04Experiences

Experience

From breakfast to coffee

Eating in Türkiye begins with breakfast, kahvaltı, a word that means 'before coffee'. The table fills with white cheese and kashar, butter, olives, eggs, tomatoes and cucumbers, jam, honey and kaymak, sucuk and pastırma, and pastries such as börek and simit. A breakfast favourite is menemen, eggs cooked with tomatoes, green peppers, onion and olive oil. Tea is always there, and its culture has been on UNESCO's intangible heritage list since 2022, shared with Azerbaijan. Contrary to the picture abroad, everyday meals rely more on rice, vegetables and bread than on meat. Each region has its own table: the southeast for kebabs, mezes and desserts from baklava to künefe; central Anatolia for mantı, gözleme and keşkek, whose ceremonial tradition UNESCO listed in 2011. Then comes Turkish coffee, brewed unfiltered in a small copper cezve and often served with a piece of Turkish delight; its culture has been listed since 2013. Save one unhurried morning for a full breakfast, and order coffee at the end of the meal.

2013

Turkish coffee listed by UNESCO

2011

Keşkek tradition listed by UNESCO

2022

Tea culture listed by UNESCO