What do you know about Turkish breakfast or “Türk Kahvaltı”?
Turkish Kahvaltı culture is a significant part of Türkiye’s culinary heritage, and it is a beloved tradition for many Turks. Most of the time Turks do not leave their places without having a proper breakfast. It is important for us to start our day with proper kahvaltı. Coffee and cereals are not considered as kahvaltı for many Turks. Be careful when you say that you had your kahvaltı with cereal because Turks will consider this as something disrespectful towards their Kahvaltı culture! It is indeed not a wise choice to go for a coffee when you have a wide range of kahvaltı options. Turkish people insist on having the first meal of the day as rich as possible because they believe you should have the strength to go on with your day. So that’s why they may find it disrespectful if you ignore the wholesome Turkish breakfast and go for coffee and cookies or just cereal.
Turkish Kahvaltı is an extensive meal that you cannot eat on the way going somewhere else. You have to spend a time for it *This is how we care about this part of the day* It may last hours to finish it *That is why you should consider portions if you do not have enough time* The variety ranges from different types of cheese to different types of bread.
This post will guide you through the fantastic world of Kahvaltı and you would not regret having a Turkish kahvaltı next morning.
Kahvaltı is a social event that bonds people together. It is time for family and friends to catch up about what happened in their lives!
It is common for us to go to a restaurant to have kahvaltı. By doing this, you will save time from preparation! You can see Kahvaltı options in the menu that you could share with a group of people.😊
Traditional Turkish Kahvaltı includes a variety of healthy options such as fresh vegetables, fruits and dairy products. Here are some examples:
- Fresh vegetables: cucumbers, tomatoes, bell peppers and radishes
- Olives: black and/or green
- Cheese: “Beyaz Peynir” in Türkçe but it means Feta cheese. There are several types of cheese you can choose such as “Kaşar Peynir” which is a semi-hard cheese that looks like cheddar cheese and “Tulum Peyniri” that is made from goat’s milk.
- Boiled eggs or scrambled eggs
- Honey or jam
- Nuts
- Çay (Turkish black tea) Turkish black tea (Çay)
Turkish breakfast
It will give you enough carbohydrate and protein from cheese and eggs, as well as vitamins from vegetables and fruits.
However, if you want to add extra unhealthy and extremely delicious options. Do not worry! There is always an option to make your stomach happier!
Attention: It might be high in sugar, salt and calories.
Simit: It may be considered as “on the go” food when you are in a hurry. It is made with flour and salt. It is covered with sesame.
Sucuklu Yumurta: This is made with eggs and “sucuk” which is a kind of Turkish sausage.
Poğaça: It is usually filled with cheese. The cover is made with white flour. There are a variety of options depending on your interest.
Tahin Pekmez: It is a sweet option that is made from sesame and grape. It may be considered as healthy if you will consume normal amounts.
Even if you would live to have this kind of breakfast, always make sure that you include vegetables and fruits to make a balanced meal.
Different types of Kahvaltı in Türkiye
Turkish breakfast
The most beautiful thing about kahvaltı is that it is very diverse from one city to another such as “Muhlama” is a very delicious and popular kahvaltı option from Karadeniz Bölgesi (The Black Sea region). It is made with cornmeal, butter and cheese or you can try “Zeytinli Ekmek” from Ege Bölgesi (The Aegean region) which is made with bread, olive oil, beyaz peynir and tomatoes. If you go through the south, you will see “Katmer” as a breakfast option which is made with layers of dough and butter. You must have heard about “Menemen” as one of the famous dishes in Kahvaltı. Menemen is a well known dish that comes from Ege Bölgesi. Also, if you have traveled around Balkan countries, you probably see that “Börek” is popular, which is a kind of savory pastry that is also popular in Turkey. It is usually filled with cheese and vegetables.
Türkiye as a country is also known for dishes with meat. “Kavurma” is a type of dish that is made of diced lamb or beef. It is generally served with eggs in the Kahvaltı.
Menemen
Muhlama
The differences between Turkish and European breakfast:
- Turks would like to have a variety of small dishes such as cheese, olives and eggs. They always prefer to have two types of dishes in their breakfast. On the other hand Europeans would prefer bread, butter and coffee.
- Kahvaltı has several hot dishes such as “menemen” which is made with scrambled eggs with tomatoes or “sucuklu yumurta”. However, Europens usually have a cold breakfast in the morning.
- Turks prefer çay (tea) instead of coffee in the morning. It is a must with kahvaltı. The tea is ready to brew before breakfast is prepared or before breakfast is served.
- Most of the time Europeans include too many sweet items to their breakfast while Turks have balanced items in terms of sweets and savories.
Places to try Turkish breakfast in Istanbul:
- Van Kahvaltı Evi is located in Cihangir and you can find different types of cheeses, olives, and pastries in this place.
- Namli Gurme is a place where you can find a variety of breakfast options such as cheese plates, omelets. It is located in Karaköy.
- Sütiş is one of the restaurant chains in İstanbul that has multiple locations throughout the city. You can find “kahvaltı tabağı” which is a breakfast place that includes small dishes.
- Kale Cafe is located in one of the historical locations in Istanbul, that is the Sultanahmet neighborhood. They offer omelettes, pancakes and also “kahvaltı tabağı”
This is it! After reading about all the good things related to Turkish kahvaltı, you must be excited to try everything I have listed for you. As you can see, Kahvaltı is one of the reflections of Turkish culture. It reflects how diverse Turkish culture is and it is amazing that it is reflected on one of the most important meals. It does not matter whether you have it at home or restaurant, a good Turkish kahvaltı will keep you satisfied and nourished.
Are you feeling hungry now? I feel you. Whenever I hear the word Kahvaltı, I also go crazy about it! Let us know what you think about Turkish breakfast and if you ever tried what’s your favorite thing about it? .
See you in the next blog post.
Afiyet olsun! 🙂
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