salgam suyu (Turnip Juice) and other Adana, Turkey Local Custom Tips

Turnip juice is a popular beverage of southern Turkey, originating from Adana. Although its Turkish name salgam suyu (or shortened, salgam) does literally mean "turnip juice", it is, in fact, the juice of purple carrot pickles, heavily salted, spiced and flavoured with aromatic turnip (salgam) and fermented in barrels. It is traditionally served cold in large glasses with long slices of pickled carrots, called tane. Hot paprika relish is added just before drinking. Hot or regular, it's a popular drink with Adana Kebab.
salgam is often served with raki (alcoholic beverage)—not mixed, but rather in a separate glass. Salgam is commonly believed to cure hangovers, but drunk in excess it may cause a large amount of intestinal gas.So be careful !!!

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Watermellon of Adana is very famous and if you really want to enjoy it you have to find a cold river around in summer season and levae the watermellon in the cold water .If the water is cold enogh after few minutes the watermellon cracked and this is the way to eat and enjoy it .
ýt is advisible to not use a knife

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To make good kebap is an art and Adana have very good reputation in kebaps.
Adana's interest in spicy foods might have a medieval origin for in the time of Marco Polo the nearby port of Ayas was an important transhipment place for Asiatic spices and wares; the Venetians, perpetually mesmerized by spices, even had a bailo (consul) there. I've changed the basic recipe so one is using ground meat instead of chunks of meat.
Yield: Makes 4 servings
Preparation Time: 1:20 hours
3/4 pound ground lamb
3/4 pound ground veal
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper, or more to taste
2 teaspoons freshly ground coriander seeds
2 teaspoons freshly ground cumin seeds
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
Salt to taste
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into tiny pieces
2 pide bread
Extra virgin olive oil, melted unsalted butter, or vegetable oil for brushing
2 medium onions, peeled and sliced
1 tablespoon sumac (a spice found in Middle Eastern markets)
Finely chopped fresh parsley leaves for garnish
1. In a large bowl, knead the lamb, veal, cayenne, coriander, cumin, pepper, salt, and butter together well, keeping your hands wet so the meat doesn't stick to them. Cover and let the mixture rest in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
2. Prepare a charcoal fire or preheat a gas grill on medium-low for 15 minutes. Form the meat into patties about six inches long and two inches wide. Grill until the köfte are springy to the touch, about 20 minutes, turning often.
3. Meanwhile, brush the pide bread with olive oil, melted butter, or vegetable oil and grill or griddle for a few minutes until hot but not brittle.
4. Arrange the köfte on a serving platter or individual plates and serve with the pide bread, sliced onions, a sprinkle of sumac, and chopped parsley as a garnish.
Anyway its better that you taste on the spot (check my favourites kebap houses)

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Saimbeyli is a small village in the Adana Region
This is a little village with huge sycamore trees watered by the springs which splash down the mountain slopes. Small platforms have been set up in the trees and they make delightful picnic area. The Çatak highland with its rich springs provides all of the water supply of the Saimbeyli district. This area is very famous with the cherry and they use also to organize festival of Cherry.

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