You’re probably wondering what on earth are chicken and pudding doing in the same sentence and that this is probably a joke. Nope. It is not a joke. Tavuk Göğsü is a real Turkish dessert and actually you’d be surprised as to how popular it is with the locals. Ask 9 out of 10 locals for a dessert recommendation and most likely you won’t be hearing baklava, kunafa or Turkish delight… you’d be hearing the Tavuk Göğsü, which is a chicken breast rice pudding.
What’s the story then? This delicacy dates back to the Ottoman sultans in Istanbul’s Topkapı Palace. Legend has it that one particular sultan asked for a midnight sweet treat, but all that was available was chicken. They decided to innovate and the rest is history.
It is a time-consuming procedure, which ensures that absolutely no taste nor fragrance of chicken is left. The chicken is used as thickening agent. This may sound strange, but early versions of blancmange used this method too, it’s only now that gelatin is used instead of chicken. The chicken is boiled and shredded finely and then added to a typical rice pudding mixture. Eventually, it served cold usually with a sprinkle of cinnamon on top. You can also get a slightly more caramely (or burnt) version that is found in the bottom or side of the pans – the Turkish name for that one is Kazandibi (and in reality, this is the version we tried).
For those that know me, know that I love trying new things and especially local delicacies. When that local delicacy is something super unique, you know I’m already there. So, when I first came across this in a Food Ranger video, I knew I would have to try this when in Istanbul. Without a doubt. Understandably, the wife wasn’t so keen, but she tolerates my sense of food adventure impeccably. Thank you!
Saray Muhallebicisi is the most popular chicken breast pudding restaurant. They have been serving this “treat” for 80 years, and doing so with expertise, as the locals will testify. Unfortunately, we weren’t based near this restaurant and I honestly couldn’t justify the need to travel for a chicken pudding to my wife. I just couldn’t. So, when I saw this on the Hafiz Mustafa menu (on one of our numerous trips there), I pounced on the opportunity. Read about our full experience at Hafiz Mustafa Istanbul – click here.
How was it?
The texture is the most noticeable and memorable thing about this dessert. It is very stiff and stringy. You need knife for this one really (some restaurants even give a special spoon with this). Taste-wise it is basically like a rice pudding. If you didn’t know, you would have no idea this had chicken in it. It’s a strange one really – a rice pudding you need a knife for… I didn’t mind it, but probably wouldn’t order it again (I’d just get the much easier to consume rice pudding). My wife, on the other hand, had an ever so small nibble as she couldn’t get beyond the thought of chicken in the pudding and the stringiness of it didn’t help and as you cut through the chicken strands that you can just about work out also didn’t help.
Getting There:
Google Location Link: click here (there are many locations, this one is the one near the two famous mosques)
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