Köfte (Kneading)

This is what they do for entertainment in the southeastern town of Şanlıurfa: watch an expert make çiğ (chee) köfte. While a band plays and singers emote, the master sits on the floor and kneads a mixture of raw veal, bulgur and spices in a large tray for up to an hour. Moving his shoulders in time to the music, he produces hundreds of meatballs, which are served to the guests sitting around the musicians. The guests roll the pieces of köfte in lettuce leaves, and munch on them as they watch the floor show. The sweat from the master’s hands has become part of the flavour. In a sense, sweat is the most important ingredient in any köfte, because it symbolises how much effort you’ve put into the kneading.