“Cultural Heritage” in Europe Booklet

Turkey

MEETING & GREETING.

Turkish people shake hands firmly when they
meet someone for the first time.

If you are a close friend or relative, you greet each
other with two kisses on the cheek.

If you see someone kissing the right hand of an
elderly, then placing the forehead onto the hand,
don’t be surprised, it is a way to show respect for
Turkish people.

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Turkey

In the group of people, it is always the oldest
person to be greeted firstly in Turkish culture.

‘’Selam’’ is the word Turkish people use to for
greeting.

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Turkey

THE EVIL EYE & LEAD MELTING.

Turkish people believe that wearing an evil eye
like on a bracelet or a necklace , carrying it in the
bag or placing it in some visible places in the
house , office protects them from the negative
energy of other people , usually due to jealousy
which travels from that person's’ eyeballs into
your life and causes bad luck.

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Turkey

"Melting Lead" is another belief of Turkish people
for protecting themselves from bad luck .The
person who makes it asks you to sit under a
tablecloth.After melting the lead , she plunges it
into cold water with a ladle.The hot lead explodes
and according to the belief disperses the negative
energy that surrounds you.

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Turkey

HENNA NIGHT.

Henna nights are done between the bride , her
family , her friends and the grooms’ family before
the wedding.

The bride dressed in red and veiled with a red
headscarf sits on a chair and her unmarried
friends walk and dance in circles around her with
candles in their hands.

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Turkey

Henna is brought in a cup to the mother-in-law.
Mother-in-law tries to open the palms of the
bribe for putting henna but the bribe refuses to
open her palm until she gets a coin of gold as a
present from the mother-in-law.

Henna symbolizes prosperity and blessing.
In a Henna night guests, sing, dance and laugh but
also cry because even though it is the night to
celebrate the brides’ marriage it is also the night
she bids farewell to her parents and the house
she grew up in.

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UK

DRINKING TEA.

In the UK, drinking tea is one of the most popular
traditions, known by many worldwide. But is it
true?

Tea is a prominent feature of British culture and
society. The “British Empire” was instrumental in
spreading tea from China to India. Tea, which was
an “upper-class drink” in continental Europe,
became the infusion of every social class in
Britain throughout the course of the eighteenth
century and has remained so.

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UK

Since the eighteenth century, the UK has been
one of the world's largest tea consumers, with an
average annual per capita tea supply of 1.9 kg
(4.18 lbs).

Brits drink an average 165 million cups of tea a
day. That's enough to fill about 20 Olympic
swimming pools. The most popular tea being
Darjeeling, which comes from Northern India,
Ceylon Tea is slightly stronger than Darjeeling
and Assam, a strong tea which stands up well to
being blended.

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UK

Drinking tea is so varied that it is difficult to
generalise. While it is usually served with milk, it
is not uncommon to drink it black or with lemon,
with sugar being a popular addition to any of the
above. Strong ordinary tea (e.g. English Breakfast
tea), served in a mug with milk and often sugar, is
a popular combination known as builder's tea.
Tea is often accompanied with sandwiches,
crumpets, scones, cake and/or biscuits, with a
popular British custom being dunking the biscuit
into the tea. It also goes together well with
pancakes.

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UK

PANCAKE DAY / PANCAKE RACING.

Shrove Tuesday also commonly known as
Pancake Day is the day in February or March
immediately preceding Ash Wednesday (the first
day of Lent), which is celebrated in some
countries by consuming pancakes. In others,
especially those where it is called Mardi Gras or
some translation thereof, this is a carnival day,
and also the last day of "fat eating" or "gorging"
before the fasting period of Lent.

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UK

This moveable feast is determined by Easter. The
expression "Shrove Tuesday" comes from the
word shrive, meaning "absolve".

Shrove Tuesday is observed by many Christians,
including Anglicans, Lutherans, Methodists and
Roman Catholics, who "make a special point of
self-examination, of considering what wrongs
they need to repent, and what amendments of life
or areas of spiritual growth they especially need
to ask God's help in dealing with."

