Boza
Encyclopedia
Boza, also bosa is a popular fermented beverage in Kazakhstan
, Turkey
, Kyrgyzstan
, Albania
, Bulgaria
, Macedonia
, Montenegro
, Bosnia and Herzegovina
, parts of Romania
, Serbia
, Ukraine
and also Poland
and Lithuania
. (Although not as often in the last two countries.) It is a malt
drink, made from maize
(corn) and wheat
in Albania, fermented wheat in Turkey and wheat or millet
in Bulgaria and Romania. It has a thick consistency and a low alcohol content (usually around 1%), and has a slightly acidic sweet flavor.
There are different types of boza, with the most prominent of them being Bulgarian, Albanian and Turkish Boza.
in the 10th century. Later on, it spread to the Caucasus
and the Balkans
. It enjoyed its golden age under the Ottomans
, and boza making became one of the principal trades in towns and cities from the early Ottoman period.
Until the 16th century boza was drunk freely everywhere, but the custom of making the so-called Tartar boza laced with opium brought the wrath of the authorities down on the drink, and it was prohibited by Sultan Selim II
(1566–1574). He describes a type of non-alcoholic sweet boza of a milk white color made for the most part by Albanians.
In the 17th century Sultan Mehmed IV
(1648–1687) prohibited alcoholic drinks, in which category he included boza, and closed down all the boza shops. The 17th century Turkish traveler Evliya Çelebi
tells us that boza was widely drunk at this time, and that there were 300 boza shops employing 1005 people in Istanbul
alone.
At this period boza was widely drunk by janissaries in the army. Boza contained only a low level of alcohol, so as long as it was not consumed in sufficient quantities to cause drunkenness, it was tolerated on the grounds that it was a warming and strengthening beverage for soldiers. As Evliya Çelebi explained, 'These boza makers are numerous in the army. To drink sufficient boza to cause intoxication is sinful but, unlike wine, in small quantities it is not condemned.' In the 19th century the sweet and non-alcoholic Albanian boza preferred at the Ottoman palace became increasingly popular, while the sour and alcoholic type of boza that had generally been produced by the Armenians went out of favor. In 1876, brothers Haci Ibrahim and Haci Sadik established a boza shop in the Istanbul district of Vefa
, close to the then center of entertainment, Direklerarası. This boza, with its thick consistency and tart flavor, became famous throughout the city, and is the only boza shop dating from that period still in business today. The firm is now run by Haci Sadik and Haci Ibrahim's great- great-grandchildren.
, is now a minor tourist attraction. Ömür Bozacısı of Bursa, Karakedi Bozacısı of Eskişehir
, Akman Boza Salonu of Ankara
and Soydan of Pazarcık
, Bilecik
are less famous but well known other vendors in Turkey. Vefa boza, as it is known, is made only from hulled millet, which is boiled in water and then poured into broad shallow pans; when cool the mixture is sieved, and water and sugar added.
The most famous Albanian boza brand name in Tirana, Albania, is the Pacara Boza, produced and sold by Shyqyri Pacara. It has a long tradition of being produced in Albania.
The most famous boza shop in Macedonia is "Apche", located in Debar Maalo area, near the Universal Hall in Skopje
. The shop was founded by Isman Kadri in 1934. People called him Apche (the pill), jokingly claiming that his boza is a cure for all ills. He renamed the shop in 1940. Other famous boza hotspots in Skopje are "Palma" and "Sheherezada." Besides ethnic Albanians, boza-making tradition is also present among ethnic Macedonians. One of the characters in the 1928 play Lence Kumanovce/Begalka (Lenche of Kumanovo, AKA Eloped Bride) by Vasil Iljoski
is Trendo, the boza-vendor.
In Kirghizia, boza is made with crushed wheat, in the Crimea with wheat flour, and in Turkmenistan with coarsely ground rice meal.
In Republic of Macedonia boza is much thinner and lighter, and tastes sweeter.
In Turkey it is served with cinnamon
and roasted chickpeas (Leblebi
in Turkish), and is consumed mainly in the winter months. The Ottoman Empire was known to feed its army with boza as it is rich in carbohydrates and vitamins.
