Aşure (Noah's pudding)

Aşure takes its name from Ashura, the tenth day of Muharram in the Islamic calendar. According to legend, when Noah's Ark came to rest after the Flood, the remaining provisions were cooked together in one pot — hence its other name, Noah's pudding.

It contains hulled wheat, chickpeas, white beans, apricots, figs, raisins, walnuts and hazelnuts and is decorated with pomegranate seeds, cinnamon and sesame — ten or more ingredients in all.

In Türkiye aşure is cooked in big pots and shared with neighbours and friends as a symbol of plenty and togetherness. For Alevis, the aşure cooked at the end of the Muharram fast has special meaning.