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UK

GUY FAWKES NIGHT

Guy Fawkes was born in Yorkshire in 1570. A
convert to the Catholic faith, Fawkes had been a
soldier who had spent several years fighting in
Italy. It was during this period that he adopted
the name Guido (Italian for Guy) perhaps to
impress the ladies!

'Guy Fawkes Day' also known as 'Bonfire Night'
or 'Fireworks Night' by some, marks the date,
November 5, 1605, when Guy Fawkes and his
fellow conspirators attempted to kill King James I
and the Members of Parliament and to blow up
the Houses of Parliament.

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UK

This conspiracy arose as a reaction to the
persecution of Catholics under the rule of King
James, a Protestant. Infuriated by the failure of
King James, the son of the passionately Catholic
Mary Queen of Scots, to grant more toleration to
Catholics.

Four other Catholics joined with Fawkes in his
plans including Robert Catesby. Catesby made a
fatal error and invited other Catholics to join the
plot until there were 60 plotters in all, you try
keeping a secret when 60 people know about it.

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UK

Thomas Percy rented a cellar beneath the Palace
of Westminster and 36 barrels of gunpowder
were placed in the cellars of the Houses of
Parliament. But Francis Tresham betrayed the
conspiracy in a letter to his brother-in-law Lord
Monteagle, warning him not to attend
parliament.

Monteagle told the government and Fawkes was
caught red handed in the cellars under
Parliament, with a box of matches in his pocket
and a guilty expression on his face! His fellow
conspirators fled but many were killed or
arrested and 9 members of the 60+ plotters,
including Fawkes, were hung, drawn and
quartered in January 1606.

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Bulgaria

SHKEMBE CHORBA

You probably don't want to know exactly what
this typically Bulgarian soup is made of. We
suggest you first try it and see that it is actually
pleasant to the taste. The literal English
translation is tripe soup - tripe is the thick lining
of the stomach of cattle.. Seasoned with garlic,
vinegar, and hot red pepper, it will surprise you
with its unique aroma and taste - good surprise
that is. It is scientifically proven that Shkembe
chorba helps alleviate a hangover when
consumed after waking up with one. Eat it with as
much rakia or beer as you want.

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Bulgaria

SHKEMBE CHORBA

Ingredients

● 1 lb tripe (calf belly) ● 1 tablespoon salt

● 1 cup (sunflower) oil ● 2 garlic cloves,

● 2 cups fresh milk peeled and thinly

● 1 teaspoon paprika diced

● 1 tablespoon ground● 1/3 cup red wine

black pepper vinegar

● dried hot chili

pepper mix

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Bulgaria

Preparation (1 hour)

Boil the tripe for about 30 mins, add oil, milk, black pepper and paprika and
boil for another 30 mins occasionally topping up the water. The more you
cook it, the better it will taste. Combine some salt, garlic and vinegar in a
separate cup, let it soak for about an hour. Serve hot, garnish with the garlic
and vinegar mixture and the hot chili peppers.

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Bulgaria

Shkembe chorba is a tripe soup that is made of
calf (cattle) stomach. The tripe is the thick lining
of the stomach of cattle. It is cleaned well and
cooked with milk, garlic, vinegar, hot chili
peppers, and other spices. This soup is very
delicious and quite common across Eastern
Europe and the Balkans. Due to the combination
of water, fats, salt, and vinegar used in the
preparation, which are known to reduce
gastrointestinal discomfort associated with
hangovers, this soup is very well known as a
hangover remedy.

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Bulgaria

Suggestion: Shkembe goes best with rakia or
beer. It is also an excellent cure for hangover.

Bulgarian: Шкембе чорба.

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Bulgaria 78

MISH-MASH

Literally translated mish-mash means hodge-podge.
This is a very tasty meal which I grew up on as my
parents were never home to prepare lunch and it
takes 10 easy minutes to make.

Ingredients

● 3 tomatoes, chopped
● 3 red peppers, chopped
● 1 onion chopped,
● 2 tbsp oil,
● 1/2 lbs cheese, crumbled (feta),
● 3 eggs,
● chopped parsley,
● salt and pepper to taste

Bulgaria

Preparation (10-15 min)

Heat the oil in a frying pan, add the onions and
the peppers and cook until onions are golden.
Add the tomatoes and cook for additional 3
minutes. Add the cheese and eggs and cook for
another 2-3 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley and
serve. Delicious with toast.

