place of the first heartbeat, the setting for the shy first meeting of young love. The pudding shop is a city savior that comes to the rescue all day long, satisfying hunger and delighting the palate. In a way, it serves as a refuge. It’s an unpretentious gathering spot where not just milk-based desserts are served, but also a full day’s worth of satisfying flavors, from chicken broth soup to fried eggs and chicken pilaf. Everyone’s memories accumulate in pudding shops. The muhallebici is a fortress safeguarding our memories. Even though the marble tables are polished after every customer, memories are etched into them. Your reflection joins the myriad images reflected in the wall-mounted mirrors, taking its place among the invisible memories.
A resource that fills the gap
The story of muhallebi shops, which hold an important place in our lives and serve as a canvas for our personal stories, has never been written. Similarly, the question of what muhallebi is and where it comes from has long been one of the rarely explored aspects of our culinary history. This book provides comprehensive insight into the world of milk-based desserts, from tavuk göğsü and kazandibi to keşkül-ü fukara, all of which were historically defined under the heading of "muhallebi." The book also paints a magnificent portrait of the city. It describes how muhallebi vendors evolved from street vendors selling muhallebi on trays to today's gathering places, which are frequented throughout the day, effectively capturing a snapshot of recent history.
The research also brings forth answers to many questions about the cultural origins of muhallebi. Was muhallebi originally made with chicken breast, as in the modern "tavuk göğsü" dessert, which literally means "chicken breast"? Some historians interpret “tavuk göğsü” as a continuation of blancmange, a medieval European dessert, meaning the white dish. However, the book refutes this narrative by citing all published works on tavukgöğsü, revealing the exact opposite. It delves into the cultural history of muhallebi and similar desserts, tracing their roots back to medieval Arab culinary sources, also referencing the theses of numerous historians and researchers.
A significant portion of the research consists of oral history fieldwork. Key components include interviews with leading, long-established muhallebi makers and one-on-one field interviews. In addition to oral testimonies, the study draws on a wide range of primary sources, including written sources and visual archives. The study begins with the etymology of muhallebi and traces its evolution to its current state. It then examines the role of muhallebi shops in urban life, exploring every aspect of their role—from their presence in Yeşilçam films to their depiction in literature.
The secret is the milk
The book features a solid research framework. First and foremost, it examines milk, the essential ingredient in milk-based desserts. When it comes to milk, the focus naturally turns to buffalo. This book answers a series of questions: What kind of milk was used? How and from where was milk supplied to Istanbul? What makes buffalo milk stand out in terms of flavor and consistency? Where were the areas where buffalo were raised located? By the time you finish, you will feel as though you’ve taken a “Buffalo 101” course, learning everything from the breeds of buffalo that Evliya Çelebi deemed acceptable to the water-rich pastures where Istanbul’s buffalo grazed. As you delve into the city’s food supply history, you wander through old Istanbul alongside milkmen roaming neighborhood streets. For a single plate of clotted cream, you trace the history of many neighborhoods, from Eyüp to Üsküdar. It’s fascinating to look back at a time when muhallebi makers bought live chickens and raised them in their backyards. Compared to the use of frozen chicken breasts today, and to see a very recent past where not a single scrap of the chicken, from its bones to its feathers, went to waste, is just fascinating.
The book examines the beloved dessert muhallebi from historical, economic, social, sociological and ecological perspectives. A simple invitation like "Let's meet at the muhallebi shop!" has often marked the beginning of lifelong relationships. May this book also mark the start of a long journey and may many such flavors — milestones of our culinary culture—be documented through such comprehensive research!
To enjoy a ride on the milky way of muhallebi visit: https://iupress.istanbul.edu.tr/book/cultural-history-of-muhallebicis-in-istanbul/home.