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Imagine what it would be like to enjoy Sunday brunch seven days a week. That’s absolutely what happens with a traditional Turkish breakfast. Basically, it’s fresh tomatoes, sliced cucumber, local cheese, olives, boiled eggs, and maybe simit coated in sesame seeds. In fancier versions you can find Turkish cured meats, savoury pastries, loads of spreads, and scrambled eggs with Turkish sausage or Turkish beef bacon. And when you finish it with a heart-starting Turkish coffee, we bet you’ll fancy the day! A joy to behold! A classic Turkish breakfast, better known as “kahvalti” is considered to be the most important meal of the day by Turks. “Kahvalti” is an easy saying of the word “kahve-altı” which means the food you eat before drinking your coffee. A nice long Turkish breakfast should of course end with a cup of Turkish coffee though. In Turkish breakfast, we can see some local differences in for instance the type of the cheese, olives or even the bread. Although there are some regional differences regarding the menu, all the Turkish regions have these 5 things in common:  1. Turkish Bread Bread and simit are typical elements of a Turkish breakfast. Turkish bread is the easiest bread you can make as it requires no kneading, only just mixing the ingredients such as strong flour, salt, sugar, and yeast, and then shaping. Flat and fluffy traditional Turkish bread is a must of Ramadan tables but mostly be served with Turkish breakfast as well. Also, the real start of any Turkish breakfast is simit. Turkish simit is a delicious sesame-crusted bread that you can have for breakfast. You can tear your simit into smaller pieces before topping it with jam, honey, olive paste, butter, or Turkish cheese. Sometimes “borek” (savoury pastry) is served on the side. Borek is made of thin sheets of dough, filled with cheese, minced meat and/or vegetables, wrapped and baked or cooked.   2.  Eggs No Turkish breakfast is complete without eggs. Eggs with Turkish sausage or Turkish bacon are a Turkish breakfast favourite. However, if you’re a vegetarian, menemen, scrambled eggs with veggies, might be a candidate as your preferred alternative. If you're into savoury, perfectly scrambled eggs for breakfast, you'll want to try this delicious and extra hearty variation of scrambled eggs with its simple seasoning. 3. Spreads A classic Turkish breakfast always features a selection of fruit preserves, jams, and spreads.  There are lots of traditional options at any Turkish breakfast such as apricot, cherry, orange and mandarin jams, black olive spread, tahini and molasses spread and more. Also, the Turkish people admire hazelnut spreads. Sometimes even some mezzes are served as a part of breakfast. There is always room for spreads on a Turkish breakfast table. 4. Cheese A generous selection of cheese is mandatory at any Turkish breakfast. At the breakfast table, cheese is usually served by itself. Rarely will two cheeses be served on the same plate. Typical favourites include the ever-popular Feta cheese, a crumbly, brined curd white cheese made from goat’s milk, sheep’s milk, or a mixture of both. The best part of Turkish cheeses is also its detriment. Traditionally, the dairy product is produced differently in each region. Producers made do with what nature gave them: terrain, climate, animals, and so on. Turkey produces more than 10 different varieties of Tulum, crumbly semi-hard cheese with a buttery pungent flavour. Lastly, a standard Turkish breakfast staple in the Black Sea region is a blend of melted cheese and cornmeal called mıhlama. The five most popular and tradition Turkish cheese are: White cheese (beyaz peynir), Kashkaval (kasar), Tulum cheese, Curd cheese (Lor), and Mihalic cheese. 5. Turkish Tea Although we have Turkish coffee which has its name from Turks, when it comes to breakfast we are definitely tea people. In Turkey, a great deal of the population loves this drink. When asked to describe a hot summer day, a cold winter day, a visit to family or friends, a quick way to relax and especially a full Turkish breakfast, tea will be a part of it. We use special curved, see-through tulip shape tea glasses and a small plate underneath for making it easier to carry and serve. Moreover, traditional Turkish tea glasses have no handle like a regular Western cup, so you need to hold the glass from the top using your thumb and index finger, and be careful, because it’s quite hot! Nothing compares to a traditional Turkish breakfast. And we bet that once you try some Turkish breakfast recipes, you will want to make them a weekly part of your menu planning. Bon Appetit!  Click here to dig deep Best Grocery’s online racks to find the ingredients you need to prepare an epic Turkish breakfast for your loved ones! Please follow us on social media for more content! Instagram | Facebook | Twitter

