The word Kahvaltı comes from two words meaning “before coffee”. Traditionally, Turkish coffee is strong and is usually drunk after breakfast to aid digestion. Turks usually drink tea with breakfast.
The Turkish people love their tea, and drinking tea is a social experience and a sign of hospitality. Turks do like coffee, but as they serve their coffee particularly strong, it’s not advisable to drink it on an empty stomach.
A Turkish breakfast isn’t a single dish, but a series of bite-sized Turkish delicacies. A classic Kahvaltı spread varies by region but generally consists of cheese, pastries, dips and sauces, olives, eggs, fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, bread, meats, honey, and various types of jam. And of course, the Kahvaltı isn’t complete without a bottomless glass of freshly brewed Çay (Tea).
Many who have the opportunity of several Kahvaltı experiences in cafes and restaurants in İstanbul, might notice a pattern. First comes freshly brewed black tea in a tulip-shaped glass as soon as you sit down. As you sip the tea, you’re given a small plate and cutlery to prepare for the serving of the dishes that follow. Then comes a copper pan of eggs, followed closely by a bowl of tomatoes and cucumbers, followed by a platter of 10 kinds of cheese, followed by a couple of bowls of different types of olives, followed by a basket of bread, followed by a basket of pastries.
And just when you think it’s all over, another waiter arrives with a whole tray full of small plates. The contents range from savoury to sweet: tomato paste, olive oil, hummus, yoghurt, spices, more olives, caramel, clotted cream, various jams, and honey. Finally, there’s a plate of fresh fruit and maybe a glass of orange juice to wash down the feast.
Your first Kahvaltı experience
The first question you should ask yourself when having your first Kahvaltı is, “Where should I even start?” First, reach for a Yufka, an unleavened Turkish flatbread. After one bite, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without this bread. From then on, decision fatigue quickly fades, because everything on the table will satisfy you.
The point here’s not to feast until the elasticity of your waistline is put to the test, but to try a bit of everything. By the time you dip your lokma, a fried sweet bread, into a cream and honey mixture, you might, at last, understand why Turkish Kahvaltı is still a tradition even in today’s fast-paced world.
However, with today’s busy schedules, Turkish families have changed their weekday breakfasts to Simit and Çay (Turkish Tea). And at weekends, it’s an elaborate meal taken in the late morning and covers the whole table.