Those of us who live in Turkey know full well what manav means: (greengrocer) and kasap (butcher). But I wonder if we all know this one: aktar? Do you?
this is our local aktar: its name means Ginger Aktar!
I have lived here for years and this particular type of shop has only just registered with me. It means, well I suppose the nearest we have is Health Food Store but that’s not really it. These shops are fabulous little treasure troves selling the most wonderful assortment of oils and potions, mostly for medicinal purposes but also cosmetic (not culinary). They can also sell dried fruits and nuts (kuru yemiş) and spices (baharat). Altogether extremely enticing!
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natural oils ranging from thyme to poppyseed to seaweed oil …. .. and many others that you can’t even imagine |
Thinking about it, I suppose in the past I was never particularly interested in natural remedies but now, information relating to what we eat, how we eat and how different herbs and spices affect our bodies is everywhere and I am increasingly intrigued.
So this is why I went along to an IWI talk recently on How To Stay Healthy Through the Flu Season given by an interesting-sounding doctor with impressive qualifications and an alternative outlook.
It was kismet/fate: the very next day I could feel a cold lurking on the horizon. This was the last thing I needed so I reread the notes we had with care before rushing off to our local aktar – I had never even been inside it before – to buy the ingredients to make this herbal tea which is recommended for the first signs of cold/flu.
here they are in my glass teapot |
1 handful yarrow flowers/civan perçemi çiçeği
you get it from the aktar |
- Place everything in a pot, add 3 glasses of water, bring to the boil, then simmer on low heat for 15 minutes. Strain and drink the tea.
- It’s best to do this on an empty stomach, then have a light meal and then either directly go to bed or first take a hot bath/shower in order to initiate sweating and then go to bed. If you continue sweating, wait until it stops, then change clothes and then sleep or rest.
Hi Claudia! What is the reason for not peeling the ginger root?
Best wishes to you!
Annie (from the cooking class)
Hey hello Annie! I specifically asked if it should be peeled or not and Onur said not to – I think it's just healthier!
PS made that coconut milk pumpkin soup yesterday – delicious!!
I'm fascinated by all the new remedies re-appearing in Turkey. It used to be just Thyme water, thyme oil and cupping on the back for a cold. I don't think we have an Aktar in Bodrum any more, but once it stops raining I'm going out on a search for one.
Well I think that would be v interesting if you really don't have one in Bodrum. They look so very old and traditional, you wld think every place had at least one. Yes, I think you're right: bit by bit people seem to be going back to the old ways..
Gecmis olsun Claudia; loved the Aktar visit photos, hope you are feeling well. Ihlamur and herbal teas is my favorite remedy when I get a cold too. best wishes for Christmas and new Year! xx Ozlem
Thank you for your greetings, dear Özlem – and I wish the same to you and your family!
Great post….next time I'm there I'll visit one of those Aktar shops…. this is funny because when my husband goes to Turkey himself he brings back these mixtures of different herbs and things that his sister passes on to me in plastic zip lock bags…..and I ask what is this? Some kind of cay and he always said I don't know she just gave it to me….maybe she assumed I knew what it was….but he sure didn't know:-( Actually they look like the mixtures you have on the pics.
Thanks for the recipe…..the flu is going around here fast. Hope you feel better.Gecmis olsun 🙂
They must be! Get your hubby to find out what is in each bag and what it's for!
Thanks for your kind wishes, Erica – I am fine now!