Eid Al-Fitr or Ramazan/Seker Bayrami with its Turkish name has a deep significance for all Muslims. We, Turks, like to gather around big tables and eat, laugh, and have fun with our loved ones, particularly on holidays. Eid traditions consist of some rituals that have survived from ancient times, such as collecting candy, giving pocket money to children, visiting relatives, and carefully preparing holiday tables. Among all these rituals, the taste of holiday tables, where we sit at the same table with our loved ones and relatives and chat with pleasure, is something else! Eid Al-Fitr’s spirit is marked by distinguished values and virtues such as thanksgiving and expressing gratitude to God, experiencing joy and rejoice, maintaining ties of kinship, and taking care of the poor and the needy. Holidays are significant in Turkish social life. Children, young people, adults, and old people come to the mosques in groups and pray in awe. After the Eid prayer, people congratulate each other on Eid, then visit family elders, friends, relatives, and neighbours, kiss the hands of the elders, and receive their prayers. Holidays increase love and respect in the family and community. Again, one of our beautiful customs in our religious holidays is to make orphans, the poor and children happy, to extend helping hands to those in need, to show social assistance and solidarity. Also, those who are offended should not wait for the holiday but should reconcile immediately. On Eid days the most delicious Ramadan desserts and traditional holiday dishes are carefully prepared, and then it takes their place at the feast table. The thing that adds meaning to these tables is of course our loved ones accompanying us. So, what are the indispensable tastes of these delightful Ramadan Feast tables?   There you go some indispensable tastes that can give you an idea for the Ramadan Feast food menu and also some delicious holiday dishes and desserts: 1.The most indispensable holiday flavour: Stuffed vine leaves  The first flavour that comes to mind when talking about traditional Turkish holiday dishes is stuffed vine leaves. Since it can be consumed cold, it is ideal for holiday tables. The day before the holiday, the leaves are wrapped like pens, cooked in the evening, and the next day it takes their place on the table in a cold way!  2. A palace dessert: Revani Revani is one of the most delicious sherbet desserts. In addition, it has reached today from the Ottoman cuisine. The taste and the easy preparation feature make this wonderful dessert indispensable for festive tables. You can also include Revani in your holiday menu to sweeten the mouths of your loved ones this holiday. 3. For crowded tables: Olive oil stuffed peppers Another traditional holiday dish is stuffed peppers with olive oil. While the bell peppers have taken their place on the counters in their freshest form, it is impossible not to include this magnificent flavour on our holiday tables!  4. A renowned holiday dessert: Homemade baklava  With only a few days left until the feast, we have already started the preparations for the feast menu. Well, don't you think homemade baklava would be included in a meal menu prepared for a Ramadan Feast? Of course, it does! Homemade baklava takes first place among the holiday desserts and therefore it is an indispensable part of the holiday tables. 5. Classic but delicious: Types of pastries Another indispensable part of the festive table is pastries. Whether it's with cheese, potatoes, or minced meat; all types of pastries that you can prepare depending on your preference add flavour to the holiday tables equally. 6. King of the tables: Rice with chicken Chicken rice is a traditional dish to serve guests on Turkish tables. Therefore, it is also ideal for festive tables. Moreover, its harmony with sherbet desserts and frothy ayran (Turkish traditional drink made with yoghurt) is also unique. 7. Recalling the old holidays: Rose dessert We are sure that you remember the old holiday days you missed. Rose dessert is one of the most famous desserts with syrup. You can also include this delicious dessert on your holiday table to recall the old days. Rose dessert, named after their shape, is formed by wrapping three pieces of dough cut in a tea glass width in the form of a roll. Desserts, which look like rosebuds with hazelnuts set in the middle, open up in layers while baking in the oven. It is served after meeting with warm syrup.  