Ezme

Ezme ("ezmek" = to crush, to mash) is Turkey's version of a fresh relish — somewhere between a dip and a salad, it is made by finely chopping tomatoes, capsicum, onion, parsley, chilli flakes, and pomegranate molasses until everything is minced to a near-paste. The name describes the technique: you are crushing and working the vegetables until they release their juices and the mixture becomes almost fluid.

Pomegranate molasses — "nar ekşisi" in Turkish — is the ingredient that distinguishes ezme from similar preparations in other cuisines. It is made by reducing pomegranate juice until it becomes a thick, intensely sour syrup that adds a fruity tartness to the chilli heat. The pomegranate has been cultivated in Turkey for over 5,000 years and features prominently in Anatolian cuisine from southeastern Turkey all the way to the Aegean.

Our ezme brings together tomato, capsicum, onion, parsley, fresh herbs, chilli flakes, pomegranate molasses, and olive oil. It is meant to be eaten with meat — especially alongside the lamb shish and adana kebab — where its acidity and heat cut through the fat in the same way a good chimichurri works with beef.