Notes: Episodes 26 & 27

Here are some explanations regarding a few scenes of Episodes 26 & 27 that might have confused you.


Japanese Plum / Loquat

This is the fruit Salih's father bought on his way back from Mosque to Salih's work place.


I don't know why but in Turkey we call this fruit "Malta Eriği" (Maltese Plum). It has a sour & sweet flavour (in case you never tasted it :).

(photos from lalunchbox.com )

Japanese plum is a seasonal fruit we consume here mostly in April and May. Currently we're living Spring in Turkey, which lasts three months: March, April, May.

I guess this is what I love most about living four different season in a year. Each season greets you with different fruits and vegetables in grocery stores and bazaars.

Japanese plum is nice, but erik (greengage) and çilek (strawberry) are my favourite fruits of spring-summer.

Can Eriği

Friday Prayer / Cume / Jumu'ah 

In Episode 26, when Mukaddes, Salih and Salihs father is sitting and having tea in their office. Salih reminds his father that it's time for the Friday prayer. And his father leaves the office immediately to make it to Mosque in time.

Jumu'ah (Arabic: جمعة‎) (also known as jum'ah, Friday prayer, etc.) is a congregational prayer that Muslims hold every Friday, just after noon in lieu of dhuhr. It is mentioned in the Qur'an as:

O ye who believe! When the call is proclaimed to prayer on Friday (the Day of Assembly), hasten earnestly to the Remembrance ofAllah, and leave off business (and traffic): That is best for you if ye but knew!

And when the Prayer is finished, then may ye disperse through the land, and seek of the Bounty of Allah: and celebrate the Praises ofAllah often (and without stint): that ye may prosper.

—Qur'an, sura 62 (Al-Jumua), ayat 9-10.

Attendance is strictly incumbent upon all adult males who are legal residents of the locality, females are also permitted to go to the mosque to perform the Friday prayers, and have a section that is separated from men in which they pray with fellow Muslim women, though it is only obligatory on all Muslim males. (wikipedia.org)

Simit aka Gevrek




In Episode 27, Ebe Nine wakes up early to go to bakery and buys simit and some other pastries for the homefolks, for the breakfast.

Two simits in wrapping paper

Çay, Simit and Peynir

A simit (Turkish), Aramaic qeluro/qelora, koulouri (Greek: κουλούρι), đevrek (Serbian: ђеврек), gjevrek (Macedonian: ѓеврек) or gevrek(Bulgarian: геврек) (the last three, from "gevrek" in Turkish, meaning "crisp", which is, in some parts of Turkey, colloquial to "simit") is a circular bread with sesame seeds, very common in Turkey, as well as in Greece, Serbia, Bulgaria and other parts of the Balkans and Middle East such as Lebanon. Simit's size, crunchiness/chewiness, and other characteristics vary slightly by region. In the city of İzmir, simit is known as "gevrek," (literally, 'crisp' in Turkish) although it is very similar to the Istanbul variety. Simits in Ankara, which is the capital of Turkey, are smaller and crispier than the ones in other cities.

Drinking Turkish tea with simit is the traditional way in Turkish culture. You can see many simit pedlers on the street. Those pedlers usually carry their simit trays on their heads. Simit is generally served plain, or for breakfast to tea with jelly, jam or cheese.

Simit and koulouri are often sold by street vendors, who either have a simit trolley or carry the simit in a tray on their head. Street merchants generally advertise simit as fresh ("Taze simit!"/"Taze gevrek!") since they are baked throughout the day.

Simit is also known as "Turkish bagel" in the USA.

(wikipedia.org)

My favourite is simits of Ankara, which are more crispy and a bit more salty compared to others.

Here are some pictures of simit peddlers (simitçi in Turkish) you may see in Turkish streets: 

http://www.google.com/images?q=simit%C3%A7i&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=og&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wi&biw=1280&bih=685




Ayçöreği / Crescent Roll


This is a pastry Rahmi seems to love. Because of its "crescent"-like shape it's named Ayçöreği (Ay means "Moon" in Turkish). It has a sweet filling, that can include various ingridients from dried grap and cocoa to hazelnuts and walnuts.

(http://www.grouprecipes.com/96840/ay-coregi--crescent-roll.html)

According to a friend of mine who worked in a pastry shop, I'm afraid to say that some of the pastry shops use old, dated or remaining pies and cakes etc. as a filler of these crescent shaped rolls. So, you better purchase Ayçöreği from only the pastry shops that you trust.


Cumhuriyet Altını (Gold coin of the Republic)

This is what Fatmagül purchased with her first weekly wage. Well, actually she bought a Çeyrek Altın which is  a quarter of Cumhuriyet Altını. The silhouette on the coin belongs to Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, who is the founder of the modern Turkish state.

The reason why Fatmagül purchased it is simply for investment. In Turkey, gold is considered as a reliable investment option. For an example;

A cumhuriyet altını's current value is 465 Turkish Lira
A cumhuriyet altını's 2007 value was 250 Turkish Lira

Almost doubled its value in 4 years.




34 zj 1004


And this is my question to you. What do you think these numbers and letters might be?

I wonder how carefully you watch the show, hehe. I'll give you the answer in a few days.

Episode 28 Part 1 subtitles will be ready tomorrow (Wednesday) evening.