permaculture

[Lawrence London <lfljvenaura@gmail.com>]

Boza - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - Sent using Google Toolbar
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boza

Boza, also bosa (from Turkish: boza [1][2]), is a popular fermented
beverage in Kazakhstan, Turkey, Kyrgyzstan, Albania, Bulgaria,
Macedonia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, parts of Romania,
Serbia, Ukraine and also Poland and Lithuania. (Although not as often
in the last two countries.) It is a malt drink, made from maize (corn)
and wheat in Albania, fermented wheat in Turkey and wheat or millet in
Bulgaria and Romania. It has a thick consistency and a low alcohol
content (usually around 1%), and has a slightly acidic sweet flavor.

There are different types of boza, with the most prominent of them
being Bulgarian, Albanian and Turkish Boza.

Contents

[hide]

1 History
2 Regional versions
3 Production and storage
4 Trivia
5 Similar beverages
6 See also
7 References
8 External links

[edit] History

Turkish "bragă" seller in Bucharest, 1880

Boza was initially begun to be made by the Central Asian Turks in the
10th century. Later on, it spread to the Caucasus and the Balkans. It
enjoyed its golden age under the Ottomans, and boza making became one
of the principal trades in towns and cities from the early Ottoman
period. Until the 16th century boza was drunk freely everywhere, but
the custom of making the so-called Tartar boza laced with opium
brought the wrath of the authorities down on the drink, and it was
prohibited by Sultan Selim II (1566–1574). He describes a type of
non-alcoholic sweet boza of a milk white color made for the most part
by Albanians

In the 17th century Sultan Mehmed IV (1648–1687) prohibited alcoholic
drinks, in which category he included boza, and closed down all the
boza shops. The 17th century Turkish traveler Evliya Çelebi tells us
that boza was widely drunk at this time, and that there were 300 boza
shops employing 1005 people in Istanbul alone. At this period boza was
widely drunk by janissaries in the army. Boza contained only a low
level of alcohol, so as long as it was not consumed in sufficient
quantities to cause drunkenness, it was tolerated on the grounds that
it was a warming and strengthening beverage for soldiers. As Evliya
Çelebi explained, 'These boza makers are numerous in the army. To
drink sufficient boza to cause intoxication is sinful but, unlike
wine, in small quantities it is not condemned.' In the 19th century
the sweet and non-alcoholic Albanian boza preferred at the Ottoman
palace became increasingly popular, while the sour and alcoholic type
of boza that had generally been produced by the Armenians went out of
favor. In 1876, brothers Haci Ibrahim and Haci Sadik established a
boza shop in the Istanbul district of Vefa, close to the then center
of entertainment, Direklerarası. This boza, with its thick consistency
and tart flavor, became famous throughout the city, and is the only
boza shop dating from that period still in business today. The firm is
now run by Haci Sadik and Haci Ibrahim's great- great-grandchildren.

[edit] Regional versions

"Vefa" shop, located in the Istanbul district of Vefa, is now a minor
tourist attraction. Ömür Bozacısı of Bursa, Karakedi Bozacısı of
Eskişehir, Akman Boza Salonu of Ankara and Soydan of Pazarcık, Bilecik
are less famous but well known other vendors in Turkey. Vefa boza, as
it is known, is made only from hulled millet, which is boiled in water
and then poured into broad shallow pans; when cool the mixture is
sieved, and water and sugar added.

The most famous Albanian boza brand name in Tirana, Albania, is the
Pacara Boza,[3] produced and sold by Shyqyri Pacara. It has a long
tradition of being produced in Albania

The most famous boza shop in Macedonia is "Apche", located in Debar
Maalo area, near the Universal Hall in Skopje.[4] The shop was founded
by Isman Kadri in 1934. People called him Apche (the pill), jokingly
claiming that his boza is a cure for all ills. He renamed the shop in
1940.[5] Other famous boza hotspots in Skopje are "Palma" and
"Sheherezada." Besides ethnic Albanians, boza-making tradition is also
present among ethnic Macedonians. One of the characters in the 1928
play Lence Kumanovce/Begalka (Lenche of Kumanovo, AKA Eloped Bride) by
Vasil Iljoski is Trendo, the boza-vendor.[6] In Kirghizia, boza is
made with crushed wheat, in the Crimea with wheat flour, and in
Turkmenistan with coarsely ground rice meal. In Republic of Macedonia
boza is much thinner and lighter, and tastes sweeter.

In Turkey it is served with cinnamon and roasted chickpeas (Leblebi in
Turkish), and is consumed mainly in the winter months. The Ottoman
Empire was known to feed its army with boza as it is rich in
carbohydrates and vitamins.

In Bulgaria it is part of the traditional "Banitsa with Boza"
breakfast. Although a popular beverage, boza is used to describe
something (film, piece of music, etc.) to be bland, boring, and of low
quality. In Albania it is mostly produced and sold in the northern
part of Albania; you can easily find it in the candy and ice-creams
stores of the capital, Tirana.

In Serbia, boza is produced and sold in "oriental-type"
confectionaries and health food stores. It is usually made of water,
wheat flour, maize flour, yeast and sugar.

In Kyrgyz Republic the wheat variety is widely available from street
side vendors, mostly in the summer months. It is best known by the
brand name "Shoro" but is also sold by Tan and others. It is
frequently mixed with a Kefir-like sour milk drink to produce a
slightly lighter and sharper tasting version.

The variant found in Romania is called bragă, and it is sweeter than
in Turkey and Bulgaria, but thicker and darker than in Republic of
Macedonia.

In United States commercial production of boza started in Skokie,
Illinois in January 2009.

Boza in Albania is made of maize (corn) and wheat flour, sugar and
water. It has a sweet to sour taste. It differs from the other types:
it is lighter and usually consumed as a refreshing drink in summer.

[edit] Production and storage

Boza is produced in the Balkans and most of the Turkic regions, but
not always using millet. The flavour varies according to the cereal
which is used. In a scientific study of boza carried out by the
Turkish Science and Technology Institute for Vefa Bozacisi, the drink
was found to be extremely healthy and nourishing. One litre of boza
contains a thousand calories, four types of vitamins A and B, and
vitamin E. During fermentation lactic acid, which is contained by few
foods, is formed, and this facilitates digestion.[7]

As boza spoils if not kept in a cool place, boza fermenters in Turkey
(traditionally) don't sell boza in summer months and sell alternative
beverages such as grape juice or lemonade. However, it is now
available in summer time due to demand and availability of
refrigeration. In Bulgaria, Albania and Macedonia, however, boza is
produced as refreshing beverage year-round.