This time-honored dish is characterized by the balanced use of milk and dairy products, in addition to various ingredients such as grains, vegetables, meat, and offal (Arlı and Gümüş, 2007). Although each region has its own unique cooking and serving techniques, Toyga differs from Peskütan soup—which shares similar techniques, particularly the use of fresh yogurt and its fluid consistency—(Figure 6.5).
In this soup, which has been prepared using yarma (cracked wheat) since the Seljuk period, a traditional method involves processing the yogurt into a buttermilk-like consistency (Demirgül, 2018). During preparation, one glass of yarma, two glasses of yogurt, one egg yolk, one glass of chickpeas, and one glass of peskütan constitute the basic ingredients. As emphasized by Çiftçi (2019), mixing ingredients such as sheep’s yogurt, flour, egg, and thyme in a pot until the mixture reaches the consistency of thick ayran, and letting the cracked wheat sit for about two hours to absorb the flavors, is a critical preliminary step for deepening the flavor.
The first step in preparing Peskütan soup is to boil one glass of yarma until it softens. Once the yarma is thoroughly cooked, one glass of boiled chickpeas is added to it. To ensure the soup has a smooth texture and the yogurt does not curdle, a thickening mixture is prepared using two glasses of yogurt, one glass of peskütan, and one egg yolk. A small amount of hot broth is added to this mixture to temper it and bring it to room temperature. The prepared mixture is then slowly and gently stirred into the pot. As a technical requirement, the soup must be stirred continuously in one direction until it reaches a boil to prevent the yogurt from curdling. At the serving stage, the “soharıç”—the final touch that crowns the flavor—comes into play; this aromatic mixture, made from one small dried onion sautéed in enough butter until it turns pink and dried mint, is drizzled over the soup and served hot.
