Mısır çorbası

Turkish roasted corn soup: a warmly spiced Ottoman-descended dish that reflects the moment maize entered the eastern Mediterranean as a new and bewildering grain

Origin: Ottoman Empire, Anatolia

From the journey of Corn.

When corn arrived in the Ottoman Empire in the mid-16th century, the Turks called it 'mısır', the Ottoman word for Egypt, because they believed it came from Egypt via the Mediterranean trade routes (it had arrived in North Africa from Spain and Portugal). The name stuck and is still the Turkish word for corn today. The Ottoman kitchen absorbed corn quickly: roasted corn became a street food sold from braziers in Istanbul, and corn soups, breads, and porridges spread through Anatolia and into the Balkans. This roasted corn soup, thick, golden, and spiced with cumin and red pepper, is a direct descendant of that Ottoman corn tradition, enriched with the Turkish kitchen's characteristic use of yogurt as a souring and thickening agent.

Ingredients

Base

600 g corn kernels (fresh from 4 cobs, or frozen)
1 medium white onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp unsalted butter

Liquid

800 ml chicken or vegetable stock

Finish

150 g full-fat yogurt
2 tbsp butter and pul biber, for finishing

Spices

1 tsp ground cumin
0.5 tsp pul biber (Turkish red pepper flakes) or mild chilli flakes

Seasoning

1 tsp salt, plus more to taste

Method

Heat a dry heavy pan over high heat. Add the corn kernels and roast, stirring occasionally, for 8–10 minutes until lightly charred in spots. Set aside, reserving a small handful for garnish.
In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Sauté the onion for 8 minutes until soft and golden. Add the garlic, cumin, and half the pul biber. Cook for 1 minute.
Add the roasted corn and stock to the pot. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 15 minutes.
Blend the soup until very smooth using an immersion blender or upright blender. Pass through a sieve for an exceptionally silky texture, or leave with some body.
Return to a gentle heat. Whisk the yogurt until smooth, then stir into the soup. Do not boil after adding yogurt or it may split; keep at a gentle simmer. Season with salt.
To serve, ladle into bowls. In a small pan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter and add the remaining pul biber. Drizzle this spiced butter over each bowl and top with the reserved charred corn kernels.

Notes

This soup is an interpretation of the Ottoman corn tradition rather than a single historical recipe. The spiced butter finish (terbiyeli) is a quintessential Ottoman technique applied to soups. For a richer soup, replace 200ml of stock with cream and omit the yogurt. Excellent served with flatbread.

The Gastrographer

Name: Mısır çorbası
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Anatolia
Ingredients: 600 g corn kernels (fresh from 4 cobs, or frozen); 1 medium white onion, diced; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 2 tbsp unsalted butter; 800 ml chicken or vegetable stock; 150 g full-fat yogurt; 1 tsp ground cumin; 0.5 tsp pul biber (Turkish red pepper flakes) or mild chilli flakes; 1 tsp salt, plus more to taste; 2 tbsp butter and pul biber, for finishing

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Journey Point Map Key

Ingredient originTrade or transit route

Became a culinary stapleColonial / trade control