Pekmez

A thick, dark syrup made from the juice of grapes, pomegranates or dates. The grape and date syrups are used to sweeten dishes, in particular the simple unsweetened milk and wheat-flour puddings of Anatolia, but the pomegranate syrup is slightly sour. A popular mixture of tahin and grape syrup is eaten on bread. Pomegranate syrup is made in the villages of Anatolia for local consumption, but a variety of grape and date syrups is available in Italian, Middle Eastern and health food stores.