Ashure (also spelled aşure or Noah’s pudding) is a Turkish and Middle Eastern sweet pudding made from a base of hulled wheat berries, chickpeas, and white beans simmered until tender, then sweetened with sugar and enriched with dried fruits, nuts, rose water, and warm spices. Traditionally prepared during Muharram (the first month of the Islamic calendar), ashure is one of the oldest desserts in the world and carries deep religious and cultural significance across Turkey, the Balkans, and the broader Middle East.
Popular Recipes and Regional Variations
Turkish aşure is the most widely recognized version, typically containing twelve or more ingredients symbolizing the provisions that Noah gathered on the Ark. The base combines hulled wheat (aşurelik buğday), chickpeas, and white beans with dried apricots, figs, raisins, sultanas, walnuts, hazelnuts, and pomegranate seeds, flavored with rose water and cinnamon. Turkish tradition emphasizes sharing — ashure is always made in large quantities and distributed to neighbors, friends, and the less fortunate.
Lebanese and Syrian versions (called hérisé or burbara in some regions) may include whole wheat berries rather than hulled wheat and often incorporate orange blossom water alongside or instead of rose water. The Levantine versions tend to be thinner in consistency, closer to a sweet soup, and may include additional grains like barley or rice. Fennel seeds and anise sometimes replace cinnamon as the primary spice.
Balkan variations from Bosnia, Albania, and Greece reflect Ottoman culinary influence. Greek ashure (ασουρέ) often adds corn kernels and sesame seeds, while Bosnian versions emphasize walnuts and may include poppy seeds. Armenian anoushabour is a closely related preparation served during Christmas and Lent, using similar ingredients but with a stronger emphasis on dried fruits and a thicker, porridge-like consistency.
Preparation Technology
Soak the following separately in cold water overnight (minimum 8 hours): 200 g hulled wheat berries, 100 g dried chickpeas, and 100 g dried white beans. The overnight soak reduces cooking time dramatically and ensures even hydration. If using canned chickpeas and beans, skip soaking and add them later.
Drain the wheat and transfer to a large pot with 1.5 liters of fresh water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 45–60 minutes until the wheat berries are tender and beginning to split. In a separate pot, cook the drained chickpeas and beans in water for 40–50 minutes until soft. Drain and add to the wheat pot.
Add 250 g sugar (adjust to taste), 100 g dried apricots (diced), 80 g raisins, 60 g dried figs (diced), and 500 ml additional water. Stir well and simmer on low heat for 20–25 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. The pudding should thicken to the consistency of a loose porridge — it will continue to thicken as it cools. If too thick, add hot water in small increments.
Remove from heat. Stir in 2 tablespoons rose water and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon. Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours (ashure is served cold). To serve: ladle into individual bowls and garnish generously with pomegranate seeds, chopped walnuts, chopped hazelnuts, shredded coconut, ground cinnamon, and a drizzle of pomegranate molasses. Ashure keeps refrigerated for up to 5 days and improves in flavor after the first day.
Tips and Common Mistakes
The most common mistake is under-cooking the wheat berries. Hulled wheat requires significantly longer cooking than most grains — 60 minutes of simmering is the minimum, and some varieties need up to 90 minutes. The wheat should be completely soft and beginning to burst open, releasing starch that naturally thickens the pudding. Chewy, undercooked wheat ruins the texture of the entire dish.
Consistency control requires attention throughout the final cooking stage. Ashure should flow when ladled but hold together in the bowl — roughly the consistency of a thick cream soup when hot (it thickens considerably upon cooling). Too thick and it becomes an unpleasant paste; too thin and it lacks body. Keep water nearby and add in small amounts if the pudding thickens too rapidly.
Rose water potency varies significantly between brands. Middle Eastern rose water is typically much stronger than European or American versions. Start with 1 tablespoon, taste, and add more gradually. Over-perfumed ashure with too much rose water tastes soapy and unpleasant. For more on Middle Eastern desserts and world grain puddings, see our A-Z Encyclopedia of Food Products and Dishes.
History and Cultural Significance
Ashure is steeped in religious legend. Islamic tradition holds that Noah prepared the first ashure on the Ark by combining the last remaining provisions — grains, legumes, and dried fruits — into a single pot as the floodwaters receded and the Ark came to rest on Mount Ararat. This origin story explains both the dish’s diverse ingredient list and its association with gratitude, survival, and divine provision.
In Turkey, ashure preparation during the month of Muharram (particularly on the tenth day, Ashura) is one of the most widely observed food traditions, crossing secular and religious boundaries. The act of making ashure and distributing it to neighbors embodies the Turkish values of community, generosity, and shared celebration. Even non-observant Turkish families participate in the ashure tradition, making it one of the country’s most universal food customs.
Beyond its religious significance, ashure represents one of humanity’s oldest surviving recipes — a grain-and-legume porridge enriched with whatever fruits and nuts were available, prepared across the Fertile Crescent for millennia before written records. The Turkish Ministry of Culture has promoted ashure internationally as part of Turkey’s culinary heritage, and the dish is increasingly available in Turkish restaurants worldwide during the Muharram season.