Sütlaç: Turkish Rice Pudding
Sütlaç is a traditional Turkish dessert. It is a creamy rice pudding, often with a characteristically burnt skin on the surface.
Sütlaç holds a special place among Turkish desserts. It exists in two basic variations - the classic pot-cooked version and fırın sütlaç, which is finished in the oven in clay bowls until its surface develops dark brown to black blisters. It is usually this baked version that lands on the table in front of you.
The name "sütlaç" itself is derived from the older expression "sütlü aş", which literally means "milk food" or "milk dish". In Turkey, sütlaç is perceived as a lighter finish to a meal, intended to soothe the stomach after spicy meat dishes.
We can find similar rice puddings all over the world, which testifies to the universality of the combination of rice and milk. In Spain and Latin America, it is arroz con leche, which is often more strongly flavored with cinnamon and lemon zest. In India, they prepare kheer, which is thinner, cooked with cardamom, saffron, and plenty of nuts. In Greece, they have rizogalo, which is very close to Turkish sütlaç, but is often not baked and is served generously sprinkled with cinnamon. British rice pudding is denser and is often baked in the oven entirely, not just to obtain a skin.
I tasted the fırın sütlaç captured in the picture at the traditional soup restaurant Tarihi Konya Kellecisi (see Where to Eat in Konya). It was served in a classic clay bowl, with a distinctively dark, almost black crust in the center. The texture was perfectly smooth, the rice soft but not overcooked, and the sweetness balanced. One portion cost 110 TRY (2.60 EUR).
Bon appétit!
