Stories

Baş  Çorba 

We set up the mobile war headquarters in a hotel in Çorlu, located in the Turkish Thrace. It was a beautiful town north of the Sea of Marmaris and the hometown of one of my coworkers and closest friends, Lieutenant Colonel Hikmet Tahmaz. I was the Operation Sergeant for the Maneuver and Exercise Branch, Operations Division, of Land Forces, South East Europe.

We were an international office. Around my desk were a Brit, an American, an Italian, and two Turks. The senior Turk, Hickmet, was my favorite. Our office was responsible for the plans and orders of the NATO Exercises held in Turkey. Once the exercise began, we had plenty of free time.

Hikmet enjoyed taking us around town to see the sights and to dine at his favorite restaurants.

One evening, we went to his favorite Çorba Restaurant.  Çorba is the Turkish for "soup." I love Çorba.  The NATO photographers and I often ate lunch at a tiny place where we could have delicious soup and fresh bread for a few pennies. Both were fantastic.

This restaurant was small and full of people, always a good sign. Everyone ordered their favorite except me. I asked Hicmet to suggest his favorite soup. He said, "Baş Çorba."

I ordered Baş Çorba, speaking my best Turkish.

When it arrived, not only did it look horrible, but the smell was atrocious. It looked more like a porridge than soup, dull grey, and smelled like wet leather.  Hikmet was chowing down on his.  I braved a small taste and almost gagged.  I began translating in my head - Baş, I knew from my earliest Turkish, meant "Head."

Head?!

I asked Hikmet, "Hey, Sir. What is in this soup?"  He said, "Bits of the head of the goat."  "Bits?" "Yes, bits of the cheek, face, and brain."  "BRAIN?"  "Yes."  

"OK, Boss. I cannot eat this."

Hikmet was unfazed, "It's not for everyone."

He motioned Garson Bey back to our table so I could re-order.  I got lentil soup, my favorite.  I made a big deal about how good it was, not because it was any better than any other lentil soup I had ever had, but because Hikmet was my friend.

Hikmet became a general in the Turkish Army.