Why is pasta added to Turkish rice (sehriyeli pilav)?

Question

In a follow-up on another question (What are these spaghetti-like strings in the rice I got from a Turkish shop?), I would like to know WHY pasta is typically added to Turkish rice dishes (like sehriyeli pilav) ? Is it just a matter of flavor, or might there be another historical reason ?

Answer 1

There's no specific historical reason. Turkish folks cook a lot of pilaf, and as such they like to change it up by trying different kinds of pilaf. Examples:

• rice pilaf with orzo
• rice pilaf with vermicelli
• rice pilaf with chickpeas
• rice pilaf with saffron
• bulgur wheat pilaf(video)

Asking why Turkish folks put different things in their pilaf is, then, just like asking why Italians have so many kinds of pasta, or why Americans make sandwiches out of so many different foods. It's because it's a dietary staple, and people like variety.