Boza is a thick, lightly fermented beverage made from grains such as wheat, millet or maize, with a mildly sour, slightly sweet flavor and very low alcohol content. It has an ancient history in the region and is consumed today chiefly across the Balkans, Turkey, the Caucasus and parts of Central Asia, sold traditionally as a comforting winter drink, often dusted with cinnamon and accompanied by roasted chickpeas. Boza has particular cultural resonance in Ottoman and post-Ottoman urban culture, historically sold by street vendors, and it remains a recognizable seasonal specialty in Istanbul and other cities across the region rather than an everyday drink.
Facts
Partially Attested
Origin Period, From (Year)1073 is the date of the oldest written attestation of boza's earlier name busum in a Turkic dictionary; it is not necessarily the invention date of the drink itself. Origin Region Connections
Expresses Tradition
Uses Ingredient
Sources
1. Boza - Wikipedia
Lead section, definition sentence
Boza, also bosa or bozo, is a fermented beverage originating from Central Asia.
History section, oldest written account sentence
attested from the 1073 Middle Turkic dictionary Diwan Lughat al-Turk
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