In Bulgaria it is part of the traditional "Banitsa
with Boza" breakfast. Although a popular beverage, boza is used to describe something (film, piece of music, etc.) to be bland, boring, and of low quality. In Albania
it is mostly produced and sold in the northern part of Albania; you can easily find it in the candy and ice-creams stores of the capital, Tirana
.
In Serbia, boza is produced and sold in "oriental-type" confectionaries and health food store
s. It is usually made of water, wheat flour, maize flour, yeast
and sugar.
In Kyrgyz Republic the wheat variety is widely available from street side vendors, mostly in the summer months. It is best known by the brand name "Shoro" but is also sold by Tan and others. It is frequently mixed with a Kefir-like sour milk drink to produce a slightly lighter and sharper tasting version.
The variant found in Romania is called bragă, and it is sweeter than in Turkey and Bulgaria, but thicker and darker than in Republic of Macedonia.
In United States commercial production of boza started in Skokie, Illinois
in January 2009.
Boza in Albania is made of maize (corn) and wheat flour, sugar and water. It has a sweet to sour taste. It differs from the other types: it is lighter and usually consumed as a refreshing drink in summer.
. The flavour varies according to the cereal which is used. In a scientific study of boza carried out by the Turkish Science and Technology Institute for Vefa Bozacisi, the drink was found to be extremely healthy and nourishing. One litre of boza contains a thousand calories, four types of vitamins A and B, and vitamin E. During fermentation lactic acid
, which is contained by few foods, is formed, and this facilitates digestion.
As boza spoils if not kept in a cool place, boza fermenters in Turkey (traditionally) don't sell boza in summer months and sell alternative beverages such as grape juice or lemonade. However, it is now available in summer time due to demand and availability of refrigeration. In Bulgaria, Albania and Macedonia, however, boza is produced as refreshing beverage year-round.
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world, it is also the world's largest landlocked country; its territory of is greater than Western Europe...
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan , officially the Kyrgyz Republic is one of the world's six independent Turkic states . Located in Central Asia, landlocked and mountainous, Kyrgyzstan is bordered by Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west, Tajikistan to the southwest and China to the east...
, Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
, Bulgaria
Bulgarian cuisine
Bulgarian cuisine is a representative of the cuisine of Southeastern Europe. Essentially South Slavic, it shares characteristics with other Balkans cuisines...
, Macedonia
Republic of Macedonia
Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
, Montenegro
Montenegro
Montenegro Montenegrin: Crna Gora Црна Гора , meaning "Black Mountain") is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the...
, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
, parts of Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
, Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
, Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
and also Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
and Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
. (Although not as often in the last two countries.) It is a malt
Malt
Malt is germinated cereal grains that have been dried in a process known as "malting". The grains are made to germinate by soaking in water, and are then halted from germinating further by drying with hot air...
drink, made from maize
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
(corn) and wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
in Albania, fermented wheat in Turkey and wheat or millet
Millet
The millets are a group of small-seeded species of cereal crops or grains, widely grown around the world for food and fodder. They do not form a taxonomic group, but rather a functional or agronomic one. Their essential similarities are that they are small-seeded grasses grown in difficult...
in Bulgaria and Romania. It has a thick consistency and a low alcohol content (usually around 1%), and has a slightly acidic sweet flavor.
There are different types of boza, with the most prominent of them being Bulgarian, Albanian and Turkish Boza.
History
Boza was initially begun to be made by the Central Asian TurksTurkic peoples
The Turkic peoples are peoples residing in northern, central and western Asia, southern Siberia and northwestern China and parts of eastern Europe. They speak languages belonging to the Turkic language family. They share, to varying degrees, certain cultural traits and historical backgrounds...
in the 10th century. Later on, it spread to the Caucasus
Caucasus
The Caucasus, also Caucas or Caucasia , is a geopolitical region at the border of Europe and Asia, and situated between the Black and the Caspian sea...
and the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
. It enjoyed its golden age under the Ottomans
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
, and boza making became one of the principal trades in towns and cities from the early Ottoman period.
