Keşkek: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Content deleted Content added
Tags: Mobile edit Mobile app edit Android app edit
→‎History[3]: citation is correct location from citation needed
 
(39 intermediate revisions by 24 users not shown)
Line 3: Line 3:
{{Infobox intangible heritage
{{Infobox intangible heritage
| Image = [[File:Tokat keshkek.jpg|220px]]
| Image = [[File:Tokat keshkek.jpg|220px]]
| Caption = A Keşkek meal from [[Tokat]], [[Turkey]]
| Caption = A keşkek meal from [[Tokat]], [[Turkey]]
| ICH = Ceremonial Keşkek tradition
| ICH = Ceremonial keşkek tradition
| State Party = Turkey
| State Party = Turkey
| ID = 388
| ID = 388
Line 14: Line 14:
}}
}}


'''Keşkek''', also known as '''Kashkak''' and '''Kashkek''', is a sort of ceremonial [[meat]] or [[chicken]] and [[wheat]] or [[barley]] [[stew]] found in [[Turkish cuisine|Turkish]], [[Iranian cuisine|Iranian]] and [[Greek cuisine]]s.
'''Keşkek''', also known as '''kashkak''', '''kashkek''', or '''keške''', is a ceremonial [[meat]] or [[chicken]] and [[wheat]] or [[barley]] [[stew]] found in [[Turkish cuisine|Turkish]], [[Iranian cuisine|Iranian]], [[Greek cuisine|Greek]], Armenian and [[Balkan cuisine|Balkan]] cuisines.


In 2011, Keşkek was confirmed to be an [[Intangible cultural heritage|Intangible Cultural Heritage]] of [[Turkey]] by [[UNESCO]].<ref>Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, ''Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage'', [http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/doc/download.php?versionID=13433 Nomination file 00388]</ref><ref>"Turkish dish and Korean tightrope walking join UN intangible heritage list", ''UN News Center'' [https://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=40538&Cr=unesco&Cr1= 28 November 2011]</ref>
In 2011, keşkek was confirmed to be an [[Intangible cultural heritage|Intangible Cultural Heritage]] of [[Turkey]] by [[UNESCO]].<ref>Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, ''Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage'', [http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/doc/download.php?versionID=13433 Nomination file 00388]</ref><ref>"Turkish dish and Korean tightrope walking join UN intangible heritage list", ''UN News Center'' [https://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=40538&Cr=unesco&Cr1= 28 November 2011]</ref>


==History==
==History==
The first reference detected so far to the dish in a written source can be found in a copy of [[Danishmendname]] dating back to 1360.<ref>[https://www.nisanyansozluk.com/?k=ke%C5%9Fkek Nişanyan Dictonary, etymology of Keşkek]</ref> It is documented in [[Iran]] and [[Greater Syria]] as early as the 15th century{{Citation needed|date=November 2020}} and it is still consumed by many Iranians around the world.
The first known written reference to the dish is found in a copy of [[Danishmendname]] dating back to 1360.<ref>[https://www.nisanyansozluk.com/?k=ke%C5%9Fkek Nişanyan Dictionary, etymology of Keşkek]</ref> Keşkek is documented in [[Iran]] and [[Greater Syria]] as early as the 15th century;<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sun |first=Ernesto |date=2011 |title=Kashkek |url=https://ecovillage.org/solution/kashkek/ |access-date=2024-02-17 |website=Global Ecovillage Network}}</ref> it is still consumed by many today, traditionally during religious festivals, weddings<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ceremonial Keskek Tradition |url=http://www.unesco.org/archives/multimedia/document-2242}}</ref> and funerals.


The origins of this dish ultimately allude to [[Kashk]], which, in 16th- to 18th-century Iran had [[sheep's milk]] added to wheat or barley flour and [[meat]], mixed in equal parts.<ref>see Aubaile-Sallenave</ref>
The dish's name alludes to [[kashk]], which in 16th- to 18th-century Iran had [[sheep's milk]] added to wheat or barley flour and [[meat]], mixed in equal parts.<ref>see Aubaile-Sallenave</ref>
Keşkek is traditional for wedding meals in Turkey.


