FOOD Part 1: Kebabs, etc.

This is the beginning of an epic saga involving me and Turkish food. Don't let your mouths water too much as you read this...

• Adana Kebab: Adana's most famous culinary creation. This kebab is a long strip of ground meat mixed with various spices to your preferred spiciness level (in my case, SPICY), stuck on a skewer, carefully roasted, and served on top of soft and delicious flatbread with tomatoes and onions. It is legitimately one of the most delicious meals I've ever eaten. On a side note, I saw a kebab that was two meters long on Saturday - evidently the specialty of a certain restaurant here. Pretty cool!
• Adana Durum: A close relative of the Adana Kebab, Adana Durum is basically the meat of the kebab wrapped up rather like a burrito in flatbread along with onions and parsley. Great when you're craving kebab but are on-the-go.
• Çiğköfte: This is one of the most fascinating foods I've eaten here. I watched my uncle in Kayseri make it, which was quite an incredible process. He started out with bulgar wheat in a giant pan, which he kneaded with oil, water, and lemon juice. Then he added thrice-ground raw meat (beef, I presume, though I am not certain), and he continued to knead. Meanwhile we added finely chopped onions, parsley, tomatoes, and seven different kinds of pepper (which Turkey is famous for). After kneading this mixture for around an hour (strenuous work!), he evidently achieved the proper texture. He pinched the dough-like substance into little cylindrical shapes, and we ate them (yes, with raw meat) wrapped in lettuce leaves with lemon squirted on top. It was absolutely delicious and completely a new taste for me. I've had it since then, as they sell it in the grocery store, and it is always good, but never quite as good as when I watched my uncle make it. Incidentally, I was warned that it can give you unfortunate digestive side effects...though any problems are definitely worth the amazing taste.
• Çiğköfte Durum: Like Adana Durum, this is Çiğköfte to go. It is rolled into a burrito-like flatbread with a spicy sauce and lettuce. I think I may actually like this even more than the plain Çiğköfte if that is possible - the sauce, lettuce, and bread really add a special something...which is probably the extra calories that I don't need, but oh well!
• Sucuk: The Turkish version of sausage, but obviously not made of pork. It's fairly spicy, and quite delicious. My Anneanne (grandmother) fries it up in the mornings sometimes with eggs...an absolutely perfect breakfast, along with copious amounts of fresh bread, of course.

More food to come!