You cannot visit Turkey without coming across a very special dessert called Noah's ark pudding, better known as aşure (aah-shoor-EY').

Noah's ark pudding is a cornucopia of healthy ingredients such as dried fruits, legumes, and whole-grain wheat that are sweetened with sugar and fruit juices and cooked all together in one pot. This pudding traditionally contains apricots, raisins, currants, figs, pine nuts, walnuts, hazelnuts, chickpeas, and navy beans to name just a few ingredients.

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Some cooks even add chestnuts, lima beans, bulgur wheat, and slivers of fresh coconut. Almost anything goes.

The Oldest Dessert in the World

Noah's ark pudding, like many Turkish dishes, has its own story behind it. Turkish legend has it that the first version of aşure was made by Noah himself. After weeks on the ark, the waters began to recede. As food stocks dwindled, Noah decided to throw bits of everything he had left on the ark into one pot.

What he got was a delicious pudding that kept him and his passengers well-fed until the ark finally rested on Mount Ararat in eastern Turkey. Some say aşure is the oldest dessert in the world.

In modern Turkish culture, Noah's ark pudding is a symbol of diversity, friendship, and unity. When cooks prepares aşure, they make a lot, as it's customary to distribute bowls of pudding to as many friends and neighbors as possible.

About Ashura

Aşure, the Turkish name for Noah's pudding, is associated with Ashura. Ashura is common throughout the Middle East and spans many cultures, traditions, and religions.

Ashura was originally a Jewish celebration marking the rescue of Moses from the Pharaoh during which Hebrews fasted. Sunni Muslims also connect this period during the year with the deliverance of Moses.

For Shia Muslims, the day of Ashura is celebrated a few days before Ramadan, during Muharram, the 10th month, to commemorate the martyrdom of al-Husayn, the son of Ali and Fatima and the grandson of the Prophet Mohammed.

Ashura reminds Muslims of the sacrifices the Prophet's family made for mankind. The Ashura period is marked by the donation and sharing of food and sweets as an act of communion with God and reunition with humanity.

We even heard that a version of Ashura is celebrated as far away as Haiti!

How to Make Noah's Ark Pudding

There is no set recipe for making Noah's ark pudding. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of variations. You can use the basic recipe below as a guide.

You can adapt the ingredients and according to your taste or what you have on hand. Classic versions of aşure use rose water to flavor the pudding.

We like to add the zest of an orange and a lemon in place of the rose water for a citrusy flavor. Many cooks prefer the pudding plain with no added flavoring.

Whichever way you choose to prepare it, be ready to share your Noah's ark pudding with your neighbors, too. This recipe will make enough to fill a large pot.

3 cups uncooked whole grain wheat or barley

1 1/2 cups canned chickpeas (rinsed and drained)

1 1/2 cups canned navy beans (rinsed and drained)

1/4 cup uncooked rice

3 tablespoon dried currants

3 tablespoon pine nuts

8 dried apricots (cut into chunks)

8 dried figs (cut in chunks)3 cups of sugar

2 cinnamon sticks

Optional: zest of 1 orange

Optional: zest of 1 lemon

Optional: 2 tablespoons rose water