Under the name of ''κεσκέκ'', ''κεσκέκι'' and ''κισκέκ'', it is a [[festival]] dish in [[Lesbos]]<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=4sWAK2WA4c0C&q=keskek&dq=keskek&hl=en&ei=Qy7dTs6JEsSM4gSh9oGnBA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=8&ved=0CFEQ6AEwBw Caragh Rockwood - Fodor's Greece 1997]</ref> and among [[Pontian Greeks]].<ref>[http://www.womenonly.gr/article.asp?catid=13762&subid=2&pubid=102950665 Κεσκέκ (Παραδοσιακό ποντιακό φαγητό)]</ref> In [[Lesbos]], keşkek is prepared on summer nights when a ceremonial bull is being slaughtered, which is then cooked overnight and eaten next day with wheat.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=NusCmIGiCg8C&pg=PA604&dq=keskek+lesbos&hl=en&ei=wY_fTs6AEsfU4QSBpuHmBg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5&ved=0CEMQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=keskek%20lesbos&f=false Greece, by Paul Hellander, Lonely Planet series]</ref>
Under the name of ''κεσκέκ'', ''κεσκέκι'' and ''κισκέκ'' (keskék, keskéki, and kiskék), it is a [[festival]] dish in [[Lesbos]]<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=4sWAK2WA4c0C&q=keskek Caragh Rockwood - Fodor's Greece 1997]</ref> and among [[Pontian Greeks]].<ref>[http://www.womenonly.gr/article.asp?catid=13762&subid=2&pubid=102950665 Κεσκέκ (Παραδοσιακό ποντιακό φαγητό)]</ref> In [[Lesbos]], keşkek is prepared on summer nights when a ceremonial bull is being slaughtered, which is then cooked overnight and eaten next day with wheat.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=NusCmIGiCg8C&dq=keskek+lesbos&pg=PA604 Greece, by Paul Hellander, Lonely Planet series]</ref>


Keşkek is called "haşıl" in Northeast and Middle Anatolia regions in Turkey. In Turkey, it is a common dish and frequently consumed during religious festivals, weddings<ref>http://www.unesco.org/archives/multimedia/document-2242</ref> or funerals, which is also the case for Iran.
Keşkek is called "haşıl" in Northeast and Middle Anatolia regions in Turkey.


The [[Slavic languages|Slavic]] word [[kaša|kasha]] may have been borrowed from the Persian ''kishk''.<ref>Gil Marks, ''Encyclopedia of Jewish Food'', [https://books.google.com/books?id=ojc4Uker_V0C&pg=PA146 p. 314]</ref>
The [[Slavic languages|Slavic]] word [[kaša|kasha]] may have been borrowed from the Persian کَشک‎ : ''kishk''.<ref>Gil Marks, ''Encyclopedia of Jewish Food'', [https://books.google.com/books?id=ojc4Uker_V0C&pg=PA146 p. 314]</ref>

Keşkek is known as [[Harees#Armenian cuisine|harissa]] in [[Armenia]].<ref name="Aykan">{{cite journal |last1=Aykan |first1=Bahar |title=The politics of intangible heritage and food fights in Western Asia |journal=International Journal of Heritage Studies |date=2016 |volume=22 |issue=10 |page=802 |doi=10.1080/13527258.2016.1218910|s2cid=151557119 }}</ref> Harissa bears strong similarities to keşkek in terms of its preparation and cooking process; however, harissa is associated with different symbolic meanings.<ref name="Aykan"/>

==Turkey-UNESCO-Armenia controversy==
In 2008, after requests by various local intangible heritage boards across Turkey, the [[Ministry of Culture and Tourism (Turkey)|Turkish Ministry of Culture]] began preparing for the registration of keşkek on the Representative List of [[UNESCO]]. The sociologist Bahar Aykan explains in ''International Journal of Heritage Studies'' that at the local level, the Turkish government prepared the nomination in dialogue with Turkish heritage experts, culture-bearers, and representatives of relevant voluntary associations and public institutions across the country. However, at the international level, the Turkish government decided to submit the registration by itself, and did not contact the authorities in [[Armenia]] for a joint file. The Turkish nomination of keşkek meant to present it as an exclusively "Turkish" heritage, deliberately giving the impression that it is exclusively found within the borders of the Republic of Turkey. In terms of geographic spread, the Turkish keşkek registration at UNESCO states that the keşkek tradition is widely practiced across Turkey in its rural parts, and cites 43 out of 81 [[Provinces of Turkey|provinces]]. While the registration mentions, in detail, keşkek being part of Turkey's national heritage and outlines its significance for constructing a shared identity across the country, it both omits mentioning keşkek's transnational character as well as the customs and practices associated with it outside of Turkey's (immediate) borders. In addition, while the nomination does mention the various alternate names attributed to keşkek, such as ''kişkah'' and ''keşkef'', it omits the name ''herisa'', despite the dish being commonly known as such in Turkey's [[Eastern Anatolia Region|east]] as well as amongst [[Armenians in Turkey]]. The UNESCO website's link on keşkek also refers to it as a "traditional Turkish ceremonial dish".<ref name="Aykan2">{{cite journal |last1=Aykan |first1=Bahar |title=The politics of intangible heritage and food fights in Western Asia |journal=International Journal of Heritage Studies |date=2016 |volume=22 |issue=10 |page=803 |doi=10.1080/13527258.2016.1218910|s2cid=151557119 }}</ref>

