Kashk

:"For the Egyptian preacher, see Abd al-Hamid Kishk."

Kashk (PerB|کشک), keshk, kishk, or kishik is a large family of foods found in Iranian, Kurdish, and Arab cuisine. There are three main kinds of food with this name: foods based on curdled milk products like yoghurt or cheese; foods based on barley broth, bread, or flour; and foods based on cereals combined with curdled milk. In Turkish and Greek cuisine, there are closely related foods called "tarhana" or "trahana".

The word 'kishk' is originally Persian, and referred to a sort of barley gruel. (Aubaile-Sallenave).

Iran

In modern Iran, kashk is a thick whitish liquid similar to whey (a dairy product) similar to sour cream, used in traditional Persian/Iranian cooking. It is available as a liquid or in a dried form, which needs to be soaked and softened before it can be used in cooking. Kashk was traditionally produced from the leftovers of cheese-making (more specifically, the milk used to make it).

Traditional dishes containing kashk include "Kashk-e Bademjan" (a dish of grilled aubergines mixed with kashk) , "aash-e reshteh" (a noodle broth with various pulses), "halim bademjan" *(similar to kashk-e bademjan, but with minced meat) and "aash-e kashk" (a broth).

Lebanon

In Lebanon, Kishk is made by grinding the dried mixture of yogurt and cracked wheat. This dried flour is the base for a traditional hearty soup with potatoes and garlic.

Bibliography

* Françoise Aubaile-Sallenave, "Al-Kishk": the past and present of a complex culinary practice", in Sami Zubaida and Richard Tapper, "A Taste of Thyme: Culinary Cultures of the Middle East", London and New York, 1994 and 2000, ISBN 1-86064-603-4.

External links

* Persian Mirror (online magazine): [http://www.persianmirror.com/cuisine/intro/intro.cfm Persian Cuisine: Persian Kitchen Essentials]
* [http://www.persiancity.com/recipes/recipe.asp?ID=10 Kashk-e Baadenjaan Recipe]
* [http://www.persiancity.com/recipes/recipe.asp?ID=1 Aash-e Reshteh Recipe]
* [http://www.persiancity.com/recipes/recipe.asp?ID=11 Haleem Baadenjaan Recipe]

ee also

* Kashkak, a related meat-and-grain stew