Glossary E
Ekmek Kadaifi refers to a Turkish dessert which is believed to be originated from Afyonkarahisar, known as Akroinon or Nikopolis in Greek, an area inhabited by Greeks for centuries before and during Ottoman rule. Ekmek Kadaifi is a delectable Izmir sweet. The Greek version, often referred to simply as Ekmek, consists of several layers: the bottom is a thick layer of shredded wheat, known as Kadaifi, which is saturated in a honey-based syrup; the middle layer consists of a denser wheat based shredded wheat, topped with thick vanilla-like custard, which is then topped with a thick layer of whipped cream and shredded almonds.
The Turkish version of Ekmek Kadaifi is more simple which only consists of a thick bread pudding base, moist with sugary syrup. Turkish Ekmek Kadaifi is often topped with Kaymak, a clotted cream with a buttery consistency.
Ekmek Kadaifi is one of the foods which Greece and Turkey shares in common. In Turkey it is called Ekmek Kataifi. Several of Turkish and Greek food resemle taste, aroma and more importantly names. The commonality between the two (2) countries dates back over 500 years to the Ottoman conquest ruling most of modern day Greece, as well as the entire eastern Mediterranean. With the empirical regime brought an establishment of the Silk Road, offering new recipes and spices from Central Asia to the Aegean. As a descendent of Greek Izmir, the food in Turkey was mostly derived from the Ottoman influences, examples are dishes like Mousakka, Imam Bayildi, Turlu, Borek, and among many others. These dishes symbolized centuries of shared history and culture between Greece and Turkey although in the end some differences might also be observed because of the differences in the style of cooking and some ingredients that goes into the dish.