Turkish Breakfast

It’s famous, our breakfast. Kahvaltı.

The definition of the Turkish word is “before coffee,” which doesn’t happen for me. I start the day with coffee. Yet, coffee in Türkiye is imbibed differently as well, but more on that later.

If you plan to travel to Türkiye, by now you’ve seen dozens of social media posts about the gigantic breakfasts on offer across the country. As a breakfast addict, I find it my favorite meal of the day in my favorite city. I love going to breakfast at the small park near our apartment in Istanbul. It has an outdoor restaurant, and we meet our family there for a morning-long breakfast.

So what is so special about a Turkish breakfast? Well, the food. The friends and family who are with you. The time, conversation, and relaxation.

The photo below is just a SAMPLE of what the normal table looks like when we eat breakfast.

There will be sweet and savory items, including multiple types of cheeses with the most common white cheese, various green and black olives, vegetables (tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, greens), fruits (whatever is in season), bread (açma, poaça, pide, simit, bakery breads), eggs (menemen, fried, soft or hard boiled), börek (fried cheese or meat pastry), and numerous other sweet pastries and items such as honey, kaymak (clotted cream), jellies and preserves, all accompanied by çay (hot tea) and Turkish coffee (also known as jet fuel).

For a comprehensive discussion of various dishes and differences across the country, read this Turkish Cuisine article.

As you can see from the photo above, everything is served in small bowls or plates, and the table is usually completely covered, with no room to spare. Eating breakfast with family or friends is a long, leisurely affair. Even after breakfast is over, tea is still served until everyone is so full they cannot breathe.

Other than the food, what is so special about this?

The tradition. When you sit down to a real Turkish breakfast, you relax, knowing you will be there for most of the morning. A long breakfast with family or friends always includes lots of laughter combined with serious conversation. It is the one time of the week when there is finally time to relax, catch up with someone you have not seen in days, weeks, or months, and enjoy being together.

It’s Kahvaltı.