Not Your Typical Juice: Tursu Suyu
This jewel-colored beverage popular in Turkey is not made from fruit. What does this interesting concoction, tursu suyu, contain?
Tursu Suyu is a surprising snack/beverage made from pickled vegetables and pickle brine. The veggies range from beets, carrots, cabbage, cucumbers, onion, peppers, garlic — the list is truly endless! Turkish street food involves pickles on everything, forget jars, they rest on vendors’ carts in giant buckets. It’s no wonder the taste for the salty, sour pickle translates into a biting beverage that is touted for its health benefits.
I tried one and can’t say I was smitten, it certainly was new to my palate, to drink this much salt and tang. Who else was sampling this pickle-icious drink? Two Korean tourists. With the popularity of Kimchi and fermented vegetables in Korea, I could see the connection. We exchanged smiles and they gave the drink the international signal for ‘good stuff,’ big thumbs up.
Related: Trend Spotlight: The Pickleback
(Image: Leela Cyd Ross)