8. Something crunchy: Kadayif  One of the indispensable desserts on the holiday tables is kadayif. Moreover, it is extremely suitable for serving guests. If you are in preparation for an Eid menu, you can choose to add kadayif to your table as atraditional flavour that your guests will always remember. As you can see there are loads of Turkish flavours for Eid feasts. You can choose the one that best suits your taste among the wonderful Ramadan desserts in our article. When you live abroad, the holidays are filled with even more longing. We have no choice but to celebrate with our loved ones through the screens. But don’t forget that it was almost impossible in the last century. We wish you a happy, healthy, and joyful Eid. Eid Mubarak to everyone and particularly to the ones who are living away from Home. ______________________________________________ Click to prepare the most delicious Eid tables for your loved ones! Please follow us on social media for more content! 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A blessed month for kindness, self-discipline, compassion and understanding the others. Ramadan Mubarak! Let’s have a look at what Ramadan means for us at heart. Ramadan is considered to be the holiest month in Islam religion. Muslims observing Ramadan (or Ramazan) swing back and forth between fasting and feasting. One of the most remarkable moments in Ramadan is family iftars which is also a significant part of Turkish Ramadan traditions. Family iftars make you feel nostalgic. Actually, the feeling of nostalgia is an essential part of human psychology. Everyone knows that it’s a solid feeling, particularly when you live abroad. Nostalgia makes us feel deeply connected with our inner world indeed. It also makes us feel joyful and integrated with our family and society. So, iftars are dinners we long for almost a year. That’s one of the reasons why we feel joyfully blessed when Ramadan arrives.  It’s always nice to share the same feelings with our family and loved ones and recall childhood memories. It does not matter wherever we are in the world. It’s the tradition. It’s the unforgettable smell of tarhana soup and pide, the taste of seasoned olives, Medjool dates, homemade stuffed vine leaves or baklava, and the voice of grandparents praying. The iftar tables means a lot in Turkish culture. It’s Ramadan!  Ramadan is also the best time to have a break in this crazy world. It’s time to slow down and look back at what we have done so far. It’s time for nobleness, humbleness, and kindness. You must have heard the idiom “A cardigan, a bite”. This idiom, which is frequently used in Sufi philosophy, is that it is enough for people to eat enough to fill their stomachs and wear enough clothes to protect them from cold or heat. The rest of the world’s blessings are that there are delusions that can make people forget the creator. It’s the best time to practice this philosophy as well.  Ramadan is also the best period to change our habits and assess daily life’s complexity and chaos from a different perspective. For example, we sometimes forget to pay attention to our diet during the natural flow of our lives. As a result, we make many mistakes, such as overeating fast-food, consuming loads of snacks and sugar, eating late, or binge-eating to keep up with the daily rush. And that kind of eating habits can impact blood sugar and blood pressure, increase inflammation, and may mean an individual does not eat enough necessary nutrients. Ramadan is the time to consider what we eat. Fasting from dawn to dusk in Ramadan could leave us exhausted. As we are what we eat, it’s time to get the low down on what foods will give you long-lasting energy. Unfortunately, we sometimes choose to skip the suhoor meal or choose the wrong foods. It’s time to be wise about our suhoor choices which is the key to an easy fast. A balanced suhoor will make us feel energized and help us cope with the feelings of hunger and thirst during the day. Some ingredients like salty items, salty cheese, smoked meats, spicy food or pickles in your suhoor meal might harm your overall wellbeing during the day. It’s best to avoid simple sugars found in white bread, sweets, candy, cake and plain cereal, which can cause a sugar rush and cravings. It’s better to eat nature’s gift to fulfil your health needs. We should choose saturating food like eggs, dried fruits, fruits and vegetables, nuts, yoghurt, beans, lentils, and whole-grain carbohydrates.   It’s time to pray that God’s healing hand may rest upon us and our sisters and brothers suffering for different reasons worldwide. Now sit back and enjoy the festive Ramadan! Happy Ramadan 2022!  ____________________________________ Click for products that you might need during Ramadan!   Please follow us on social media for more content! Instagram | Facebook | Twitter Mayfair Digital SEO Agency