One of the most popular wintertime drinks, boza is a fermented beverage that has a history in Turkey but also in countries such as Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Albania, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Montenegro, and Kosovo.
Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Fermented drinks from cereal flour or millet first made their appearance during the 9th and 8th millennia BC during the time of the native Anatolians and Mesopotamians. Boza is a natural drink, whose ancient recipe was passed down through generations of nomadic people from Central Asia and the Middle East.
Boza is obtained by fermenting wheat, and its rich content of proteins and vitamins helped nomadic warriors overcome long distances and harsh climate for centuries.
Questions or concerns? When Boza is made from hulled millet that is boiled in water and then poured into pans in order to be cooled. During the 10th century, the drink gained the name ‘boza,’ and became popular among the Central Asian Turkic people, later spreading to the Caucasus and Due to a very low but present level of alcohol, the drink faced some problems in the 17th century when Sultan Mehmed IV prohibited the consumption of alcoholic drinks including boza. Articles such as this one were acquired and published with the primary aim of expanding the information on Britannica.com with greater speed and efficiency than has traditionally been possible. […]
These articles have not yet undergone the rigorous in-house editing or fact-checking and styling process to which most Britannica articles are customarily subjected. This contribution has not yet been formally edited by Britannica. Boza, a thick, fermented malt drink made from corn, wheat, millet, or bulgur (depending on location), with a subtle tart, tangy taste and a very low alcohol content. The drink is always topped with cinnamon or One of the most popular wintertime drinks, boza is a fermented beverage that has a history in Interested in participating in the
We took a look at the tradition of drinking boza in Turkey, as well as the best place to get your hands on this particular drink that’s a bit of an acquired taste. After this ruling, the prohibition was reinforced and loosened several times over the course of history, until a sweet and non-alcoholic version was introduced in the 19th century and became much more popular than its sour and alcoholic predecessor. Most commonly found in Eastern European and Middle Eastern countries like Turkey, Kazakhstan, Bulgaria, and Romania, boza is a Boza is served with a spoon because of its thick consistency and is a bit of an acquired taste.
It is a malt drink made from flour, it has a thick consistency and a low alcohol content (usually around 1%), and a slightly acidic sweet flavor. How do we know that boza was way too popular once upon a time? It’s cold but it’s really healthy and is good for winter colds and breathing problems. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox.
History at your fingertips
Boza in everyday lingo . By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica.Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. You should expect a winter drink to be hot, but it’s not.
Virtually any topic for the virtual learner. The best way to drink boza is chilled, by itself or with ice cream.
Laura Siciliano-Rosen is a freelance writer and editor based in New York City and the co-founder of the website Eat Your World (EYW), an original guide to regional foods and drinks around the globe.
It was during this time, 1876 to be exact, that brothers Hacı İbrahim and Hacı Sadık established a boza shop in Istanbul’s Vefa district that continues to serve the city’s most iconic boza. Once it’s sieved, water and sugar are added to the mixture, and a very sweet yet tangy flavor emerges.