Wedding rice (pilav) is often considered the most significant element of the local culture of Konya as well as its gastronomy. It is a cultural gathering in Konya and the invitation to a wedding is discussed and spoken among people like a football match in weeks to come. Furthermore, It is also the sunnah (preaching and practises of prophet Mohammad PBUH) of our prophet to invite guests to wedding banquets from every class, preventing possible social scale discrimination.

There is no classification among people in Wedding gatherings of Konya. Thereby, it is common to face a diversified group of people getting together at a wedding table to share a plate of wedding banquet without knowing the guests sitting next to them. Personal anxiety and troubles are forgotten for a moment to enjoy the spectacular flavour of the wedding atmosphere.

In the early days, since Konya is known as an agricultural city, wedding events were scheduled in the morning hours between 09:00/12:00. However, nowadays it is organized at any hour during the day except in rural areas.

It is not common to ask people of marriageable age or their parents when the wedding will take place. Instead, it is often preferred to ask when we will eat your rice or when will you cook rice.

Wedding Tables: Table service begins as soon as surrounding chairs are filled by the guests. At busy weddings, guests are waiting around an already seated table to be served next. Guests` appetite grows even more while they are waiting for already seated people. As their turn comes, they eagerly help the waiter set up a new table to make the table ready for them to get served. None of the guests leaves the table unless they are full.

Sequence of wedding Dishes of Konya

• Yayla Corbası (Yogurt Soup): Yayla soup is served to the table firstly and everyone starts to eat from the same bowl. Although some people find it awkward to share the same bowl, we believe it brings abundance and savour to our people and enriches Konya culture.

• Etli Pilav (Rice with braised meat): Rice with slowly cooked diced meat served as soon as the soup softens the guest`s stomach. Pilav is being toped up to starving guests until they regain consciousness. It is required that rice should be piece by piece and offers an irresistible taste when combined with braised meat.

• İrmik Helvası ( Semolina Halva): It is the first dessert served at weddings and is not meaning there will be no more food. Unlike other menus, semolina halva is offered in the middle of the feast, signifying there will be more to come. Recently, halva is often consumed with ice cream in the summertime.

• Bamya Çorbası (Baby Okra Soup): Besides being a legendary soup, baby okra has an appetizing flavour and refreshing taste that cannot be found anywhere else apart from Konya. Baby okras may not be produced in Konya, but the city makes the most consumption in Turkey. Every okra has its own story as they have been ingathered one by one from their beloved branches. Harvested okras stringed and left to get dry for weeks. Before consumption, the okra is boiled for hours and then removed from the string one by one. Due to the hard preparation process and its magnificent taste, we often call Bamya Green Gold.

• 2. Etli Pilav (Second rice with meat): Second rice is served to the table as the last main course in a way that won`t be wasted. If there is demand, another one is added as a supplement.

• Zerde Tatlısı (Zerde Desert): It heralds the end of the wedding banquet and is served together with drinks. It is consumed with the last rice and is preferred plain.

• Hoşaf & Meşrubat (Compote & Beverage): Previously, naturally boiled and prepared stewed compotes were replaced by still-cold drinks.

• Denizaltı (Undersea): It is a well-known feature of weddings in Konya where the wedding owner expresses his gratitude to special guests by sending an extraordinary presentation of wedding rice. To honour special guests, braised meat is placed on the bottom of the place, covered with rice and topped with braised meat again. This way of presentation is chosen not to embarrass (courtesy) other guests.

• Dua (Pray): We pray to our almighty God, who has blessed us with such a great feast. We thank wedding owners for inviting us, sending gratitude to those who prepared and served us. We also wish married couples abundance, peace and long-lasting happiness in their house.

Every table should have a coordinator. This guy acts like a maestro and informs the waiter about the demand for the table. An experienced maestro should know the hungriness level of the guests by the speedy movement of their spoons. If he/she thinks that a plate full of rice will finish within seconds, he orders a supplement. Otherwise, the maestro encourages everybody at the table by saying “Come on guys, let`s take two full spoons of rice to clear the plate” to prevent food waste.

In the old Konya wedding tradition, no one was distinguished when inviting guests. Guests were invited to the wedding with a local announcement “Everyone invited to the wedding those who could hold a spoon in their hand”. In the old days, everyone carried their wooden spoon and ate wedding rice with that spoon.

Düğün Tiridi (Wedding Tirit); Before the wedding, the wedding chef prepares a special dish for the wedding host and relatives. The dish ingredients consist of dried sliced bread softened inside warm beef broth, topped with sumac onion, braised meat added over and finally, yoghurt and special sauce covered all over. The wedding host and relatives were dried sliced bread softened inside warm beef broth, topped with sumac onion, braised meat added over and finally, yoghurt and a special sauce covered all over.

Düğün Kapaması (Wedding Kapama); Formerly, in line with capabilities and preferences, whole chunks of meat were served with rice rather than braised meat. This manner of presenting rice is called “Kapama”.

Today, the foreseeable future demand for Konya wedding rice is increasing day by day. Nevertheless, it is also considered a prioritized meal by many local organizations.

Last Word: I offer my gratitude and thankfulness to our precious master chef Âteşbâz-ı Velî who bequeathed this culture to us, to our ancestries who have contributed to its survival from Ottomans until the present day, and finally our esteemed chefs who have cooked this feast for us today.

TAYYAR SAMİ ATİKER