ABSTRACT
The space of home, a place of ‘structured domesticity’ with ‘aesthetic and moral dimensions’ is implicit in the practices, which highlight the joy and anxiety associated with ‘incorporation’ of a food item into the body. This chapter explores nostalgic recollections of these seasonally cyclical speech acts and gestures performed on the occasion of the first taste of a fruit in season. It outlines the botanical and commercial vocabulary for early and first fruits in Turkey, as a window onto the multiple meanings and value of seasonal fruit. The chapter describes memories of the first fruit ritual posted online by food bloggers known to the public to show the way that remembrance of these rituals highlights heightened moments of family life and of moral coherence, presumably in contrast to a time when these are rare. Children’s laughter is a type of catalyst for the proper fermentation of a ritual meal.
