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Asure (Ashure) is a Turkish dessert/food preapared by boiling legumes and dried fruits such as wheat, bean, chickpea, apricot and fig. Traditional practices that is being shaped around preparing and sharing this dessert during “muharram ul haram” month according to Islamic (hegir calender) refers to “asure tradition”.
The word “asure/asura” originates from Hebrew language and has been transmitted to Turkish from the word “asara” which means “ten” in Arabic. Usually, on the 10th day of “muharram ul haram” month, asure is cooked and shared with relatives, friends and neighbours. It is known that similar traditions to asure tradition in Anatolia is existent also in other religions including Judaism and Christianity.
Turkish Asure Preparation
The myth behind the asure tradition is shortly as followed:
The root of asure is “Noah's Flood” which a narrative existent in sacred books. At the behest of the God, Noah builds a ship to protect himself and other believers from the great flood. A pair of animals of all kinds are also taken to the ship with them. Finally, the great flood begins and only the believers in the ship survive. The ship stays on water for months and they almost run out of food. In the end, they combine all the remaining food in the ship, mix and cook them together in a huge cauldron.
This mixture cooked in Noah’s Ship turns out the be the dessert which we call “asure” today in Turkey. This traditional food continues to be not only a delicious and healthy dessert but it is also mean of showing care and friendship as it is usually cooked at home and shared with neighbours, friends and family members as a part of "asure tradition".
Asure Recipe
Bibliography
Turkey Culture Portal (2019) Aşure Tradition [online] Available from: https://www.kulturportali.gov.tr/portal/asure (Accessed: 03 November 2019)
Republic of Turkey Ministry of Culture and Tourism (2014) National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage from Past to Present. Ministry of Culture and Tourism: Ankara
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