Recently I have been seeing a lot of nuts/dried fruits imported from Turkey sold in Trader Joe’s; started with the dried apricots, later we were also buying the hazelnuts and pistachios grown in Turkey. Call me a nationalist, but whenever I see something made/grown in Turkey, I tend to favor those over the others, even the local grown ones. This time, it was the dried organic Smyrna figs. Sure enough a box went into my basket even though I had a box of dried Calimyrna figs at home. Similarities in the names of these figs have been in my mind, something to research on but I kept forgetting. I know Smyrna is the name of an ancient city where today’s Izmir (3rd largest city in Turkey) is located but where did Calimyrna come from?

Thanks to internet, this is what I found out: Figs are brought to America by the Spanish missionaries in 1575 and later, when they started growing those trees in San Diego, the name “mission figs” stuck with them. Later, they wanted to grow the best fig variety known in California. Those are the figs known as “sari lop” or “sari incir” (yellow fig) native to western Anatolia (Asia Minor.) They had a hard time pollinating them until a botanist realized the trick; they started to produce them in California naming this one as California + Smyrna = Calimyrna. Not sure what the complication that kept them from producing earlier, but the fig trees have gender. So, you need to have a male and a female fig tree for production. Kiwis are like that as well, but they are vines, not trees.

Now that I had those wonderful dried figs, I set out to make the easiest fig dessert ever. It is basically an instant jam; make a simple syrup, cook the figs in it. Never had it with mission black figs, not sure how they’d turn out but I assure you they did a good job with those Calimyrna figs; the taste is similar to the original.

• 2kg (about 4 lbs) dried Smryna figs
• 750 gr sugar
• 750 ml water

Cut the figs into small pieces (at least 6 – 8 pieces each.) In a heavy bottom stainless steel pot, heat mix water and sugar. When the simple syrup starts to boil, run the figs through cold water and immediately add them to the pot. Turn the heat down, cook the figs constantly stirring and also mashing them using wooden spoon. When all the water evaporated, transfer into a plastic container (not sure why, but my aunt always used plastic for this dessert. Might be because it is easier to spoon out of it.) Keep in the fridge.

This can be used as a filling in cookies (especially in the mamool cookies), spread on a toast or just as is.

Here is a another traditional dessert from Turkey, which I am yet to find another country in the region to have it in their repertoire. Please let me know if you know any other cultures having this tradition.

Its name comes from Arabic, in which ashura literally means “tenth.” A dessert that is made on the 10th day of the Islamic calendar. Since Islamic calendar is based on moon, it is 10 days shorter than the Gregorian, hence this day as well as every Islamic holiday has a different date every year. One should not confuse this dessert with the day of ashura. Even though it is a custom to cook this dessert on that day, it is not a religious ceremony.

A story of this dessert tells us that it was a meal made in the Noah’s ark, right after the great flood was over. As you can see in the ingredients list, the main items of the dessert are the grains that one can hardly associate with any dessert.

If one cannot make it on the 10th day of the Islamic year, it can still be made within 20 days, before the next month starts. It is a dessert that you definitely share with neighbors, friends and family. That time of the year, you always have to make sure that you remember which neighbor sent which plate full of aÅŸure, so you can return it back either with aÅŸure or with another homemade dessert.

I haven’t had the courage to make it until last year. I asked everybody’s own way of preparing this wonderful dessert in a Turkish forum I belong to. The responses gave little hints here and there and also showed how it differs from household to household. Gathering all these, remembering how my late aunt used to prepare it and getting more hints from my mom’s friend who was visiting San Francisco last year, I was determined to give it a try. I can say that it does take some mastering but not a very hard one to make after all — just take some patience.

The recipe below results in a huge quantity, so if you are inclined to prepare this traditional dessert, I suggest using half or quarter of them.

• 500 gr wheat berries (also sold as “Wheat for Noah’s Pudding” in Turkish stores)
• 200 gr dry chickpeas
• 200 gr dry white beans
• 100 gr dry blackeye peas (optional)
• 4.5 – 5 liter water
• 500 gr sugar
• 100 gr raw almond
• 1 Tbs molasses (optional)
• 175 gr dry Turkish apricots
• 100 gr sultanas
• 80 gr currants
• 6 dry figs
• 50 gr dates (optional)
• 1 little orange’s peel
• 1/4 tsp salt

The night before:

1. Soak chickpeas, white beans and blackeye beans in water in separate bowls
2. Add 2 liters of water to the wheat berries, let them boil for a minute, turn off the heat, close the lid of the pot and let it sit overnight

Next day:

1. Again using separate pots, cook the chickpeas, and both beans until they are cooked, but not mushy. Drain and clean, especially the chickpeas’ skins
2. Cut the bigger of the dried fruits in the size of sultanas, or even smaller. If they are so dry, you can soak them in warm water until they are ready to be used
3. Blanch the raw almonds in warm water for 10 – 15 mins, skin them, save
4. Cut the orange peel into *very* thin strips, save
5. Cook the wheat, by adding additional 1 lt of water until cook very well. They will open up and become very mushy. At this stage, add the beans and chickpeas
6. In the mean time, boil about 2 – 3 lt of water aside, and add to the beans & wheat mix as needed. Making sure the mix does not burn and has more than enough water to cook
7. Add half of the sugar, making sure it mixes well. Add the rest, again mixing well
8. Add all the dried fruits, except the figs. They will turn the color of the mix darker, it is better to save them until the last moment
9. Add the molasses and a pinch of salt
10. Keep it boiling with very low heat and add sugar as needed. Make sure to add water at least the amount I have indicated. Remember, the starch of the grains will thicken the mix as it cools down
11. Add the figs, mix and turn the heat off
12. Divide into bowls, decorate with ground cinnamon and mixed walnut and hazelnuts. It goes well with pomegranate arils, if they are in season…