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İskender (or Bursa) Kebap is
named for the chef who
created the dish and the city of Bursa where
he created it.
As the story goes, Mehmetoğlu
İskender Efendi created
the first plate of İskender
kebap in
Bursa in 1867.
İskender Usta ("Chef
Alexander") chose
lamb raised on the thyme-covered
slopes of Mount
Uludağ (which rises south
of Bursa, which is south of Istanbul and
the Sea
of Marmara). He roasted
the meat as self-basting döner
kebap on a vertical grill,
cut off thin slices as it was done,
spread the slices atop a bed of
diced flat pide bread,
then topped the meat and bread
with savory
tomato sauce and browned butter.
With a dollop of yogurt on
the side and a sprinkle
of parsley on top, the dish was
served to his appreciative clientele.
The fame of İskender
Usta and his
dish spread throughout Bursa,
and Turkey, and the world.
Over the years other
restaurants opened in Bursa and
began serving the dish, each claiming
culinary descent from
the master himself
and bearing names such as İskenderoğlu ("Son
of Iskender").
Although İskender/Bursa-style kebap
is now served throughout Turkey in
many restaurants, the best is still
made in Bursa where
various restaurants compete for discerning
clientele. There is a particular care
taken with the selection of
the meat and
the preparation of the dish in Bursa
that is not found everywhere else.
I think it's worth visiting Bursa just
to eat this stuff.
Most Iskender kebap restaurants in
Bursa do not serve alcoholic
beverages. The preferred beverages
are water, mineral water or ayran, the
yogurt-and-water drink (which is what
I prefer to sip while eating İskender
kebap.)
İskender kebap is traditionally ordered
by the porsyon (portion).
You order bir porsyon (one
portion) for a normal meal, bir-buçuk
porsyon (one-and-a-half
portions) if you're pretty hungry,
and a duble porsyon ("double
portion," two portions) if you're
famished and haven't had Iskender kebap
in months.
While you're
in Bursa,
try the traditional candied
chestnuts
(kestane şekeri),
delicious peaches (şeftali) and
excellent fruit
juices (meyva suları) as
well.
Bursa
Döner
Kebap
Turkish Kebaps
Turkish
Food & Drink
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