Pekmez

Pekmez (Üzüm Pekmezi), a Turkish syrup made of grapes (grape syrup) or (Keçiboynuzu Pekmezi) ofcarob

Pekmez(Turkish:pekmez;Azerbaijani:bəkməz/doşab) is amolasses-like syrup obtained after condensing juices of fruitmust,especiallygrapeby boiling it with acoagulantagent like wood ashes or ground carob seeds. It is used as a syrup or mixed withtahinifor breakfast.

Etymology

Pekmez is etymologicallyOghuz Turkicin origin and it was calledbekmesin the past. The oldest written account of the word is recorded in 1073 dictionaryDīwān Lughāt al-TurkbyMahmud al-Kashgari.

History

Fruit molasses,defrutum,goes back to the classical period.

During the Byzantine era, the region ofTrapezus(modern Trebizond) grewmulberrytrees forsilkworms.Local Armenians used mulberries to make a sweet syrup calledpetmezorpekmez;the Greeks madegrape syrup,siraios(σιραίος). After the Byzantine Empire fell, the termpetmezreplaced the Greek names for grape syrup in Greek, in the formpetimezi.

Regional variants

In Turkey,sugar beet(şeker pancarı),figs(incir) ormulberry(dut) are often used, as well asjuniper berries(andiz).Pekmezmade fromcarob(keçiboynuzorharnup) is popularly recommended as a treatment foriron deficiency anemia.In Azerbaijan, pekmez is made mostly from mulberry, grape, rosehip (doshab) or pomegranates(narsharab).

In the Balkans, it is morejam-like in texture and usually made of plums. It usually contains more fruit products and less sugar than jam.In Greece, it is calledpetimezi(πετιμέζι).

InArab cuisine,dibsordibis(in some regions called "robb" or "rubb" ) is made frompomegranates,grapes,carob,ordates. In Azerbaijan, pekmez is also mixed with natural yogurt and consumed as a refreshment during summer time.

See also

• Grape syrup
• List of grape dishes
• List of syrups
• Pomegranate molasses
• Date honey

Further reading

• Ministry of Agriculture in Turkey, archived page

External links

• Media related toPekmezat Wikimedia Commons