In Armenia, the admission of the Turkish request was met with public outrage, and was referred to as the "[[Turkification]]" of [[Harees#Armenian cuisine|harissa]]. Several major Armenian newspapers published articles criticising Turkey's UNESCO registration of harissa as a Turkish product and argued for the Armenian origins of the dish. ''Armenia Now'', a popular Armenian internet portal, referred to the admission as "UNESCO puts Armenian harisa on list of Turkish national dishes", and elaborated that it had led to outrage in the country. On Armenian internet forums the problem was likewise discussed. Many of its users believed that the UNESCO listing tantamounted to culture theft and blamed UNESCO for being supportive in helping Turkey trying to appropriate Armenian heritage. The Development and Preservation of Armenian Culinary Traditions (DPACT), an Armenian NGO, also joined the opposition to the listing of the dish. A few days following UNESCO's admission, DPACT held a press conference in the Armenian capital of [[Yerevan]]. During the conference, conference participants claimed Armenia as being the authentic owner of harissa, and argued that it was impossible for the dish being Turkish for the utensils, techniques and ingredients used are of Armenian origin. DPACT also announced that it intended to plan working with Armenian historians and ethnographers in order to prove harissa's Armenian origins, and thereby ultimately appealing UNESCO's decision. Ultimately, UNESCO's listing of Turkey's request received as much public attention as Armenia's opposition to it.<ref name="Aykan2"/>

Turkish newspapers, in return to the response in Armenia, explained DPACT's efforts unanimously as constituting "false" claims. One Turkish newspaper, the ''[[Yeni Şafak]]'', in its heading entitled '"keşkek is Turkish" decision outraged the Armenians', argued that although UNESCO had already "decided" on keşkek's nationality by incorporating it into "Turkish national heritage", a portion of Armenians "still claim that it is not originally a Turkish dish". The Turkish National Commission for UNESCO eventually also joined the controversy. Öcal Oğuz, its director, issued a press release, "stating that while the ICH Convention is not for portioning out intangible heritage among countries, UNESCO's conservation approach is often mistaken with EU's patent policy". Oğuz elaborated that if Armenia holds a tradition which bears similarities to Turkey's keşkek, they could perhaps apply separately to UNESCO. Aykan explains that Oğuz refrained from mentioning that the Convention is "not in favour of listing elements as separate entities because it stresses that transnational heritage is better protected in its totality through joint protection efforts, which would also strengthen dialogue, respect, and understanding among cultures". Since then, neither Armenia nor Turkey have shown willingness to collaborate with each other for an extended inscription at UNESCO in relation to keşkek/harissa. Aykan explains that "this may not come as a surprise when one considers the historically troubled relations between these countries". Aykan concludes stating that Turkey's unilateral listing of keşkek at UNESCO initiated efforts by Armenian state and heritage NGO's to identify and promote other transnational dishes such as tolma and lavash as national heritage, which in turn initiated new "ownership conflicts" over food in the region.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Aykan |first1=Bahar |title=The politics of intangible heritage and food fights in Western Asia |journal=International Journal of Heritage Studies |date=2016 |volume=22 |issue=10 |pages=803–804 |doi=10.1080/13527258.2016.1218910|s2cid=151557119 }}</ref>


==See also==
==See also==
Line 34: Line 42:
*[[Haleem]]
*[[Haleem]]
*[[Harees]]
*[[Harees]]
*[[Cholent]]


== References ==
== References ==
Line 42: Line 51:


==External links==
==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*[http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Vezmfl8RQWE/TSVTxzbN9KI/AAAAAAAAABQ/_tYfzMKTRQ8/s1600/keskeki-54kb.jpg Cooking ''keskek'' in Lesbos]
*[http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Vezmfl8RQWE/TSVTxzbN9KI/AAAAAAAAABQ/_tYfzMKTRQ8/s1600/keskeki-54kb.jpg Cooking ''keskek'' in Lesbos]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20120426033100/http://soc-arksrv3.aegean.gr/music/showPhoto.php?lng=Z3JlZWs=&fl=bGVzXzAyMQ==&ovoma=&epi8eto= Cooking ''keskek'' for the Bull's Festival in Ayia Paraskevi, Lesbos in 1996]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20120426033100/http://soc-arksrv3.aegean.gr/music/showPhoto.php?lng=Z3JlZWs=&fl=bGVzXzAyMQ==&ovoma=&epi8eto= Cooking ''keskek'' for the Bull's Festival in Ayia Paraskevi, Lesbos in 1996]
Line 56: Line 66:
[[Category:Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity]]
[[Category:Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity]]
[[Category:Turkish stews]]
[[Category:Turkish stews]]
[[Category:Greek cuisine]]
[[Category:Balkan cuisine]]
[[Category:Barley-based dishes]]
[[Category:Barley-based dishes]]

Latest revision as of 17:57, 17 February 2024

Ceremonial keşkek tradition
A keşkek meal from Tokat, Turkey
CountryTurkey
Reference388
RegionEurope and North America
Inscription history
Inscription2011 (6th session)

Keşkek, also known as kashkak, kashkek, or keške, is a ceremonial meat or chicken and wheat or barley stew found in Turkish, Iranian, Greek, Armenian and Balkan cuisines.

In 2011, keşkek was confirmed to be an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Turkey by UNESCO.[1][2]

History[edit]

The first known written reference to the dish is found in a copy of Danishmendname dating back to 1360.[3] Keşkek is documented in Iran and Greater Syria as early as the 15th century;[4] it is still consumed by many today, traditionally during religious festivals, weddings[5] and funerals.

The dish's name alludes to kashk, which in 16th- to 18th-century Iran had sheep's milk added to wheat or barley flour and meat, mixed in equal parts.[6]

Under the name of κεσκέκ, κεσκέκι and κισκέκ (keskék, keskéki, and kiskék), it is a festival dish in Lesbos[7] and among Pontian Greeks.[8] In Lesbos, keşkek is prepared on summer nights when a ceremonial bull is being slaughtered, which is then cooked overnight and eaten next day with wheat.[9]

Keşkek is called "haşıl" in Northeast and Middle Anatolia regions in Turkey.

The Slavic word kasha may have been borrowed from the Persian کَشک‎ : kishk.[10]

Keşkek is known as harissa in Armenia.[11] Harissa bears strong similarities to keşkek in terms of its preparation and cooking process; however, harissa is associated with different symbolic meanings.[11]

Turkey-UNESCO-Armenia controversy[edit]

In 2008, after requests by various local intangible heritage boards across Turkey, the Turkish Ministry of Culture began preparing for the registration of keşkek on the Representative List of UNESCO. The sociologist Bahar Aykan explains in International Journal of Heritage Studies that at the local level, the Turkish government prepared the nomination in dialogue with Turkish heritage experts, culture-bearers, and representatives of relevant voluntary associations and public institutions across the country. However, at the international level, the Turkish government decided to submit the registration by itself, and did not contact the authorities in Armenia for a joint file. The Turkish nomination of keşkek meant to present it as an exclusively "Turkish" heritage, deliberately giving the impression that it is exclusively found within the borders of the Republic of Turkey. In terms of geographic spread, the Turkish keşkek registration at UNESCO states that the keşkek tradition is widely practiced across Turkey in its rural parts, and cites 43 out of 81 provinces. While the registration mentions, in detail, keşkek being part of Turkey's national heritage and outlines its significance for constructing a shared identity across the country, it both omits mentioning keşkek's transnational character as well as the customs and practices associated with it outside of Turkey's (immediate) borders. In addition, while the nomination does mention the various alternate names attributed to keşkek, such as kişkah and keşkef, it omits the name herisa, despite the dish being commonly known as such in Turkey's east as well as amongst Armenians in Turkey. The UNESCO website's link on keşkek also refers to it as a "traditional Turkish ceremonial dish".[12]

