Page 124 - Almanacco_ENG_2014

EssedraSlow Food has launched the ESSEDRA project in Turkey and other countries in the Balkan region, working with local partners to rediscover the economic, social and cultural value that traditional products have for local communities. www.essedra.comPerhaps it is no surprise that the Earth Market has taken root in Foça, one of the birthplaces of Mediterranean trade. According to Herodotus, in ancient times the inhabitants of this Greek colony were the first to cross the sea in search of business, travelling as far as Marseilles and even to distant Spain. Though perhaps less epic, the journeys made by Earth Market participants are still adventurous. Every Sunday, for ex- ample, producer Gulseren Sen travels from the village of Helvaci to the mar- ket’s stone square, a trip of 20 kilo- meters, first on foot and then by bus, leaving in the early hours of the morn- ing and returning at sunset, improbably weighed down by products and armed only with her contagious energy.one name, 1,000 verSionSAmong the little treasures that Gulseren brings to Foça, there is one of which she is particularly proud: her tarhana. Hard to describe to those who have never seen it, tarhana is a distillation of the generous abundance of summer, dried and put away for the colder months. Gulseren’s version is a mix of wheat flour, sheep’s milk and yogurt, tomatoes, onions, pep- permint and parsley, reduced to a paste124 almanaC