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Bulgaria 81

APPLE DESSERT

Core the apples. Mix butter and sugar, add
walnuts and cinnamon. Fill the apples with the
butter mixture. Put on a baking sheet inside the
baking dish and sprinkle with some water. Bake
on a 300F oven until soft. Serve with ice cream or
vanilla syrup.

Ingredients

● 4 apples, peeled
● 2 tbsp. butter, softened
● 1/2 cup brown sugar
● 1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
● a sprinkle of cinnamon

Bulgaria

Preparation (20-30 min)

Heat the oil in a frying pan, add the onions and
the peppers and cook until onions are golden.
Add the tomatoes and cook for additional 3
minutes. Add the cheese and eggs and cook for
another 2-3 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley and
serve. Delicious with toast.

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Italy

PASTA ALLA NORMA

A vegetarian dish. The sauce consists of fried aubergines in a simple tomato
sauce, topped with basil and wonderfully salty ricotta salata (a pressed and
salted type of cottage cheese). The dish is usually served with different
shapes of pasta, usually rigatoni or penne.

Ingredients

● 1 aubergine
● Olive oil
● 1 garlic clove, minced
● 400g of San Marzano tomatoes, (1 tin)
● 400g of rigatoni pasta
● Basil, to garnish
● Ricotta salata, to garnish
●

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Italy

Preparation

To begin, evenly slice the aubergine and sprinkle with salt. Leave in a colander
for 10 minutes to draw out any excess moisture.

Gently sauté the minced garlic in 1 tbsp of olive oil for about 30 seconds, or
until just soft (do not allow the garlic to colour or it will impart a bitter flavour
into the sauce).

Add the tomatoes (if using whole canned tomatoes, roughly chop them
before adding).

Simmer for 10–15 minutes until the sauce has thickened slightly. Stir
intermittently to avoid any sticking. Meanwhile, rinse the salt from the
aubergine and pat dry with kitchen paper. Shallow fry the aubergine in olive
oil until golden (you may need to do this in batches).

Once golden, drain on kitchen paper to remove any excess oil.

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Italy

Cook the pasta in a pan of heavily salted boiling water for 8–10 minutes, or as
per packet instruction.s

Once the pasta is cooked al dente, drain and add to the tomato sauce. Add the
aubergine and toss so the pasta is evenly coated in the sauce.

Garnish with shavings of ricotta salata and torn basil leaves.

Summary

Pasta alla Norma is one of Sicily’s most loved pasta dishes. Originating in
Catania, (Sicily’s second biggest city) it is said to have been named after
Vincenzo Bellini’s well-loved opera ‘Norma’!

As with all the Italian greats, there is much debate over ‘the definitive’ recipe
from one household to the next. Is it best to slice or dice the aubergine before
frying it? Is wine permitted?

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Italy

SWORDFISH WITH MINT

A simple dish made with breaded slices of swordfish and mint leaves.

Ingredients

● ¾ lb swordfish in slices
● Breadcrumbs
● 2 cloves of garlic
● 8 leaves of mint
● White wine vinegar
● Frying oil
● Salt

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Italy

Preparation

Peel the garlic and rub on the slices of swordfish. Then season the fish with
salt and cover in breadcrumbs, making sure that both sides are nicely
covered.

Brush off any excess crumbs with your fingers. Fry the fish, two slices at a
time, in a large pan full of boiling oil. Make sure that there is enough oil to
completely cover the fish.

Once golden, remove the fish using a slotted spoon and place on paper
towels.

Once you have cooked all the fish, arrange it on a serving dish. Drizzle with as
much vinegar as you like and cover with mint leaves. Let rest for at least a half
an hour before serving.

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Italy

Summary

This dish is typical of South Italy and is normally
served as a second course. Mint is an aromatic
plant originally from the Mediterranean basin,
but now available throughout Europe, Asia and
Africa.

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Italy

CASSATA SICILIANA

The traditional cassata is a very sweet colourful variety of cheese cake.

