If you are looking for a DIY food project that is as nutritious as it is traditional, why not have a go at making your own tarhana, and perhaps keep it jarred for a quick probiotic-rich, vitamin-filled soup for the cooler months?
Boil some water, toss in the ingredients in the package, let it boil and you have yourself a soup – that’s what instant soups promise at least. The taste is debatable, but people like the convenience of it. Instead of the sodium-filled, artificial kinds perhaps it's time to turn to something more nutritious and natural: tarhana, the world's oldest "instant" soup mix to have originated from central Asia.
So what is this thing called tarhana? Tarhana is essentially a fermented cereal-based product that is a flavorful mixture of yogurt, flour, yeast, different vegetables, herbs and spices. It is made mostly from produce collected and harvested over the summer, which is then cooked, dried and crushed into fine pieces to create a delicious soup.
The beauty of this soup doesn't stop there. Not only is it a probiotic powerhouse thanks to its fermented ingredients, but tarhana is also a great source for protein, vitamin B, calcium, iron, sodium, potassium, magnesium, zinc and copper.
While there are many versions of this traditional delicacy out there and many claim to be the originators of the tasty soup (as is the case with the Greek "trahana"), we'll be focusing on the way Turks traditionally prepare it and later turn it into some soup.
How do I make tarhana itself?
Ingredients