I will never go hungry in Turkey! It is difficult to write about food on a full stomach but since the weather is a bit inclimate today I figured it was a good time to do so. The amount of food set out for a Turkish breakfast amazes me. I have reached a point where I can only handle eating two meals a day.
Turkey is a country that produces enough food to feed it's own population as well as exporting to many other countries. They have developed methods of growing produce year around and much of what they grow is now organic.
The fresh vegetables, fruits, cheeses, yogurts, nuts, and spices purchased at the local markets are so varied and fresh. The prices are very low compared to what we are used to.
A sourdough bread - "ekmek" is the staple of Turkey. Wherever I eat, there is always fresh bread served, and often more than one type at a time. Each town/ village has large loaves available to the locals at a very cheap price daily. There are no preservatives in the bread so it is only good for a day, two at the most.
Besides bread, the traditional Turkish breakfast includes sliced tomato, cucumbers, olives (usually 2 kinds), at least 2 types of cheese, sometimes some fruit, a hard-boiled egg or omelette, plus borek (a filled pastry) occasionally, butter, jam, honey, and yogurt.
A special treat I enjoy at the
Cave Hotel Saksagan where I am currently staying is what I call a house honey. It's a secret family recipe I haven't tasted anywhere else and it is wonderful over yogurt!
The drink accompanying breakfast is usually juice and coffee or tea. Western coffee has become a morning staple at many of the hotels only because of the number of North American travelers. Turkish people drink tea but Turkish coffee is a treat enjoyed only occasionally because of how long it takes to make.
Another type of bread is "pide" pronounced pee day. It's a traditional flat bread which is often cooked in a clay oven and served warm. It sometimes accompanies the breakfast meal but is usually served with later meals. During Ramadan it is often part of the daily breaking of the fast.
It is also a popular bread served with mezes. Mezes are tapis dishes served before or with lunch or dinner. They could be dishes like dolmas (small filled items like grape leaves or peppers), hommus (garlic and chickpeas creamed to a fine paste), cacik (yogurt and cucumber sprinkled with mint and spices) or saksuka (finally diced aubergine, potato, zucchini, and onion, lightly fried in a tomato sauce).
Pide, if rolled really thin, is also the perfect dough for the Turkish pizza.
These are just a few of the dishes that one can enjoy in Turkey. Then there are all the full meals that are available here in Turkey! Unbelievable mixtures of tastes. I'll talk about them in a later blog. I'm way too full right now!
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