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Submitted via IRC for Bytram

Turkey's magical hangover cure

In an unassuming storefront tucked away on a bustling Istanbul street, an older man was assembling a vividly colourful package of pickles. Drawing from buckets of cauliflower, beetroot, plums and peppers, he mixed them into a plump bundle inside a sturdy, clear plastic bag and sealed them in a pool of their own juices.

Adem Altun, 64, is a third-generation pickle man who has practiced his craft since he was a boy. He operates the original location of Pelit Turşuları in Istanbul’s Kurtuluş neighbourhood, with branches in different pockets of the city. It’s one of a number of classic pickle shops in the city that adhere to decades-old techniques passed down from generation to generation.

“For us, a meal without pickles is not complete. There are pickles on every table. Sometimes this drops in the summer because pickles prefer the cold,” Altun said.

But I wasn’t there to learn about pickles, or to pick up an assorted mix for the dinner table. I’d come to his shop – conveniently located a few blocks away from my apartment – for a different purpose: I’d drunk a little too much the previous night, and a glass of pickle juice is famed as a quick, tasty and natural cure for even the fiercest of headaches.

“In terms of minerals it is very rich,” Altun said, offering an explanation as he served me a glass.   

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