Turshi Lift

Levantine pickled turnip and radish turned magenta-pink with raw beetroot: the neon pickle of the Arab table

Origin: Lebanon, Syria & Palestine

From the journey of Radish.

Turshi lift is one of the most visually arresting foods in the world: turnips and radishes that enter the pickling jar as cream-white and become, over three to five days, a shade of brilliant neon magenta that seems almost artificial. The colour is entirely natural, produced by a single slice of raw beetroot added to the brine, whose anthocyanin pigments slowly suffuse the liquid and penetrate the cellular structure of the turnip and radish. Turshi, from the Persian torshy (sour), is the broad term for pickled vegetables across the Arab world, the Levant, Turkey, and Iran. Lift (from the Arabic for turnip) distinguishes this variety from pickled cucumber (khiyar), mixed vegetables (makhlut), or the spiced cauliflower (arnabeet). In Lebanese, Syrian, and Palestinian cooking, turshi lift arrives at the table before the meal begins: a small dish alongside the bread basket, beside the hummus and the olives and the yoghurt with cucumbers. Its function is exactly what ancient cooks always understood about pickled radishes and turnips; it cuts through fat, stimulates saliva, prepares the stomach. The Abbasid-era cook Ibn Sayyar al-Warraq documented pickle preparations in tenth-century Baghdad that are recognisably related to the turshi lift still made in identical glass jars in Beirut, Ramallah, and Damascus today. The recipe has not needed to change.

Ingredients

Vegetables

400 g turnips, peeled and cut into batons or wedges (about 5×1.5cm)
200 g radishes, trimmed and halved or quartered (French Breakfast or small round red)
1 small raw beetroot (about 80g), peeled and cut into thin slices or small chunks

Aromatics

3 cloves garlic, lightly crushed
1 small dried red chilli or ½ tsp dried chilli flakes (optional)

Brine

400 ml water
200 ml white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
1½ tbsp fine sea salt (non-iodised)
1 tsp caster sugar

Method

Sterilise one or two wide-mouthed jars (1 litre total capacity) by washing in very hot soapy water, rinsing, and placing in a 120°C oven for 15 minutes. Allow to cool before filling.
Make the brine: combine the water, vinegar, salt, and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring until the salt and sugar dissolve completely. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
Pack the jars: layer the turnip batons, radishes, beetroot slices, garlic cloves, and chilli (if using) into the sterilised jars, pressing firmly to pack them in tightly. The beetroot should be distributed through the layers, not just at the bottom.
Pour the cooled brine over the vegetables until they are completely submerged. Tap the jar on the counter to release any air bubbles. If the vegetables float, weigh them down with a small piece of cling film pressed directly onto the surface of the brine. Seal the jars.
Leave at room temperature for 24 hours, then transfer to the refrigerator. The pickles will be very lightly pickled after 24 hours, pleasantly sour after 3 days, and fully developed at 5 days. The colour will shift from pale to a brilliant, deep magenta-pink as the beetroot pigment works through the brine.

Notes

Use non-iodised salt; iodised salt inhibits the natural fermentation and can cloud the brine. The beetroot is for colour only; you will not detect its flavour in the finished pickle, only its stunning dye. Turshi lift is served as a mezze alongside hummus, falafel, grilled meats, and flatbreads throughout the Levant. In Lebanese and Syrian cooking, the coloured brine is sometimes used to dress salads or served as a condiment in its own right. For a more traditionally fermented (rather than vinegar-pickled) version, reduce the vinegar to 50ml and leave the jar at room temperature for 5–7 days before refrigerating.

The Gastrographer

Name: Turshi Lift
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 12
Cuisine: Syria & Palestine
Ingredients: 400 g turnips, peeled and cut into batons or wedges (about 5×1.5cm); 200 g radishes, trimmed and halved or quartered (French Breakfast or small round red); 1 small raw beetroot (about 80g), peeled and cut into thin slices or small chunks; 3 cloves garlic, lightly crushed; 1 small dried red chilli or ½ tsp dried chilli flakes (optional); 400 ml water; 200 ml white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar; 1½ tbsp fine sea salt (non-iodised); 1 tsp caster sugar

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Journey Point Map Key

Ingredient originTrade or transit route

Became a culinary stapleColonial / trade control