During Ottoman period Turkish cooking became increasingly sophisticated. In the kitchens of the palace and in the homes of nobles and officials, cooks developed high level of specialization, and so Istanbul cooking or palace cooking, which is regarded as the pinnacle of Turkish Cuisine, was created.
When Sultan Mehmet II conquered Istanbul in 1453 he ordered as his first act the building of a palace where he could reside. In a famous imperial decree at the court, the rules of protocol be observed and the table manners be adhered to in the Topkapi Palace, the manner in which food was to be prepared and served for the sovereign, his ministers, the court treasury dignitaries and other members of the palace staff was set out.
At Mehmet II's time the palace kitchen comprised of four main areas, of which the most important was the Kushane named after a small cooking pot. In this kitchen only food for the sovereign was prepared in small quantities and in small vessels. The second kitchen, known as the Has Mutfak, was where food destined for the mother of the sultan, the princess and the privileged members of the harem was prepared. The other kitchens included the kitchens of harem, the chief eunuch, the imperial state chancery and members of the palace household according to their ranks.
The member of the household responsible for kitchens was the head butler and he, with the chefs who headed the kitchen and the kitchen superintendent, who was responsible for materials and provisions, formed the triumvriate of personnel who ran the kitchen.
During Mehmet II's reign the kitchen staff included bakers, dessert cooks, helva makers, pickle makers, the chief yoghurt maker, etc. The move towards culinary specialization already witnessed in Mevlevi monastery in the 13th century had been accomplished by the 15th. The entire staff in the palace kitchens strove to produce dishes that were equisite, and experimented with new ideas to improve existing dishes.
The nobles and officials entertained each other regularly and competed to provide the best food. Those who boasted kitchens of the same excellence as the palace kitchens saw their fame spread, and the sultans honored them by paying them a visit. Just as in the palace kitchens, all Ottoman grand houses employed staff who specialized in particular aspects of culinary art.
At this period various chefs' guilds were organized in the capital and to this day they continue to play an important role in perpetuating and improving old recipes. Under Ottoman rule only the best ingredients were brought into Istanbul, and the sale of inferior foods was prevented under a system of very strict control. This fact, together with the lively competition between the cooks and confectioners to provide the best, ensured that high standards were always maintained. The confectioners, soup shops and street traders are some interesting elements of Turkish cuisine which have originated from this era.
Turkish Cuisine owes its development and survival to this day to the particular culinary expertise which the palace, the grand houses and the numerous associations of cooks and confectioners passed on from generation to generation. The Turkish saying "Never mind what you ate and drank, tell me where you have been and what you have seen", shows it was considered bad manners to talk about food and this is why there is little cullinary literature in Turkish.
Aprt from some dictionaries and medical books based on early studies which gave descriptions of dishes and definitions of foodstuffs, the first cookery book was translated work entitled Tabh-i Et-ime (Instruction in Cookery) believed to have been translated from the Arabic Kitabut-Tabih (The Book of Cookery) in the 15th century by Sirvani. Other noteworthy books are Agidiye Risalesi (T he Manual of Nourishment) by Abdullah Efendi, and Yemek Risalesi by unknown authors published in the 18th century. The Melceu't Tabbahin (The Sanctuary of Cooks), compiled by in 1844 by Mehmet Kamil was the first cookery book to be printed by lithography; it was later translated into English by Turabi Efendi.
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