Ingredients

● 1 1/4 lbs. Ricotta or good quality cottage cheese
● Scant 2 c. granulated (caster) sugar
● Ground cinnamon
● 5 sqs. bitter chocolate, crushed
● 1 lb. candied fruit
● 4 tbsp. pistachio or pine nuts, chopped
● 1 lb. sponge cake Confectioners’ sugar
● 5 tbsp. maraschino liqueur

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Italy

Preparation

Make a sponge cake from a favorite recipe.

Beat the ricotta cheese in a large bowl until smooth. Dissolve the sugar with 2
or 3 tablespoons water over a low heat and cook gently until it just begins to
change color. Take it from the heat immediately and beat into the ricotta. Add
a generous pinch of cinnamon and the crushed chocolate; mix well. Take half
the candied fruits, reserving the best pieces to decorate the cake and chop
them into very small pieces. Add to the ricotta mixture, together with the
nuts and stir well.

Cut the sponge into 1/2 inch thick slices and moisten them with maraschino.
Line a deep round bowl about 10 inches in diameter with some of the slices
and fill with the ricotta mixture, smoothing it down nearly with the blade of a
knife. Cover with the remaining slices of sponge and chill in the refrigerator
for several hours or overnight.

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Italy

Cut out a cardboard base of the same size as the top of the bowl. Cover this
with wax paper. Place it on top of the bowl with the waxed side towards the
cake and, holding it firmly, turn the cake upside down on to the base.
Carefully lift off the bowl. Decorate the cake with the reserved pieces of fruit,
either whole or thickly sliced, and sprinkle with sifted confectioners’ (icing)
sugar.

Summary

Cassata siciliana is a traditional sweet from Sicily. Cassata consists of round
sponge cake moistened with fruit juices or liqueur and layered with ricotta
cheese and candied fruit, a filling also used with “cannoli”. Cassata has a shell
of marzipan, usually white and green coloured icing, and decorative designs.

Cassata is believed to have originated in Palermo in the 10th century, when
under Muslim rule.

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Portugal

MIGAS (CRUMBS) WITH PORTUGUESE
CHOURIÇO

This dish is traditional from all over the country with some small changes The
basis is old bread and it is a creative way of using poor ingredients and not
spoiling the bread. The contenance can depend on the cooker and the house
richness.

Ingredients

● 600 grams (1 1/3 pounds) stale bread
● 6 cloves of garlic
● 100 ml (1/2 cup) olive oil
● 1 liter (about 4 cups) water
● 100 grams (3 1/2 ounces) Portuguese chouriço
● Pepper (to taste)
● Coriander (to taste)
● Salt (to taste)

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Portugal

Preparation (30 min)

Boil the water in a saucepan.

Place the olive oil, the crushed garlic and the chouriço cut in small pieces in a
saucepan and fry over low heat for about 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the bread cut into pieces, season with a little salt, chopped coriander and
pepper and mix everything well. Slowly pour the water and stir until the
bread start to break down and the water absorbed (note: the mixture should
not stay neither too liquid nor too solid).

Turn off the heat and serve.

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Portugal

COD FRITTERS

This typical Portuguese recipe of cod fritters is appreciated by all.

Cod fritters - is a poor folk food, done with the less nobles parts of codfish,
potatoes and eggs, usually is served with lettuce salad or with a delicious
tomato rice.

Ingredients

● 1 kg potatoes
● 500 grams desalted cod
● 5 eggs
● Salt (to taste)
● 1 bunch of parsley
● Pepper (to taste)
● 1 small onion
● Vegetable oil for frying

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Portugal

Preparation (1 hour)

Wash and peel the potatoes. Put them in a saucepan with water together
with the cod. Bring to a boil over high heat. When starts boiling, reduce to
medium-low heat and cook about 25 minutes. Remove the cod about 5 to 6
minutes after the water starts boiling. Drain the cod with a skimmer and let
cool slightly.

Remove the skins and bones and flake the cod with a fork. Wrap the cod in a
cloth and crush it against a kitchen table or a marble stone.

Drain the potatoes when they are cooked. Place the potatoes in a deep bowl
and mash them with a potato masher. Add the chopped onion, chopped
parsley, pepper, the crushed cod, eggs and salt if necessary. Mix everything
with your hands until a homogeneous dough.

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