Cilingir Sofrasi 101
Introduction to the Turkish Raki & Meze Culture
When you are happy and want to share a joyful time with your friends/ family, or when you feel gloomy and want to have some alone time with emotional music in the background, a “Cilingir Sofrasi” is the experience to have.
What is a Cilingir Sofrasi?
“Cilingir Sofrasi” refers to a table with a variety of tapas-style food (which is called “Meze” in Turkish) accompanied with an alcoholic drink, but mostly Raki- the cousin of Ouzo.
Rumor has it that the name “Cilingir Sofrası” comes from Sultan’s Chief Taster whose duty was to taste each and every food that would be served to the Sultan to ensure that they were not poisonous¹.
Like a taster, you are expected to get a small portion of every food on the table and eat slowly. The aim is not to get full quickly but to enjoy the overall experience. So get a small bite, sip your Raki, and then relax and enjoy yourself.
What to eat
A basic “Cilingir Sofrasi” would include Beyaz Peynir (a type of brine cheese similar to Feta), Melon/Watermelon to balance the saltiness of the cheese, and Raki.
Yet, you can have a feast by including various other mezes such as Lakerda (salty and tender bonito), Topik (an Armenian recipe made of chickpea, onion, tahini, and several spices), Mussel Dolma, Glasswort (served with garlic and lemon juice), and many others which will be covered in the future articles.
Drinking Etiquette
Raki, the strong anise-flavored drink, is very similar in taste to Ouzo with some differences in terms of the type of anise used, the alcohol content, and the percentage of “Suma” (alcohol produced with the distillation of grapes)².
When you drink Raki, there will be two glasses in front of you. One for the Raki (one part Raki to two or five parts water) and the other for the water. Add some water to your Raki and ta-da! The transparent liquid will change its color to whitish-grey.
It is a controversial topic in Turkey, but there is nothing wrong with adding ice to your Raki. The important thing is to add water first and then the ice. If Raki has direct contact with ice, the anise will get crystallized, causing an undesired bitter taste².
Meyhane- Turkish Taverns
You can have a “Cilingir Sofrasi” at home or at a Meyhane.
There is a variety of Meyhanes, ranging from the traditional ones such as Madam Despina (est. in 1946) with specialties such as Pilaki and Topik to new-generation taverns creating new recipes and reinterpreting the traditional ones.
If you can not finish the whole bottle of Raki at a meyhane, you can ask the server to write your name on the bottle and save it for a future visit. However, most of the meyhanes now offer the option of ordering a single glass of Raki or other alcoholic drinks.
In case you are looking for a recommendation, you can check this guide where I collected my favorite spots on the Asian Side of Istanbul.
Raki & Meze is an essential part of Turkish culture. Here is a song inspired by the meyhane, “Madam Despina”…
… and the “Cilingir Sofrasi” preparation scene from Fatih Akın’s movie “Head-On” which was awarded a Golden Bear at Berlin International Film Festival in 2004.
I hope this article will help you when you visit a meyhane in Turkey.
Şerefe!
Need recommendations regarding where to eat in Istanbul, Turkey? Check the food & drink guides I prepared on Thatch Travel:
[1]: Rüya Yelsalı. (November 10 2016). Anahtarcının Bu İşle Bir Alakası Olmadığına Göre: Neden Çilingir Sofrası Denir?https://medium.com/@arinbasu/you-can-use-footnotes-thus-babus%C2%B9-6c485c4eff1e
[2]: Feridun Nadir. (September 2022). Blöfçünün Rakı Rehberihttps://medium.com/@arinbasu/you-can-use-footnotes-thus-babus%C2%B9-6c485c4eff1e
