The first time I came across boza was at a specialist shop near the New Mosque, that has since disappeared. After a first taste I must have visited them on a daily basis, for I liked the stuff a lot. Later I found that in cities like Edirne good Boza was available also. And during a number of years I found that at least some supermarkets sell a decent boza all over the country. I think it used to be a drink for cold regions only, because it is fermented, and without proper cooling would go off. That no longer is a problem, which may explain why I now buy my boza in warm cities like Adana. It still seems to be somewhat seasonal. On one of my rambles I came across a very authentic bozacısi, Vefa. They had a brisk trade, selling by the glass and in larger quantities, to be taken away. There was not that much to photograph, I was glad the big vessel for filling the glasses was filled a couple of time. And then there was the glass that Atatürk drank from. I hope he did, like me, take two helpings. So maybe there should be two glasses, or more?
From the Vefa website I quote: "The conservation conditions of boza are very important because it is a fermented beverage made of millet semolina, water and sugar and where beneficial food bacteria live. Because of this reason, it is sold in special packages. Great care should be taken of hygiene and the sterilized environment during its bottling process.
It embodies vitamins B1-B2-B3-B6-B12 and Lactic acid. It does not contain Gluten; people who have celiac disease can consume it. A glass of Boza is 200 cc and it has 186 K/cal. Its protein amount is 2.4 %, its fiber rate is 4.08 % and its fat rate is 0.2 %. Vefa Boza is sold as 1 lt in exclusive shops in special packages. Boza is recommended for sportsmen, students taking an exam as a source of vitamins and pregnant women because of its feature of making milk, besides its digestive feature. Moreover, it is very effective in the cure of Cholera, in throat infections and as the regulator of the intestines. An adult can cover his daily need of vitamin B with 2 glasses of boza. You can have 2 glasses of boza and some leblebi (roasted chickpeas) and you can prevent obesity this way."
The Wikipedia adds: " It is a malt drink made from maize (corn) and wheat in Albania, fermented wheat in Turkey and wheat or millet in Bulgaria and Romania. It has a thick consistency and a low alcohol content (usually around 1%), and a slightly acidic sweet flavor."