Turkish watermelon with beyaz peynir (white cheese)

The elemental Turkish summer: cold watermelon wedges with soft white brine cheese, eaten in the shade with a glass of cold water and a piece of flatbread

Origin: Istanbul and the Aegean Coast, Ottoman Turkey

From the journey of Watermelon.

Watermelon has been so deeply embedded in Turkish summer food for so long that Turkey remains one of the world's most important watermelon producers, with the Aegean coastal districts of Izmir and Mugla and the Anatolian plateau producing varieties renowned for their size and sweetness. Beyaz peynir (literally 'white cheese') is the foundational Turkish dairy product: a soft, moist, mildly salty cheese made from sheep's milk, goat's milk, or cow's milk, stored in salt brine, similar in character to Greek feta but generally milder and less tangy. The pairing of cold watermelon with beyaz peynir is not a recipe in the usual sense: it is simply the way Turkish summer eating works. It requires no dressing, no preparation beyond cutting, and no particular culinary skill. What it requires is a very cold watermelon, good cheese, and a summer afternoon. This preparation appears in virtually every account of Turkish summer eating from the Ottoman period onwards.

Ingredients

base

1.5 kg cold watermelon, cut into large wedges with the rind left on (traditional presentation)

cheese

250 g beyaz peynir (Turkish white brine cheese), or good Greek feta, Bulgarian feta, or any mild white brine sheep's cheese

to serve

4 pieces Turkish flatbread (lavaş or pide) or good crusty bread, to serve
4 glasses very cold water, to drink alongside

garnish

1 small handful fresh flat-leaf parsley or spearmint leaves (optional garnish)

Method

Refrigerate the watermelon for at least 3 hours, or overnight. It should be as cold as possible.
Cut the watermelon into large triangular wedges, leaving the rind on. The traditional presentation is generous and unfussy.
Remove the beyaz peynir from its brine and slice or break into large pieces. Arrange on a plate alongside the watermelon.
Serve with flatbread and very cold water. The preparation is the simultaneous eating of these elements: a wedge of cold watermelon, a piece of cheese, a piece of bread, a glass of cold water.

Notes

Beyaz peynir is available at Turkish and Middle Eastern food stores. The best substitute is good-quality feta: Greek PDO feta tends to be saltier and more crumbly, whilst Bulgarian feta is often creamier and milder. Avoid pre-crumbled feta sold in plastic tubs, which has a different texture and less flavour. Some Turkish families add a drizzle of olive oil and dried oregano to the cheese, or serve a few black olives and fresh tomatoes alongside, making the preparation an informal meze. All versions are correct: the guiding principle is simplicity, freshness, and cold.

The Gastrographer

Name: Turkish watermelon with beyaz peynir (white cheese)
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Ottoman Turkey
Ingredients: 1.5 kg cold watermelon, cut into large wedges with the rind left on (traditional presentation); 250 g beyaz peynir (Turkish white brine cheese), or good Greek feta, Bulgarian feta, or any mild white brine sheep's cheese; 4 pieces Turkish flatbread (lavaş or pide) or good crusty bread, to serve; 1 small handful fresh flat-leaf parsley or spearmint leaves (optional garnish); 4 glasses very cold water, to drink alongside

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Journey Point Map Key

Ingredient originTrade or transit route

Became a culinary stapleColonial / trade control