Roasted chicken with cinnamon, aubergine puree (1539)

During the 16th century, Roasted chicken with cinnamon and aubergine puree was served at the dinner parties in the Ottoman capital to respected guests. It was a lavish mix of chicken thigh cooked with cinnamon and almonds and served with roasted aubergine puree.

Ottoman cuisine was a culinary culture which grew from the 15th century onwards and was shaped by an elite group, who lived in and around Istanbul’s Palace, an elite who took pleasure in good food.