Grilled Meatballs
Mild beef-and-lamb meatballs, chilled before shaping into small fingers and grilling.
The Turkish pantry
Baking soda
A measured raising ingredient whose effect depends on the other ingredients in the recipe.
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Culinary baking soda is sodium bicarbonate. Baking powder is a different product containing bicarbonate and acid ingredients. The two white powders are not interchangeable by equal spoonfuls.
Types & forms
Food-grade baking soda
Plain sodium bicarbonate intended for cooking.
Baking powder · comparison
A formulated raising agent containing an acid component as well as bicarbonate.
Cleaning products · comparison
Products intended for cleaning may contain additional ingredients; choose a culinary package for food.
What to look for when buying
- Look for food-grade sodium bicarbonate or karbonat and check that the ingredient list matches the recipe.
- Keep the cooking supply separate from opened boxes used to absorb household odors.
Prepare & cook
- Measure accurately and disperse through the dry ingredients where the method requests it. Extra soda can change flavor and browning.
- In an acidic wet batter, its gas-producing reaction begins promptly. Have the pan and oven ready and follow the recipe sequence.
Store it well
- Keep the cooking package closed and dry, protected from humidity and strong odors. Follow its date and storage instructions.
- Use a clean, dry utensil; discard contaminated powder rather than putting it into food.
Substitutions depend on the dish
Baking powder instead
Choose a recipe written for baking powder; the required acid balance and amount change.
Yeast instead
Yeast requires fermentation and a different method. It is not a direct replacement in a soda-raised batter.
Nutrition
Leavening agents, baking soda [1]
| Nutrient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 0 kcal |
| Protein | 0 g |
| Total fat | 0 g |
| Saturated fat | 0 g |
| Carbohydrate | 0 g |
| Dietary fiber | 0 g |
| Total sugars | 0 g |
| Sodium | 27,400 mg |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg |
| Calcium | 0 mg |
| Iron | 0 mg |
| Potassium | 0 mg |
| Vitamin D | 0 µg |
Sodium bicarbonate as sold, per 100 g; a culinary dose is much smaller. This record is not baking powder. Values are rounded for readability; “not reported” does not mean zero. A “<” value is below the source’s measurement limit.
Nutrition values come from the reference source named above. They are published reference values, not our own measurements. Actual products and cooking methods may change the values.
At the Turkish table
The linked İnegöl köfte recipe uses a measured amount of karbonat in its meat mixture. Its role there differs from raising a cake; follow that recipe’s amount and resting instructions.
Cook with Baking soda
Poppy-Paste Pastries with Lentils
Thin, folded Afyon pastries filled with green lentils and onion, with olive oil and yellow poppy paste between the layers.