Spring meze: what to order at an April dinner
Seasonal meze — from fresh greens to young fish.
April in Turkish gastronomy is the transition from winter's "warming" cooking to the light dishes of spring. The main stage for this shift is the meze table, and in Alanya right now is the best time to try the seasonal newcomers. The first meze of April is yaprak sarma. Young grape leaves with herbs, lemon, and olive oil. It takes literally five minutes to make, but it calls for young leaves specifically — the season runs until the end of May. Acılı ezme is refreshed with fresh peppers and tomatoes from the spring greenhouses. In April this classic is especially vivid — spicy, juicy, with the…