The B-Roll #8

This is the eight edition of my weekly newsletter, The B-Roll. Thank you for coming along for the ride. 

Hi lovely,

Did you know that I tend to be combative as fuck? I know, this is probably brand new information coming your way. I will come to my loved one's defenses in a heart beat, even if it's against myself at times.

Or at least that's the way it used to be. 

The "against myself" bit.

I will still cut you if you hurt someone I love.

But as it turns out, the whole "living life on the knife's edge" of having a defensive mode as a default is a side effect of trauma.

Again, who fucking knew?

However, I'm noticing that I don't immediately go into reactive mode when confronted with a situation. I am learning not to take things personally and giving myself time to step away and process before simply reacting.

This comes in handy both in my personal and professional life.

It means I'm not always putting out fires that I probably started.

The key word there being always. I'm a multi-passionate Turkish Aries woman after all. Kind of like how the Hulk is always angry, my fireballs are always ready under the surface.

For example, I was fully intent on using this week's letter to do a takedown of an article I wrote written by an influencer about her time in Istanbul. The whole thing is ridiculous on a different level but she kept essentially erasing certain aspects of Turkish food culture by referring to things as "Turkish bagel", "Turkish sausage" or " Turkish tapas" when words already exist for them: A simit, sucuk, and mezes. 

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So instead of getting into the combativeness of it all, I'm going to use it as a launching point to talk about language in general and how it can both celebrate and erase cultural identities.

It's possible to talk about and describe foods outside of your culture without turning them into a "version" of your food, without erasing the history and culture identity that's infused in those foods.

Let's take the simit for example. It's a "circular bread, typically encrusted with sesame seeds" and it's been produced in Istanbul since 1525 and its weight and size was standardized in 1593. The origin of the word simit comes from 

samīd

 (سميد) "white bread" or "fine flour"

Not only is it not a "Turkish bagel", because bagel is a bread product originating in the Jewish communities of Poland, it's not even prepared the same across different regions of Turkey, let alone the rest of the eastern Europe and Middle Eastern countries. By calling the simit a "Turkish bagel," not only are you erasing the cultural identity of the simit, but you're doing the same thing to the bagel.

While the simit is the most recent and common example of this, I also came across a recipe in The Guardian recently, where they shared a recipe for a "courgette" without giving any credit to its origins. I won't link to the recipe but since this has essentially turned into a long Language Corner, I'll tell you about the dish that originates back to the Ottoman Empire.

Mücver

is a fritter or pancake made from grated zucchini, typically pan-fried in oil, and it dates back to the Ottoman era. In fact, back then, it was actually known as a cooking technique. By not acknowledging its history, the recipe writer for The Guardian essentially erased the rich history of a dish. Also fun fact, 

mücver

means "jewel" in Turkish. 

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*Deep breaths*

As I've mentioned before, I don't plan these letters beforehand and apparently, this is what has been brewing on my mind for a while. 

While the examples I've shared are about my culture, I'm fully aware that this practice of appropriating and diminishing recipes infused with a unique identity happens around the world every day.

So, as I come to the conclusion of this week's letter, I implore you to always take the time to take a beat and do your research because a little knowledge can go a long way. 

 ONE YEAR LATER 

As you may know, I was diagnosed with bipolar 2 disorder on October 26, 2020. I did a deep dive into the days following the diagnosis and my medication journey, if it's something you're interested in that sort of thing. 

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Thanks for reading this far, friend. As with everything in life, this will be a work-in-progress and you can always hit "Reply" to give me feedback, commentary, or your thoughts on the topic of the letter.Until next time, I wish you a sane and healthy week.With love,