Kuvvet Yemekleri ve Kuvvet İlaçları (Book: Dishes and Medicines That Give Strength)

Avanzade Mehmed Süleyman has a famous cookbook series including books such as “How to Cook 100 Types of Vegetables, 100 Types of Soups, and 100 Types of Eggs”. You might have heard of them. Today, we will talk about the book Kuvvet Yemekleri ve Kuvvet İlaçları by one of the most productive writers of the Ottoman period, Avanzade Süleyman.

Avanzâde Mehmed Süleyman, born in Istanbul in 1871, wrote countless articles for magazines and books on the topics of health, women, nutrition, sexuality, fortune telling, sorcery, German history and culture, and pharmacy. Kuvvet Yemekleri ve Kuvvet İlaçları is one of the most interesting books written by Avanzade Süleyman.

In the preface of the book, it is stated that these books were written for those who want to get stronger, and that anyone who gets stronger lives a more comfortable and enjoyable life. In the preface of the book, Avanzâde Süleyman states that he wrote the book for both men and women and he makes important points by saying that in Europe they use the phrase “strong like a Turk” to describe considerably strong people.

48-page booklet, published in French and in Ottoman Turkish in 1905, consists of recipes of syrups and supplementary foods. Drinks, syrups and natural supplementary foods are listed along with their dosage information. This is an interesting book translated and adapted from French that allows us to understand how strength-enhancing supplementary foods are in demand in the early 20th century.