Prior to my arrival in Turkey, I had no idea how big a deal Turkish breakfast is. I mean, it’s a huge, huge deal. This could have arisen from the fact that the Turks work a lot and some get only one day off a week to enjoy with their families, Sunday.
Breakfast is a lengthy affair at which guests or family members could be invited. Many choose to go out for Turkish breakfast, which falls into one of two categories. Kahvaltı tabaği – literal translation breakfast plate, which is exactly what it says on the tin – you get a plate with a few (say, three, maybe four) varieties of cheese, maybe some salami, sliced tomatoes and cucumbers, small containers of butter, jam and honey, a boiled egg. A generous basket of bread usually accompanies the above. Serpme kahvaltı, on the other hand, consists of small plates (if you imagine the plates the size of tapas, but filled with other, more breakfasty deliciousness) of virtually anything – homemade preserves, clotted cream and honey (bal kaymak – What a divine combo!), cheeses, dips (tahin pekmez – sesame paste with a thick grape-based syrup), menemen (Not an omelette! Finely chopped tomatoes and peppers with eggs, fried over low heat to achieve a semi-thick consistency. Dip your bread into this veggie goodness for more texture.), salami, seasonal fruit – the list goes on and on… The latter is, unanimously, the undisputed king of Turkish breakfast.
Wondering what can make Turkish breakfast even better? Well, good quality unlimited Turkish tea might just be the answer. Every reputable establishment should offer this (sınırsız çay) in Turkish; some may sneakily charge for every tea and you’re bound to have at least two of the small tulip-shaped glasses to accompany your breakfast.
Knowing what I know about Turkish breakfast, I was almost shocked, during a recent trip to the wonderful area of Muğla, in the south-west of Turkey, to stay in a hotel where breakfast was minimal. When I say minimal, I mean minimal by any standards. Three slices of tomato and cucumbers? A tiny square of cheese? A teaspoon of discount store jam? A slice of watermelon? Really?! What added to my confusion was the fact that this was, quite clearly, an upscale establishment in an upscale location (marina, yachts and all the rest of it) with obviously upscale guests, myself excluded.
I admit, I have a great interest in eating. If I had the same interest in cooking, I’d be a Michelin star chef, but alas, this is not the case. So, on day one and two, I clear my plate and enjoy my slice of watermelon. On day 3, however, no watermelon is served. I want my watermelon, so I go to the counter and ask for it. The Turkish lady there – a teyze – a general terms meaning ladies over a certain age – say, well, not exactly in the prime of their youth – is clearly displeased with my request and hands over, unwillingly, a plate with two slices of watermelon, which, in all fairness, look rather sorry for themselves. I ask her for fresher ones (I could see there was plenty further back in the kitchen…), but she wouldn’t let me have them.
Gobsmacked, I return to my table. The Turks are normally so generous with food, kind of over the top, they’d feed you until you’re about to burst. I am confused, so I look to my companion, who provides the strangest explanation ever – that, if you are well-off, it’s not polite to eat too much. It’s best to eat a little, if anything at all. Yes, yes, the hotel owner is so generous to provide breakfast – but, you don’t need it, you should just waive it off if offered to you. That’s a sign of wealth.
Trying to make sense of the above, I thought of two things.
The first one is the inexpensive eateries, of which there are many in Turkey – esnaf lokantasi – in translation, a tradesman eatery. These eateries provide a variety of inexpensive homemade dishes in, usually, sizeable portions. Well, this fact alone supports the idea that it is the working class folk (and many a grateful students) who like to have their tummies full.
The second thing I thought of was an excerpt of a truly incredible book, The bark of the dogwood. The main character, born in an upper-class American family is instructed by his parents not to eat all his food when they go to a restaurant. He should leave one third of the plate full, otherwise people would think they don’t have enough money.
The reason why this excerpt stuck with me over the years was the incredulity that such behaviour on part of the parents was ever possible. And here it was, unfolding right in front of my eyes, in a very non-fictional reality. It wasn’t too long before a lady from the table behind me made a polite request to have no vegetables and the cheese on her breakfast plate.
To say I was confused doesn’t even begin to describe it. OK, some people have no appetite in the morning… But surely the ones who do (Visiting all these marvelous ancient sites in Muğla simply cannot be done on thin air) should be given an adequate meal. Especially in the context of being a paying guest in what was, other than that, a nice hotel…
(N.B. I know, I know, this is petty… My apologies for being petty on this occasion. Also, I acknowlege the possibility that I may have misinterpreted something due to language / cultural barriers. )
Since there was no other way of expressing my thoughts, I wrote a poem about this whole thing. Here it is:
Breakfast at Bora
It was tasty, and pink, and ripe.
But that day, it was hidden
On a kitchen counter,
Almost out of sight.
I spotted it.
‘Is there watermelon?’-
I asked.
Didn’t think I was asking for much,
But clearly, such
was the case.
The teyze’s face was like a thunder.
‘There is!’ – she replied.
Two tiny-winy slices, not pink, almost white,
She threw on a plate, lips pressed tight,
As if to say:
‘Breakfast is for plebs!
You see, for high-class people
A single sip of Schwepps
is enough.’
‘Teyze, I pine for
Pine honey, mulberry jam,
The kind that’s less watery,
Less runny,
that doesn’t come
in a discount store jar.’
This morning’s vegetables
Look a little worse for wear.
In fact, I could swear
I saw them on my plate yesterday.
Ah, breakfast at Bora,
A splendid affair!…
Purple Travel Path 