Comfort and remedy
Novo Turks
Restorative little restaurateurs, Turkish mothers.
A day we woke up sniffling...
Once again, a strange illness brought home from kindergarten, and a family taking turns coughing.
From under the blanket, we started talking about what we eat when we’re sick.
A Dane with a runny nose, of course, has never smelled tarhana soup made of fermented yoghurt, tomato and flour.
In Denmark, famous for its potatoes, maybe someone says “Let me just boil a potato” when their stomach’s upset, who knows but not my husband.
I asked, “What do you eat when you’re sick?”
They sometimes drink elderflower extract and chicken broth soup.
Linden leaves have never filled their kitchens.
A mint and lemon drink may have been tasted, perhaps on a day without illness, beside a Swedish meatball. Cold! Not very popular when you are sick.
Whenever we show a few symptoms, Turkish mothers suddenly transform into witches of some forgotten century, appearing with their cauldrons.
They boil strange herbs, brew elixirs.
They simmer the bones of newly hunted animals, make broths from the marrow, and even find a way to heal you if you’ve only got an unboiled bone.
They rub ointments made from herbs onto your rashes.
A nation that tries to cure every illness, again and again, with food.
Even if you’re sick, they still set the table (!)
Restorative little restaurateurs, Turkish mothers.
The Novo-Turks.
All of Copenhagen is filled with linden trees.
So in case you ever pick some, here’s a recipe from me to you:
Ode to Fresh Linden ( Ihlamur )
· As much fresh linden as your kitchen apron can hold
· 1 liter of water, the kind that “feels healing when I drink it”
· 1.3 kg of sugar “let the guilt be on its shoulders”
· 2 lemons “the kind that smells wonderful when you press your nail into the skin”
Preparation:
· Walk toward the linden tree in the corner of your garden, where laughter rises.
· Holding out the bottom of your apron, carefully climb the ladder.
· Pick mostly flowers, with a few leaves if you like, and return to the kitchen.
· Boil the sugar and water in a pot.
· Pour it over the linden.
· Slice the lemons and place them on top. Weigh them down with something heavy so that every linden blossom can tell you its story.
· Let it sleep in a cool place for two days.
· Strain. Drink when your nose is runny or your stomach feels odd.
· Dry the leftover linden to make tea again, grind it into powder if you wish, or even sprinkle it on salads as a final touch, sending love back to the linden tree.
Sincerely,
A mother,
Nesrin Eren
