It turns out the bad one wasn't collard greens soup, but white cabbage soup

It has emerged that the dish ranked 7th on the '100 Worst Dishes in the World' list by the website TasteAtlas is not, contrary to popular belief, the Black Sea's famous collard greens soup, but rather white cabbage soup.

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It turns out the bad one wasn't collard greens soup, but white cabbage soup

Stating that the backlash against the inclusion of collard greens soup—a staple of Black Sea vegetarian cuisine—in the list of worst dishes stemmed from a misunderstanding worthy of a Black Sea joke, Giresun University Faculty of Gastronomy and Culinary Arts lecturer Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mehmet Akif Şen said, "When the contents of the dish ranked 7th on the '100 Worst Dishes in the World' list by TasteAtlas are examined, it becomes clear that it is not collard greens soup in terms of either its preparation or its ingredients. Actions taken without research and soup distribution events have created a situation reminiscent of a Black Sea joke."

A while ago, a website called TasteAtlas determined the '100 Worst Dishes in the World.' The people of the Black Sea, thinking the cabbage soup ranked 7th on the list was their own regional collard greens soup, reacted to the situation both on their social media accounts and through various protests and events. Soup distribution events were even organized to prove the worth of collard greens soup.

However, the truth came to light thanks to the attention of Giresun University Faculty of Gastronomy and Culinary Arts lecturer Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mehmet Akif Şen. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mehmet Akif Şen observed that the cabbage soup listed among the 100 worst dishes by TasteAtlas was, according to the recipe published on the site, a dish made not with collard greens, but with cabbage known as white cabbage or round cabbage.

Şen said, "The relevant site mentions a type of cabbage as an ingredient in the recipe for the dish on the page and has also provided a visual. This visual shows a variety of cabbage known as white cabbage or round cabbage, which does not grow in the Black Sea region. The ingredients for the dish include green lentils. Apart from these, there is also chicken broth and tomato sauce. First of all, none of these ingredients are found in the collard greens soup of the Black Sea. When we look at the preparation of the dish, onions are sautéed in olive oil, and then the other ingredients are added. In other words, the ingredients and recipe for the cabbage soup shown among the worst dishes on the site are provided. When looking at the recipe and content of the cabbage soup in question, it turns out it has nothing to do with the collard greens soup grown and prepared in the Eastern Black Sea region," he said.

"THE SITUATION TURNED INTO A BLACK SEA JOKE"

Explaining the preparation and ingredients of Black Sea collard greens soup, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Şen said, "The collard greens plant has existed in the Black Sea for 2,000 years and is part of the culinary culture.

As for its preparation and ingredients, it contains collard greens, beans, cornmeal or 'yarma' (a coarser ground version of cornmeal), tail fat or suet, and peppers.

As for the preparation, first, the collard greens are finely chopped and washed in water. Dried beans, which have not been boiled beforehand or soaked overnight, are boiled in a pot to soften them.

When the beans are close to being cooked, the finely chopped and cleaned greens are added to the pot with the beans. When the greens are also close to being cooked, cornmeal is whisked and added to the pot. At this stage, 'yarma,' which is a coarser type of cornmeal, is also added to the soup.

Furthermore, the indispensable ingredient in collard greens soup is tail fat or suet, which is added to the soup. Hot peppers, which the local people grow in their own fields, are also added to the soup. Those who want a difference in flavor can also add butter to the soup.

After all the ingredients are added, it is boiled for 10 minutes and is ready to eat. In the Eastern Black Sea region, collard greens soup is made at least twice a week, and it is a soup so filling that no other dish is even eaten when it is served. Therefore, the soup that was criticized or reacted to for being on the list of worst dishes is not this soup. The event turned into a bit of a Black Sea joke. Soups were distributed as a form of protest, and we can say that this actually worked out in the citizens' favor," he stated.

Stating that collard greens soup is also a storehouse of healing, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Şen added, "First of all, the time when collard greens are most delicious is the winter season. Collard greens that have been covered in snow and exposed to the cold are more delicious. Due to its antioxidant properties, collard greens are very beneficial for the immune system. It contains a large amount of Vitamin C, and because it is a green leafy vegetable, it also contains Vitamin K. Since it contains a high rate of fiber, it is also known to be good for intestinal and blood sugar diseases," he said.

News Source: İHA