For us, food has geography, not nationality

We're invited to a house in Kurtuluş. "Shall we bring something?" we ask. "No," they say. We buy the food from Mezme - whatever is on the menu today will be whatever is left when we go. That day we have olive salad, topik, hummus, and dolma on the table. Another day at the same house, but now with muhammara, Georgian carrot, and topik again because we liked it so much. While traveling among the intertwined cultures of Kurtuluş, of course, we couldn't help but talk about the unifying state of food.

Mezme means "from us" in Armenian.

Because the name Mezme added an ‘m’ to ‘ezme’, we thought it would mean an appetizer in Armenian. This name also seems to refer to the neighborhood. Is it a coincidence that Mezme is from Tatavla?

Well, that would be neat, but in fact, Mezme has nothing to do with either. Mezme means "from us" in Armenian. Of course, "from us" here does not only refer to appetizers belonging to the Armenian community or culture. It also reflects the culinary cultures of the Greek, Jewish, Levantine, Armenian, Turkish and Arab communities that have existed and partly still exist in old Istanbul and Antakya, sometimes diverging and sometimes converging.

Therefore, as Mezme, we are trying to keep alive not just what we consume on our tables, but also a culture that was created by all the societies we have just mentioned. Tavla is one of the rare neighborhoods that has managed to carry its multicultural essence into the present. This work, which aims to revitalize this multicultural life, would of course be in Tatavla, where we were born and raised. For this reason, it is not a coincidence that Mezme is from Tatavla. It is crucial.

In our common culture, why is food always talked about while eating?

Meeting at a common table is a significant tradition. In our culture, tables with family or friends are very precious. It is where we unite. Considering the cultural richness of the geography, we may encounter more than one recipe for the same dish at a single table. It naturally encourages conversation about that dish.

Mezme types

Only one in Mezme ‘Armchair’

Mezme Koltuk is the space in front of Mezme. We named it after one of the tavern traditions, the "armchair tavern." The "armchair tavern" is one of the three main classes of tavern culture. Its definition is as follows: a little tavern located on the road in busy places, where one drinks on foot with a few appetizers.

Contrary to popular belief, the custom in these taverns in the past was not to drink while sitting in large armchairs but to come here after sunset and drink standing up. The seat in question is not the one you sit on, but the one under your arm. The most significant feature of armchair taverns is that you cannot sit for hours. Instead, these are the taverns where one or two friends or individuals stop by after work and have a quick drink - in short, armchair taverns are frequented by those who want to relax before going home.