Turkey may be years away from sending someone to space but a restaurateur sought giving it a try with a humble beginning: a delicious dish of Adana kebab from the eponymous southern province.
Hours before the iftar dinner for the Muslim faithful who break their daily fast and long after careful preparations, Yaşar Aydın launched a small dish of “pipe” kebab into the stratosphere. “Pipe” kebab is a new trendy dish in Adana where spicy kebabs and livers attract enthusiasts of Turkish cuisine. Wrapped around a steel pipe instead of skewers to keep it juicier, “pipe” kebab became the first Turkish export to space on Tuesday.
Aydın had originally planned to launch his kebab into space during a recent festival in the city but unfavorable weather conditions delayed the launch. Finally on Tuesday, with the help of local entrepreneur Idris Albayrak, Aydın achieved his dream. Albayrak, who is also a space engineering student, planned all stages of the launch into the stratosphere. A special box was designed to place the kebab in so that it can endure the extreme temperatures in the sky. The box, fitted with cameras and a tracking device, was attached to a helium balloon. For his part, Aydın did not forget to add side dishes to the kebab just as he serves to his customers on Earth, from onions to salads.
The duo chose April 12 as it was also The International Day of Human Space Flight, the anniversary of the legendary flight of Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin into the unknown. The kebab’s destination, however, was more or less clear, some 38 kilometers (24 miles) above the skies of Adana. Amid applause and the curious looks of onlookers, the box was launched into space for a flight that took about three hours. Once the balloon exploded, its journey back to Earth began. The box of kebab fell into the sea off the coast of Hatay, a southern Turkish province, in a spot some 121 kilometers away from the launch site.
Aydın and others fished out the box, with its content mostly intact, except for a few pieces apparently nibbled by the fish, which were obviously surprised by this literal manna from heaven, but too spicy and carnivorous for their taste.
“I think aliens sent it back because it had too much pepper. I will send a dish with less pepper next time,” Aydın joked as he retrieved the box and vowed to continue his efforts to shoot the famed dish further into space. “I am happy to promote our city and our cuisine. I love being first in something,” he told reporters watching the launch and return.
