Pestil is a traditional dried fruit pulp that is commonly produced in Anatolia, Armenia, Lebanon, Syria, Arabia and Iran and known with different names such as bastegh or pastegh (Armenian: պաստեղ), t'tu lavash (Armenian: թթու լավաշ, lit. 'sour lavash'), qamar el deen, bestil, and fruit leather.
Fruit leather is made from mechanically pulverizing fruit, then spreading it out to dry into a tough, yet flexible and edible material which can be kept preserved for several months in an airtight container. It is a popular dessert in Armenia and Turkey.[5]
Pestil might be made with different types of fruit beside plums. Apples, apricots, pears, peaches and melons are popular choices.[6]
Etymology and History
According to Robert Dankoff, the term bastik, used in much of Anatolia including Bursa, Kayseri, and Van, derives from Armenian pasteł (պաստեղ, "pastegh" / "fruit leather") which in turn derives from Ancient Greek pastillos (πάστιλλος, "pastille").[7] This word and the fruit leather it describes was first attested in Middle Armenian as պաստեղ (pasteġ) in the year 1227 AD.[citation needed]
According to Turkish-Armenian linguist Nişanyan Sevan, pestil and pastillo are cognates and pastillo might have derived from Italian pastello. The dictionary asserts that the relationship between pestil and French pastille is ambiguous. The first Turkish attestation of the word is dated back to 1501 dictionary Câmiü'l-Fürs.[8]
The origins of pastegh may be traced back to the Persian Empire, a period when Armenia was part of it.[3][9]
Preparation
Armenia
To make Armenian bastegh, grapes are pressed, and the juice is boiled with sugar and thickened with flour or cornstarch. This mixture is then spread evenly over heavy muslin sheets, about 1/8 inch thick, and left to dry overnight. The following day, the sheets are hung outdoors to finish drying. Once the fruit puree has dried, it is sprayed with water to facilitate easy removal from the muslin.[3]
Gallery
-
Armenian pastegh -
Pestil in Turkey (upper left) -
Armenian rolled up pastegh
See also
References
- ^ Armenian Food: Fact, Fiction & Folklore ISBN 9781411698659
- ^ Armitage, Susie. "T'tu Lavash". Atlas Obscura. Retrieved 28 February 2025.
- ^ a b c Timothy G. Roufs, Kathleen Smyth Roufs (29 July 2014). Sweet Treats around the World: An Encyclopedia of Food and Culture. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 9798216152040.
- ^ Goldstein, Darra (2015). The Oxford Companion to Sugar and Sweets. Oxford University Press. p. 413. ISBN 9780199313396.
- ^ "Pastegh (TTU Lavash or Sour Lavash) - Armenian Sweet & Tart Chewy Fruit Learher". 8 October 2022.
- ^ Kristbergsson, Kristberg; Oliveira, Jorge (2016-03-09). Traditional Foods: General and Consumer Aspects. Springer. ISBN 978-1-4899-7648-2.
- ^ Dankoff, Robert (1995). Armenian Loanwords in Turkish. Otto Harrassowitz Verlag. ISBN 978-3-447-03640-5.
- ^ "pestil". Nişanyan Sözlük. Retrieved 2020-10-21.
- ^ Bakshi, Manish; Bandaru, Harshini (December 2020). "Fruit Leather: Preparation, packaging and its effect on sensorial and physico-chemical properties: A review". Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry.
