The table was not large enough for what was coming. I was sitting in a courtyard in the Moda neighborhood of Istanbul, at a restaurant called Van Kahvalti Evi, and the waiter was delivering dishes faster than I could count them. There was beyaz peynir, a white cheese similar to feta. There was kashkaval, a yellow sheep's cheese. There was kaymak, clotted cream made from water buffalo milk, served with honey from the mountains of Anatolia. There were olives, tomatoes, cucumbers, simit, the sesame bread rings sold on every corner, and menemen, eggs scrambled with peppers and tomatoes in a copper pan. This was kahvalti, Turkish breakfast, and it was only the beginning.
What Turkish Breakfast Actually Is
Turkish breakfast is not a meal. It is a ritual, a social event, and a statement of abundance. The word kahvalti literally means 'before coffee,' and tradition holds that you do not drink coffee until after you have eaten. A proper Turkish breakfast includes at least ten dishes: cheeses, olives, honey, kaymak, bread, tomatoes, cucumbers, eggs, sausage, and tea. The tea is cay, served in small tulip-shaped glasses, and it flows continuously. I spent three hours at that table in Moda, and my glass was refilled at least six times. The owner of the restaurant, a woman from Van in eastern Turkey, told me that in her village, breakfast is the main meal of the day and can last until noon.
Regional Variations
Turkey is a large country, and breakfast varies by region. In the Black Sea region, breakfast includes muhlama, a dish of cornmeal and cheese that has the consistency of porridge. In the southeast, near the Syrian border, breakfast includes spicy sucuk sausage and antep peyniri, a salty cheese. In Van, the specialty is otlu peynir, cheese made with wild herbs that grow in the mountains. I tried otlu peynir at the Van Kahvalti Evi. It was sharp, herbaceous, and unlike any cheese I had tasted. The herbs included wild garlic, thyme, and a plant called sirmo that the owner had picked herself during her last visit home.
Where to Eat Breakfast in Istanbul
The best Turkish breakfasts in Istanbul are not in the tourist district of Sultanahmet. They are in the neighborhoods where locals actually live. Besiktas, Moda, Cihangir, and Kadikoy all have kahvalti salons that serve elaborate spreads for twenty to thirty dollars per person. I also recommend the Sunday brunch at the Four Seasons Sultanahmet, which serves a refined version of the traditional breakfast in a converted prison courtyard. It costs sixty dollars but includes unlimited champagne and a view of the Hagia Sophia. For a more casual option, the street vendors near the Galata Bridge sell fresh simit for one dollar and tea for fifty cents. Stand on the bridge, eat your simit, watch the fishermen, and you are having the most Istanbul breakfast possible.
The Social Aspect
Breakfast in Turkey is not eaten alone. It is a communal activity, shared with family, friends, or colleagues. I was invited to breakfast by a Turkish journalist named Emre who I had met at a conference. He took me to a restaurant in Uskudar, on the Asian side, where his family had been eating for three generations. The meal lasted four hours. We talked about politics, football, and his daughter's university applications. The food was excellent, but what I remember is the conversation and the pace. Nothing was rushed. The tea kept coming, the plates kept arriving, and time moved slowly. This is what Turkish breakfast is really about.
