The Complete Guide to Turkish Breakfast (Kahvaltı)
Everything you need to know about the most important meal of the day.
In Turkey, breakfast isn't just a meal—it's an institution. Kahvaltı (literally "before coffee") can last for hours, involves dozens of small dishes, and is considered the foundation of a good day. Here's everything you need to know.
What is Kahvaltı?
Turkish breakfast is fundamentally different from the British or American approach. Instead of one or two main items, you get a spread of small dishes—cheeses, spreads, vegetables, eggs, breads—all served together for sharing and grazing.
The full experience is called serpme kahvaltı ("spread breakfast"), and at a good restaurant, your table will be covered with 15-20 different plates before you've even ordered hot dishes.
The Essential Components
Cheeses
- Beyaz peynir: White cheese similar to feta, the breakfast staple
- Kaşar: Yellow cheese, often served fried or melted
- Tulum: Aged cheese with stronger flavour
- Lor: Fresh, mild cheese like ricotta
Spreads
- Bal (honey): Often served with kaymak
- Kaymak: Clotted cream, the essential pairing for honey
- Tahin-pekmez: Tahini mixed with grape molasses
- Reçel: Jams, often homemade, in unusual flavours
Vegetables & Extras
- Tomatoes and cucumbers: Always fresh, simply sliced
- Olives: Multiple varieties, green and black
- Sucuk: Spiced Turkish sausage
- Pastırma: Air-dried cured beef
How to Eat It
- Start with tea: Always. Turkish breakfast without tea isn't breakfast.
- Build your bites: Tear bread, add cheese, tomato, whatever—each bite different.
- Try the classic combination: Bread + kaymak + honey = perfect.
- Pace yourself: This is a marathon, not a sprint.
- Order hot dishes later: Once you've grazed the spread.
- End with more tea: Or Turkish coffee, if you're done.
Turkish Breakfast in London
London has excellent options for full Turkish breakfast. For the full guide, see our dedicated breakfast guide.