Matbah

What does it take to feed an empire?  A lot of work, certainly!

The imperial kitchens at the Topkapı were used to feeding a cast of thousands – and on a daily basis. There were three key divisions: the main kitchen (the matbah-ı amire), the Sultan’s personal kitchen (the matbah-ı hümayun) and the helvahâne, where the sweets and desserts were prepared. Each had its own hierarchy and ranks of specialist chefs, with the matbah eminliği (the supreme head chef) overseeing the bustle.

I get a chance to sample some of the delights of Ottoman imperial cuisine at Matbah, a delightful restaurant (in the shadow of the Topkapı, no less) which seeks to re-create 'the classic fine "Ottoman Palace" dining experience'.  The menu – drawn from palace archives – is suitably recherché: I order the kuzu ciğeri çorbası (lamb liver soup) (Türabi Efendi, 1864) as a starter, followed by the kaz kebabı (shredded goose meat with rice in a sheet of pastry) (Suleiman, 1539) as a main, washed down with a delightful half-bottle of house red which I forget to note.

It was Ottoman palace custom to round off a meal with hoşaf (a fruit compote).  I opt for a slight twist, and have a helatiye instead: a pine mastic pudding with chopped nuts and pomegranate seeds in rose syrup – light, fragrant, and just the perfect note on which to round off the meal.