Following the population exchange between Türkiye and Greece in 1923, a noteworthy trend emerged: the continuous transmission of Anatolian culture by those who migrated from Türkiye to Greece. Despite the decades that have passed, Anatolian cultural traditions persist among this community in Greece, highlighting the enduring influence of historical events on contemporary cultural dynamics.

Initially, some Orthodox Christians who came from Anatolia, especially Karaman, did not even speak Greek, and their mother tongue was Turkish.

The immigrants expressed their joys, sorrows and love through Turkish songs and cooked meals from Anatolian cuisine at their homes.

Many of them also brought their fathers' professions from Anatolia and passed them down from generation to generation. During this "cultural migration," many traditions, habits, flavors and even Turkish words were transferred to Greece. Hundreds of words passed from Turkish to Greek.

Paraskevas Sariboyas, born into a family of immigrants, shared with an Anadolu Agency (AA) correspondent what being a member of such a family added to his life.

Sariboyas said he was the grandson of immigrants who migrated from Adana a century ago and continued his grandfather's profession.

Expanding the business he inherited from his family, Sariboyas stated that he owned a large factory producing Anatolian flavors such as pastrami, sausage and fried meat with recipes inherited from his grandfather, distributing Anatolian flavors he made throughout the country.

"Their roots are actually from Cappadocia. They are Karaman Greeks. They lived in Kayseri, Gölcük. They used to make pastrami there," he said.

Sariboyas, stating that his grandfathers moved from Kayseri to Adana over time, said: "They moved because the Silk Road passed through there. They used to buy animals coming from Syria. They used to repurchase camels then. They used to buy and sell animals; they used to trade."

Sariboyas also mentioned that his grandfathers, who traded animals and made pastrami from camel meat, also traded the valuable skin of the camel.

The migration and trade his grandfathers experienced in Anatolia were also reflected in the products of Sariboyas's factory today.

The factory produces pastrami made from beef, lamb and camel meat.

There are various Anatolian flavors in sausage products, such as highly spiced Adana, Gölcük and Karamanlı sausages.

For the profession he inherited from his grandfather, Sariboyas explained: "They taught us this; we earn our living from it. We do it out of necessity. We also love this job because it has become a part of us. It's a habit for us now."

Speaking Turkish at home

Sharing memories of his childhood home, family and what he remembered from his childhood, Sariboyas said his grandparents used to speak Turkish at home and sing Turkish songs.

"They used to sing a traditional song about pastrami, and they used to start and end their days with this song," he said.

Sariboyas also said he knew a little Turkish he had heard at home during his childhood.

Sariboyas, who noted that his grandparents expressed themselves in Turkish during intense emotional moments such as joy, anger and sadness, said: "When they scolded us, they spoke Turkish. When they wanted to say nice things to us, they also spoke Turkish."

Anatolian dishes

He stated that many other Anatolian flavors were also an integral part of their tables.

Emphasizing that these dishes are still a part of their tables as they are passed down from generation to generation, Sariboyas said: "My sister still cooks these dishes. My mother passed away, but my sister continues to make these dishes. We still make all of these."

Anatolian customs

Drawing attention to the different habits of the immigrants from Anatolia compared to the Greeks of that time, Sariboyas said that to protect children from black flies and mosquitoes, their skin was rubbed with fenugreek and garlic water.

"That's why they put fenugreek in pastrami. They would hang it, and black flies wouldn't come near. Even though it was in the sun, flies wouldn't come near it, they would run away a kilometer away," he said.

Remembering with longing the compote and sherbets made at home in his childhood, Sariboyas said: "In summer, there used to be a thick white cloth. (My grandmother) would spread it outside. She would slice the apples, pears and plums. She would spread them on the cloth and dry them in the sun. Then, she would store them in a dark room. In winter, she would take a handful and put it in a pot. She would boil it with water. What a beautiful sherbet that would make!"

Pointing out that yogurt is not eaten with meals in Greece as it is in Türkiye, Sariboyas expressed that the situation is different in his family: "We can't eat without yogurt. You can't eat; it won't go down your throat. It's our staple food. You can eat it plain, too. They used to make a lot of cucumber-yogurt salad. They put plenty of garlic. They made it with mint, cucumber and dill."