Until the 16th century boza was drunk freely everywhere, but the custom of making the so-called Tartar boza laced with opium brought the wrath of the authorities down on the drink, and it was prohibited by Sultan Selim II
Selim II
Selim II Sarkhosh Hashoink , also known as "Selim the Sot " or "Selim the Drunkard"; and as "Sarı Selim" or "Selim the Blond", was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1566 until his death in 1574.-Early years:He was born in Constantinople a son of Suleiman the...
(1566–1574). He describes a type of non-alcoholic sweet boza of a milk white color made for the most part by Albanians.
In the 17th century Sultan Mehmed IV
Mehmed IV
Mehmed IV Modern Turkish Mehmet was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1648 to 1687...
(1648–1687) prohibited alcoholic drinks, in which category he included boza, and closed down all the boza shops. The 17th century Turkish traveler Evliya Çelebi
Evliya Çelebi
Evliya Çelebi was an Ottoman traveler who journeyed through the territory of the Ottoman Empire and neighboring lands over a period of forty years.- Life :...
tells us that boza was widely drunk at this time, and that there were 300 boza shops employing 1005 people in Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
alone.
At this period boza was widely drunk by janissaries in the army. Boza contained only a low level of alcohol, so as long as it was not consumed in sufficient quantities to cause drunkenness, it was tolerated on the grounds that it was a warming and strengthening beverage for soldiers. As Evliya Çelebi explained, 'These boza makers are numerous in the army. To drink sufficient boza to cause intoxication is sinful but, unlike wine, in small quantities it is not condemned.' In the 19th century the sweet and non-alcoholic Albanian boza preferred at the Ottoman palace became increasingly popular, while the sour and alcoholic type of boza that had generally been produced by the Armenians went out of favor. In 1876, brothers Haci Ibrahim and Haci Sadik established a boza shop in the Istanbul district of Vefa
Vefa
Vefa is a neighborhood of Istanbul. It is part of the district of Fatih and managed as borough of Mollahüsrev, inside the walled city. It belonged to Eminönü between 1928 and 2008. It lies roughly northwest of the eastern section of the Aqueduct of Valens, and is rich of monuments, both Byzantine,...
, close to the then center of entertainment, Direklerarası. This boza, with its thick consistency and tart flavor, became famous throughout the city, and is the only boza shop dating from that period still in business today. The firm is now run by Haci Sadik and Haci Ibrahim's great- great-grandchildren.
Regional versions
"Vefa" shop, located in the Istanbul district of VefaVefa
Vefa is a neighborhood of Istanbul. It is part of the district of Fatih and managed as borough of Mollahüsrev, inside the walled city. It belonged to Eminönü between 1928 and 2008. It lies roughly northwest of the eastern section of the Aqueduct of Valens, and is rich of monuments, both Byzantine,...
, is now a minor tourist attraction. Ömür Bozacısı of Bursa, Karakedi Bozacısı of Eskişehir
Eskisehir
Eskişehir is a city in northwestern Turkey and the capital of the Eskişehir Province. According to the 2009 census, the population of the city is 631,905. The city is located on the banks of the Porsuk River, 792 m above sea level, where it overlooks the fertile Phrygian Valley. In the nearby...
, Akman Boza Salonu of Ankara
Ankara
Ankara is the capital of Turkey and the country's second largest city after Istanbul. The city has a mean elevation of , and as of 2010 the metropolitan area in the entire Ankara Province had a population of 4.4 million....
and Soydan of Pazarcık
Pazarcık
Pazarcik is a town of Kahramanmaraş Province in Turkey. These are called an "ilce" in the Turkish language. They are simply towns in the province "il". Pazarcik is 25 km away from Marash the capital of the province Kahraman Maras...
, Bilecik
Bilecik
-External links:* http://www.eksisozluk.com/show.asp?t=bilecik%20diye%20bir%20yerin%20asl%C4%B1nda%20olmamas%C4%B1%20 Bilecik Conspiracy* http://www.bilecikaktuel.com* * http://www.voyagerbook.com/eng/iller/11/11.asp*...
are less famous but well known other vendors in Turkey. Vefa boza, as it is known, is made only from hulled millet, which is boiled in water and then poured into broad shallow pans; when cool the mixture is sieved, and water and sugar added.
The most famous Albanian boza brand name in Tirana, Albania, is the Pacara Boza, produced and sold by Shyqyri Pacara. It has a long tradition of being produced in Albania.
