Crispy Turkish Bagel "Simit"

Turkish bagel “Simit”, which is one of the most common street food in Turkey, is usually being promoted as “fresh bagel, crispy bagel” by street sellers. These bagels which are called as “Simit” in Turkish, have a very important part in Turkish food culture. The word “simit” cames from the arabic word “samid” which means pure white flour. In his travel book “Seyahatname”, the Ottoman traveller and explorer “Evliya Çelebi” mentions about simits in Istanbul and in Balkans in 17th century, which were as big as car wheels.

Turkish Simit, Turkish Tea & White Cheese

Simit is a very popular food in Turkey, which is consumed by all segments of the society. This small round-shaped bagels covered by sesami are being sold at many corners of the cities either by street sellers or in patisserie shops.It is a practical, filling and delicious snack which is being missed when not eaten for a long time. It is one of the main food items in a Turkish breakfast, alongside Turkish tea, white cheese and black olives.

Street Seller Selling Simit (September 2019/ Ankara, Turkey)

The quality of the flour and sesami used in simit determines its deliciousness level. Preparing, leavening and baking the simit, reqiures craftmanship. When walking on the streets in Turkey, you can feel the appealing smell of the crispy Turkish bagel which has been covered and baked with watery grape molasses and sesame.

Although the round shape of simit common in Turkey, the amount of ingredients and the way of baking may slightly differ from city to city. In some cities the simit is less salty, in some cities its more baked, in some cities sesame is used more whereas in some its used very little, in some provinces grape molasses is used in some its not.... Even the way simit is called may vary: For instance, in “Izmir” province of Turkey “Simit” is called as “Gevrek”. This variation in its name is transmitted to Izmir as a result of historical immigrations to the city from the Balkans (In Balkans simit has been named as “Gjevrek or Djevrek”), which is a reflection of cultural richness and interactions in Anatolia.

Although simit is a traditional, local food for Turks, today Turkish bagel shops can be seen in many parts of the world. If you are interested i would recommend you to try these shops especially for breakfast or to have a light snack. However, if you want to try real simit and taste different local variations of its recipe, come and visit Turkey and have the huge Turkish breakfast in which you will most probably see the Turkish bagel “Simit” for you to enjoy...

Bibliography

Dikkaya, F. & Artun, U. (2010) Bagel (Simit) and Bagel Sellers in Evliya Çelebi’s Travel Book: Seyahatname. İstanbul: YKY

Tayar, M. (2012) Mystery of the Sesami Kebap [online] Available from: http://www.dunyagida.com.tr/kose-yazisi/susamli-kebabin-gizemi/1093 (Accessed: 24 September 2019)

Aylangan, P. (2019) Simit (Savory Sesame Ring): From the Palace Kitchens to the Streets [online] Available from: http://www.turkish-cuisine.org/ingredients-7/ingredients-unique-to-turkish-cuisine-68/simit-sesame-bread-205.html (Accessed: 24 September 2019)

Halkbank Culture & Life (2019) Culture – Turkish Cuisine – 8 Matters for Our Favourite Snack Simit [online] Available from: https://kulturveyasam.com/en-sevilen-atistirmaligimiz-simit-icin-8-madde/ (Accessed: 24 September 2019)