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Boza is a popular fermented beverage in Turkey.It has a thick consistency and a low alcohol content (usually around 1%), and has a slightly acidic sweet flavor.
In Turkey it is served with cinnamon and roasted chickpeas, and is
consumed mainly in the winter months. The Ottoman Empire was known to
feed its army with boza as it is rich in carbohydrates and vitamins.
History
Boza enjoyed its golden age under the Ottomans, and boza making became
one of the principal trades in towns and cities from the early Ottoman
period. Until the 16th century boza was drunk freely everywhere, but
the custom of making the so-called Tartar boza laced with opium brought
the wrath of the authorities down on the drink, and it was prohibited
by Sultan Selim II (1566-1574). He describes a type of non-alcoholic
sweet boza of a milk white color made for the most part by Albanians
In the 17th century Sultan Mehmed IV (1648-1687) prohibited alcoholic
drinks, in which category he included boza, and closed down all the
boza shops. The 17th century Turkish traveler Evliya Çelebi tells us
that boza was widely drunk at this time, and that there were 300 boza
shops employing 1005 people in Istanbul alone. At this period boza was
widely drunk by janissaries in the army. Boza contained only a low
level of alcohol, so as long as it was not consumed in sufficient
quantities to cause drunkenness, it was tolerated on the grounds that
it was a warming and strengthening beverage for soldiers. As Evliya
Çelebi explained, 'These boza makers are numerous in the army. To drink
sufficient boza to cause intoxication is sinful but, unlike wine, in
small quantities it is not condemned.' In the 19th century the sweet
and non-alcoholic Albanian boza preferred at the Ottoman palace became
increasingly popular, while the sour and alcoholic type of boza that
had generally been produced by the Armenians went out of favor. In 1876
Haci Ibrahim and Haci Sadik brothers established a boza shop in the
Istanbul district of Vefa, close to the then center of entertainment,
Direklerarası. This boza, with its thick consistency and tart flavor,
became famous throughout the city, and is the only boza shop dating
from that period still in business today. The firm is now run by Haci
Sadik and Haci Ibrahim's great- great-grandchildren.
"Vefa" shop, located in the Istanbul district of Vefa, is now a minor
tourist attraction. Karakedi Bozacısı of Eskişehir, Akman Boza Salonu
of Ankara and Soydan of Pazarcık, Bilecik are less famous but well
known other vendors in Turkey.
Production and storage
Boza is produced in the Balkans and most of the Turkic regions, but not
always using millet. The flavour varies according to the cereal which
is used. In a scientific study of boza carried out by the Turkish
Science and Technology Institute for Vefa Bozacisi, the drink was found
to be extremely healthy and nourishing. One litre of boza contains a
thousand calories, four types of vitamins A and B, and vitamin E.
During fermentation lactic acid, which is contained by few foods, is
formed, and this facilitates digestion.
As boza spoils if not kept in a cool place, boza fermenters in Turkey
(traditionally) don't sell boza in summer months and sell alternative
beverages such as grape juice or lemonade. However, it is now available
in summer time due to demand and availability of refrigeration.
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