The most famous boza shop in Macedonia is "Apche", located in Debar Maalo area, near the Universal Hall in Skopje
Skopje
Skopje is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Macedonia with about a third of the total population. It is the country's political, cultural, economic, and academic centre...
. The shop was founded by Isman Kadri in 1934. People called him Apche (the pill), jokingly claiming that his boza is a cure for all ills. He renamed the shop in 1940. Other famous boza hotspots in Skopje are "Palma" and "Sheherezada." Besides ethnic Albanians, boza-making tradition is also present among ethnic Macedonians. One of the characters in the 1928 play Lence Kumanovce/Begalka (Lenche of Kumanovo, AKA Eloped Bride) by Vasil Iljoski
Vasil Iljoski
Vasil Iljoski was a Macedonian writer, dramatist, professor and an important figure in the Macedonian literature, especially in Macedonian drama between the two World Wars. He was born in Kruševo in 1902. His play Begalka, or known as "Lenče Kumanovče", performed in 1928 in the Skopje theatre is...
is Trendo, the boza-vendor.
In Kirghizia, boza is made with crushed wheat, in the Crimea with wheat flour, and in Turkmenistan with coarsely ground rice meal.
In Republic of Macedonia boza is much thinner and lighter, and tastes sweeter.
In Turkey it is served with cinnamon
Cinnamon
Cinnamon is a spice obtained from the inner bark of several trees from the genus Cinnamomum that is used in both sweet and savoury foods...
and roasted chickpeas (Leblebi
Leblebi
Leblebi is a kind of snack made from roasted chickpeas, very common and popular in Turkey. It is sometimes roasted with salt, hot spices or dried cloves. There is also a candy coated variety...
in Turkish), and is consumed mainly in the winter months. The Ottoman Empire was known to feed its army with boza as it is rich in carbohydrates and vitamins.
In Bulgaria it is part of the traditional "Banitsa
Banitsa (pastry)
Banitsa is a traditional Bulgarian food prepared by layering a mixture of whisked eggs and pieces of cheese between filo pastry and then baking it in an oven....
with Boza" breakfast. Although a popular beverage, boza is used to describe something (film, piece of music, etc.) to be bland, boring, and of low quality. In Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
it is mostly produced and sold in the northern part of Albania; you can easily find it in the candy and ice-creams stores of the capital, Tirana
Tirana
Tirana is the capital and the largest city of Albania. Modern Tirana was founded as an Ottoman town in 1614 by Sulejman Bargjini, a local ruler from Mullet, although the area has been continuously inhabited since antiquity. Tirana became Albania's capital city in 1920 and has a population of over...
.
In Serbia, boza is produced and sold in "oriental-type" confectionaries and health food store
Health food store
A health food store is a type of grocery store that primarily sells health food, organic foods, local produce, and often nutritional supplements...
s. It is usually made of water, wheat flour, maize flour, yeast
Yeast
Yeasts are eukaryotic micro-organisms classified in the kingdom Fungi, with 1,500 species currently described estimated to be only 1% of all fungal species. Most reproduce asexually by mitosis, and many do so by an asymmetric division process called budding...
and sugar.
In Kyrgyz Republic the wheat variety is widely available from street side vendors, mostly in the summer months. It is best known by the brand name "Shoro" but is also sold by Tan and others. It is frequently mixed with a Kefir-like sour milk drink to produce a slightly lighter and sharper tasting version.
The variant found in Romania is called bragă, and it is sweeter than in Turkey and Bulgaria, but thicker and darker than in Republic of Macedonia.
In United States commercial production of boza started in Skokie, Illinois
Skokie, Illinois
Skokie is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. Its name comes from a Native American word for "fire". A Chicago suburb, for many years Skokie promoted itself as "The World's Largest Village". Its population, per the 2000 census, was 63,348...
in January 2009.
Boza in Albania is made of maize (corn) and wheat flour, sugar and water. It has a sweet to sour taste. It differs from the other types: it is lighter and usually consumed as a refreshing drink in summer.
Production and storage
Boza is produced in the Balkans and most of the Turkic regions, but not always using milletMillet
The millets are a group of small-seeded species of cereal crops or grains, widely grown around the world for food and fodder. They do not form a taxonomic group, but rather a functional or agronomic one. Their essential similarities are that they are small-seeded grasses grown in difficult...
