Food culture is not only about neatness and knowing how to hold utensils correctly; it embodies ideas about politeness and mutual respect, rooted in ancestral traditions and religious beliefs that shape the identity of an entire people. A rich dining etiquette full of fascinating customs is an integral part of the Crimean Tatar culture.

A respectful and highly attentive attitude towards guests, regardless of their status or wealth, is a characteristic feature of the hospitable Crimean Tatar people. Even strangers are welcomed into their homes with great respect.

The rules and rituals of the royal court etiquette of the Crimean Tatar aristocracy were partly adapted to the lives of ordinary people. For instance, the role of a steward, qadaq, who served drinks to everyone starting with the main person at the celebration, was common among courtiers. Later, ordinary people also began to appoint a chief administrator, qart ağa, who had two assistants, sol bey and on bey, respectively the left and right beys.

The existence of such “dining room” positions was recorded as early as the nineteenth century. Here are some examples:

• Çubukçı (“chubukchy”) — a person who filled pipes with tobacco and offered them to guests.
• Kureci-bey (“kuredzhy-bei”) — a person who poured drinks for guests.
• Kızımklârler (“kyzymkliarlier”) — the one who tended the fire near the table.

The traditions of the Crimean Tatar people were reflected in the table setting, serving, and even the way dishes were eaten. The French traveler Charles-Gilbert Romme, who in 1786 stayed with a Crimean Tatar, the Mufti of Karasubazar, wrote in his travel memoirs:

They placed a napkin on our knees. Then they handed us a washbowl and poured some water on our hands. Next, they gave us another napkin to dry our hands. They then placed a silvered copper table in front of us, round with a side, on a very low wooden leg. In the middle was an egg, surrounded by six small plates: one with liquid honey; the second with honey made from grape juice; the third with flour biscuits, butter, and honey; the fourth with sour milk (airan); the fifth and sixth with fried meat. We ate without a spoon: we put the egg on a piece of bread and dipped it in honey. Then they served soup with groats and meatballs, followed by boiled dough, and then figs cut into slices and cooked with honey. After dinner, we had coffee or shierbet (a sweet drink). Finally, they served a bowl of water and soap for washing hands.

The Crimean Tatar people will gladly share their dinner table with anyone who respects their traditions. Their hospitality knows no bounds, and the most unexpected guest will always be welcomed as long as they do not bring harm, grief, or destruction to a culture with a long history. Unfortunately, Russia has often exploited the goodwill of the indigenous peoples of Ukraine, resulting in arrogance, colonization attempts, romanticization, fetishization, and the alienation of the cultural heritage of these original peoples. Gratitude and mutual respect are the main attributes of universal etiquette that pave the way for the enrichment of cultures, not their destruction.

We are grateful to Olena Sobolieva’s book Crimean Tatar Cuisine and the Їzhak Publishing House for this precious story about traditions.