Discussion:
Antalya restaurant serving up ancient Roman dishes
June Samaras
2014-10-19 05:11:21 UTC
Permalink
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/antalya-restaurant-serving-up-ancient-roman-dishes.aspx?pageID=517&nID=72901&NewsCatID=377


Antalya restaurant serving up ancient Roman dishes

ANTALYA – Anadolu Agency

The dishes of the Roman era are being served at a restaurant opened in
Antalya by a Japanese academic who was inspired by the Galen of Pergamon in
preparing the popular dishes

Peckish for the fare that graced the tables of caesars, legionaries or your
normal plebeian? Then look no further than a new restaurant in Antalya
started by a Japanese academic who serves dishes from the Roman era.

“Foods like olive oil, fish, fish oil and watercress were used intensely
2,000 years ago. The dishes in the restaurant are generally from the
Roman-era kitchen,” said Kaoti Goto, a professor at Japan’s Gunma
University Anatomy and Genetics Department.

Yemek Doktoru (Galenus Farm), to provide the tastes of two millennia ago
after reading about the story of Dr. Galen of Pergamon.

Galenos cured people while recommending that they eat healing plants that
he had discovered, Goto said, noting that she was now preparing dishes
using these plants at the restaurant in special earthenware clay pots.

Goto came to Turkey in 2011 and did research in Pergamon, examining the
plants there. She subsequently began preparing dishes after conducting
exhaustive research on ancient sources.

Noting that she had discovered a delectable sauce during her research, Goto
said: “This sauce has been used for 2,000 years. Its name is mentioned in
old resources as ‘Garum sauce.’ After learning how to prepare it, I came to
Turkey and met Havva Bahadır from the Black Sea province of Trabzon. I gave
the recipe of the sauce to her and she was very successful in preparing it.
The 2,000-year-old sauce was a seasoning in the Black Sea until 50 years
ago.”

She said cuisine culture survived in the Black Sea region by being
transferred from mothers to children and grandchildren, and that some
dishes that she discovered in ancient books were still being prepared in
the region. “This is very interesting. In my opinion, it should be included
in the UNESCO World Heritage List,” she added.

“When I finish my studies, I plan to open a restaurant in Japan,” said the
academic.

Customers from Istanbul and Ankara

Bahadır said she learned how to cook the 2,000-year-old dishes thanks to
Goto’s recipes, adding that it was not easy at first but that she
eventually became accustomed. “Since the dishes are different, Turks found
them odd in the beginning,” Bahadır said.

“But after tasting them, people loved the dishes. We have customers even
from Istanbul and Ankara. We are now in the testing stage. We offer a new
dish to people every few months. Ancient dishes like ‘Ancient Perge
Lagane,’ ‘Galenus Volcano Meatball’ and ‘Attalia Lagane’ are among the most
popular ones.”

At the same time, teas made from healing plants are also proving popular at
the restaurant, Bahadır said.

Who is Galen?

Galen was a prominent Greek physician, surgeon and philosopher in the Roman
Empire. He influenced the development of various scientific disciplines,
including anatomy, physiology, pathology, pharmacology, and neurology, as
well as philosophy and logic.

Many of his works have been preserved and/or translated from the original
Greek, although many were destroyed and some credited to him are believed
to be spurious.

Galen is believed to have been born in 129 A.D. and was said to have passed
away at the age of 87.
October/14/2014

----------------------------------------
June Samaras
KALAMOS BOOKS
(For Books about Greece)
2020 Old Station Rd
Streetsville,Ontario
Canada L5M 2V1
Tel : 905-542-1877
E-mail : ***@gmail.com
www.kalamosbooks.com
http://kalamosb.alibrisstore.com/
http://www.antiqbook.com/books/bookseller.phtml/kal

Loading...