. The flavour varies according to the cereal which is used. In a scientific study of boza carried out by the Turkish Science and Technology Institute for Vefa Bozacisi, the drink was found to be extremely healthy and nourishing. One litre of boza contains a thousand calories, four types of vitamins A and B, and vitamin E. During fermentation lactic acid
Lactic acid
Lactic acid, also known as milk acid, is a chemical compound that plays a role in various biochemical processes and was first isolated in 1780 by the Swedish chemist Carl Wilhelm Scheele. Lactic acid is a carboxylic acid with the chemical formula C3H6O3...
, which is contained by few foods, is formed, and this facilitates digestion.
As boza spoils if not kept in a cool place, boza fermenters in Turkey (traditionally) don't sell boza in summer months and sell alternative beverages such as grape juice or lemonade. However, it is now available in summer time due to demand and availability of refrigeration. In Bulgaria, Albania and Macedonia, however, boza is produced as refreshing beverage year-round.
Trivia
Boza has been alleged to have an ability to enlarge women's breasts. It is also recommended to women during their lactation period soon after they give birth as boza stimulates the production of milk.Similar beverages
Other beverages from around the world that are traditionally low-alcohol and lacto-fermented include:- KvassKvassKvass, kvas, quass or gira, gėra is a fermented beverage made from black...
- ChichaChichaFor the musical genre, see Peruvian cumbiaChicha is a term used in some regions of Latin America for several varieties of fermented and non-fermented beverages, rather often to those derived from maize and similar non-alcoholic beverages...
- IbwatuIbwatuIbwatu or munkoyo is one of rural Zambia's favourite drinks. It is a mildly fermented drink made from pounded roots mixed with bits of maize. The mixture can be drunk immediately after it is made or allowed to ferment for several days. It is often called "sweet beer" by Zambians...
- KombuchaKombuchaKombucha is an effervescent tea-based beverage that is often drunk for its anecdotal health benefits or medicinal purposes. Kombucha is available commercially and can be made at home by fermenting tea using a visible, solid mass of yeast and bacteria which forms the kombucha culture, often referred...
- MaltaMalta (soft drink)Malta, young beer, Children's beer or wheat soda is a type of soft drink. It is a carbonated malt beverage, meaning it is brewed from barley, hops, and water much like beer; corn and caramel color may also be added...
- ToddyPalm winePalm wine also called Palm Toddy also called "Kallu" written in Malayalam and கள்ளு in Tamil or simply Toddy is an alcoholic beverage created from the sap of various species of palm tree such as the palmyra, and coconut palms...
- RivellaRivellaRivella is a soft drink from Switzerland, created by Robert Barth in 1952, which is produced from milk whey, and therefore includes ingredients such as lactose, lactic acid and minerals...
See also
- Turkish cuisineTurkish cuisineTurkish cuisine is largely the heritage of Ottoman cuisine, which can be described as a fusion and refinement of Central Asian, Middle Eastern and Balkan cuisines. Turkish cuisine has in turn influenced those and other neighbouring cuisines, including that of western Europe...
- Bosnian cuisineBosnian cuisineBosnian cuisine is balanced between Western and Eastern influences. The food is closely related to Turkish, Middle Eastern and other Mediterranean cuisines. However, due to years of Austrian rule, there are also many culinary influences from Central Europe....
- Macedonian cuisine
- Bulgarian cuisineBulgarian cuisineBulgarian cuisine is a representative of the cuisine of Southeastern Europe. Essentially South Slavic, it shares characteristics with other Balkans cuisines...
- Albanian cuisine
- Lithuanian cuisineLithuanian cuisineLithuanian cuisine features the products suited to the cool and moist northern climate of Lithuania: barley, potatoes, rye, beets, greens, berries, and mushrooms are locally grown, and dairy products are one of its specialities...
- Polish cuisinePolish cuisinePolish cuisine is a style of cooking and food preparation originating from Poland. It has evolved over the centuries due to historical circumstances. Polish national cuisine shares some similarities with other Central European and Eastern European traditions as well as French and Italian...