The oldest work of literature in the Mongolian language is The Secret History of the Mongols. It begins with the story of a widow, Hö’elün, abandoned in the harsh and desolate steppe with her children after her husband is killed by a rival tribe. An ingenious 13th-century blend of epic narrative and verse, the book describes how this brave, wise woman, undaunted, saved them all from starvation by foraging for mushrooms, roots, wild onions and garlic. One of the boys, Temuçin, would grow up to be the legendary Genghis Khan, ruler over the largest contiguous empire in history, founded in 1206, just a decade before the book was written.

According to botanists, garlic is native to Central Asia, like its relatives the onion, chive and leek. Our common garlic is believed to derive from an allium still found on the slopes of the Tian Shan (Celestial Mountains), the neighbouring Pamir-Alai Mountains and Kopet Dağı, which later naturalised in other parts of the world and became one of the earliest, most widespread domesticated plants. Its ethnobotanical significance and its cultivation in Asia go back thousands of years. Analysis of pottery finds unearthed in Bronze Age Uzbekistan prove that it was already fully integrated into agricultural life four thousand years ago.

The Hittites talk of garlic in the 2nd millennium BC, and at Yassı Höyük, a mound near Kahramanmaraş in eastern Anatolia, Turkish archaeologists have discovered 2,800-year-old carbonised garlic cloves (along with 21 kilograms of chickpeas) that confirm that garlic was being cultivated in Iron Age Anatolia. Today cuisines all over the world benefit from garlic’s distinctive flavour. Botanically, cultivated garlic (Allium sativum) is a perennial. Its bulb comprises between ten and 20 cloves, wrapped in a papery, silky coat, or tunica. The long, blade-like leaves appear in spring, and in summer it produces flowerheads in the form of showy white or pink pompons. Ornamental species make a pleasing addition to herbaceous borders…

THE RECIPES

• Sucuk Köftesi / Garlicky Köfte
• Çilbir / Eggs with Garlic Yoghurt
• Tarator / Walnut Sauce
• Kiirmizi Pancar / Beetroot Compote
• Cacik / Cucumber and Yoghurt Salad
• Patlican Salatasi / Aubergine Salad
• Tutmaç / Pasta with Garlic Yoghurt
• Sarimsak Turşusu / Garlic Pickle
• Körmen Börek / Wild Garlic Börek
• Wild Garlic Soup

SUCUK KÖFTESI GARLICKY KÖFTE

• 250g mincemeat (mutton or beef or a mix of both)
• A slice of stale bread (soaked, squeezed dry and crumbled)
• 3 garlic cloves (pounded with a pinch of salt)
• Around I teaspoon each of salt, pepper, powdered cumin and paprika flakes
• I tablespoon flour 3-4 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 ripe tomatoes (peeled and chopped)
• Half a glass (12 5ml) water

These spicy köftes (meat patties) are delicious and make an excellent meal served with a green salad. A similar meat mixture is used to fill sucuk sausages, hence the name. Here the köftes are simmered in tomato sauce, but they are also rewarding grilled or fried.

1. Combine the meat, bread, garlic, salt and spices in a bowl and mix. Then knead to a soft dough.
2. Take small amounts of the mixture, roll between your palms, first into balls, then into oblong shapes, and lightly dust with flour.
3. Heat the oil in a shallow pan, stir in the tomatoes and cook until soft. Transfer the köftes to the tomato sauce and sear lightly on both sides. Add the water, cover and allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes.
4. Serve with a good fresh bread to mop up the delicious tomato sauce.

ÇILBIR EGGS WITH GARLIC YOGHURT

• 2 cloves garlic
• 4-5 tablespoons natural yoghurt
• Salt
• 4 eggs
• I tablespoon butter
• A pinch of paprika (bot or mild)

A happy marriage of garlic and yoghurt transforms eggs into a meal. This very straightforward dish is a delicious standby when time and inspiration are in short supply. A touch of paprika adds piquancy.

1. Peel and pound the garlic to a paste, with a pinch of salt, in a bowl. Add the yoghurt and blend well, stirring with a spoon. Transfer onto a serving plate and slightly flatten the surface with the back of the spoon.
2. Bring water to a rolling boil in a shallow pan large enough to take 4 eggs. Break the eggs into the pan to poach.
3. When the egg whites turn white and set around the yolks, turn down the heat and poach for about 4 minutes; the yolk should still be soft inside. Remove the eggs from the water with a slotted spoon, drain slightly on a kitchen towel and place on the garlic yoghurt.
4. Melt the butter, stir in the paprika and pour over the eggs.

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Issue 70, Summer 2026 Outpost of Peace
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