In Armenia, the admission of the Turkish request was met with public outrage, and was referred to as the "Turkification" of harissa. Several major Armenian newspapers published articles criticising Turkey's UNESCO registration of harissa as a Turkish product and argued for the Armenian origins of the dish. Armenia Now, a popular Armenian internet portal, referred to the admission as "UNESCO puts Armenian harisa on list of Turkish national dishes", and elaborated that it had led to outrage in the country. On Armenian internet forums the problem was likewise discussed. Many of its users believed that the UNESCO listing tantamounted to culture theft and blamed UNESCO for being supportive in helping Turkey trying to appropriate Armenian heritage. The Development and Preservation of Armenian Culinary Traditions (DPACT), an Armenian NGO, also joined the opposition to the listing of the dish. A few days following UNESCO's admission, DPACT held a press conference in the Armenian capital of Yerevan. During the conference, conference participants claimed Armenia as being the authentic owner of harissa, and argued that it was impossible for the dish being Turkish for the utensils, techniques and ingredients used are of Armenian origin. DPACT also announced that it intended to plan working with Armenian historians and ethnographers in order to prove harissa's Armenian origins, and thereby ultimately appealing UNESCO's decision. Ultimately, UNESCO's listing of Turkey's request received as much public attention as Armenia's opposition to it.[12]

Turkish newspapers, in return to the response in Armenia, explained DPACT's efforts unanimously as constituting "false" claims. One Turkish newspaper, the Yeni Şafak, in its heading entitled '"keşkek is Turkish" decision outraged the Armenians', argued that although UNESCO had already "decided" on keşkek's nationality by incorporating it into "Turkish national heritage", a portion of Armenians "still claim that it is not originally a Turkish dish". The Turkish National Commission for UNESCO eventually also joined the controversy. Öcal Oğuz, its director, issued a press release, "stating that while the ICH Convention is not for portioning out intangible heritage among countries, UNESCO's conservation approach is often mistaken with EU's patent policy". Oğuz elaborated that if Armenia holds a tradition which bears similarities to Turkey's keşkek, they could perhaps apply separately to UNESCO. Aykan explains that Oğuz refrained from mentioning that the Convention is "not in favour of listing elements as separate entities because it stresses that transnational heritage is better protected in its totality through joint protection efforts, which would also strengthen dialogue, respect, and understanding among cultures". Since then, neither Armenia nor Turkey have shown willingness to collaborate with each other for an extended inscription at UNESCO in relation to keşkek/harissa. Aykan explains that "this may not come as a surprise when one considers the historically troubled relations between these countries". Aykan concludes stating that Turkey's unilateral listing of keşkek at UNESCO initiated efforts by Armenian state and heritage NGO's to identify and promote other transnational dishes such as tolma and lavash as national heritage, which in turn initiated new "ownership conflicts" over food in the region.[13]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, Nomination file 00388
  2. ^ "Turkish dish and Korean tightrope walking join UN intangible heritage list", UN News Center 28 November 2011
  3. ^ Nişanyan Dictionary, etymology of Keşkek
  4. ^ Sun, Ernesto (2011). "Kashkek". Global Ecovillage Network. Retrieved 2024-02-17.
  5. ^ "Ceremonial Keskek Tradition".
  6. ^ see Aubaile-Sallenave
  7. ^ Caragh Rockwood - Fodor's Greece 1997
  8. ^ Κεσκέκ (Παραδοσιακό ποντιακό φαγητό)
  9. ^ Greece, by Paul Hellander, Lonely Planet series
  10. ^ Gil Marks, Encyclopedia of Jewish Food, p. 314
  11. ^ a b Aykan, Bahar (2016). "The politics of intangible heritage and food fights in Western Asia". International Journal of Heritage Studies. 22 (10): 802. doi:10.1080/13527258.2016.1218910. S2CID 151557119.
  12. ^ a b Aykan, Bahar (2016). "The politics of intangible heritage and food fights in Western Asia". International Journal of Heritage Studies. 22 (10): 803. doi:10.1080/13527258.2016.1218910. S2CID 151557119.
  13. ^ Aykan, Bahar (2016). "The politics of intangible heritage and food fights in Western Asia". International Journal of Heritage Studies. 22 (10): 803–804. doi:10.1080/13527258.2016.1218910. S2CID 151557119.

Bibliography[edit]

  • Françoise Aubaile-Sallenave, "Al-Kishk: the past and present of a complex culinary practice", in Sami Zubaida and Richard Tapper, A Taste of Thyme: Culinary Cultures of the Middle East, London and New York, 1994 and 2000, ISBN 1-86064-603-4. excerpts

External links[edit]