Ayran aşıChilled yoghurt and wheat soup
When the summer heat hits the eastern plateau around Erzurum, Erzincan and Sivas, families switch from hot soups to ayran aşı, a cold soup of thinned yoghurt with cooked whole wheat, chickpeas and handfuls of mint, dill and purslane or cucumber. It's ladled from a big bowl at lunch with flatbread, and it's as refreshing as a drink but filling as a meal. Common mistake: adding the grains while still hot, which makes the yoghurt split and turn sour-tasting; cool them completely first. Chef's tip: make it a few hours before serving and chill; the wheat soaks up the yoghurt and the herbs perfume the whole bowl.










































