Боза или Boza

Today I bought some BOZA on my own.  What is getting into me?  For those of you not in Bulgaria, the drink is a thick grainy barley-like sugary brown drink that tastes different and strange.  Check this out from Wikipedia: 

Boza 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 16^th 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 Haci Ibrahim and Haci Sadik brothers 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.

 It goes with the morning pastry banitsa.  Bulgarians seem to live by it and me well I like to try things.  I have had Boza maybe 5 or 6 times since being here and I do not dislike it.

I have also been drinking the yogurt drink Ayran.  I like it.  In America, I had this drink before with mint leaves but it seemed to be carbonated and from Iran.  Funny how the name is Ayran.

source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boza

My Top 50 Albums In Random Order

 

1. The Beatles – Rubber Soul – 1965
2. Bob Dylan – Bringing it All Back Home – 1965
3. The Rolling Stones – Exile On Mainstreet – 1972
4. Love – Forever Changes – 1967
5. The Dandy Warhols – Dandy’s Rule Ok – 1995
6. Beachwood Sparks – Beachwood Sparks – 2000
7. The Beach Boys – Pet Sounds – 1966
8. The Brian Jonestown Massacre – Give It Back – 1997
9. Miles Davis – Bitches Brew – 1970
10.  Beck – Odelay – 1996
11.  Son Volt – Trace – 1995
12.  The Byrds – Notorious Byrd Brothers – 1968
13.  Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – Howl – 2005
14. The Kinks – The Kinks are the Village Green Preservation Society – 1968
15. Merle Haggard and the Strangers – Lonesome Fugitive 1967
16. The Tyde – Twice – 2003
17. Uncle Tupelo – March 16-20, 1992 – 1992
18. The Doors – Morrison Hotel – 1970
19. Stephen Stills – Manassas – 1972
20. David Bowie – Aladdin Sane – 1973
21. My Bloody Valentine – Ecstacy and Wine – 1989
22. Pink Floyd – Piper at the Gates of Dawn – 1967
23. George Harrison – All Things Must Pass – 1970
24. The Warlocks – The Warlocks – 2000
25. The Velvet Underground – The Velvet Underground and Nico – 1967
26. The Brian Jonestown Massacre – Strung Out In Heaven – 1998
27. The Rolling Stones – Beggars Banquet – 1968
28. Buffalo Springfield – Buffalo Springfield – 1967
29. The Electric Prunes – Underground – 1967
30. The Byrds – Fifth Dimension – 1966
31. The Monkees – Head –  1968
32. Johnny Cash – At Folsom Prison – 1968
33. Donovan – Greatest Hits – 1969
34. Neil Young – Tonight’s the Night – 1975
35. Led Zeppelin – Houses of The Holy – 1973
36. The Flying Burrito Bros – Hot Burritos! The Flying Burrito Bros. Anthology 2000
37. Echo And The Bunnymen – Ocean Rain – 1984
38. Ride – Nowhere – 1990
39. U2 – The Joshua Tree – 1987
40. INXS – Kick – 1987
41. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – Into The Great Wide Open – 1991
42. Pearl Jam – No Code – 1996
43. Poco – Pickin’ Up The Pieces – 1969
44. The Cure – Disintegration – 1989
45. Return To Forever – No Mystery – 1975
46. Antonio Carlos Jobim – Stone Flower – 1970
47. The Who – The Who Sell Out – 1967
48. The Zombies – The Singles Collection: A’s & B’s, 1964-1969 -2000
49. The Association – Greatest Hits – 1968
50. The Lovin’ Spoonful – Greatest Hits – 2000