Van: A City in Eastern Turkey Famous for Having the Best Breakfast in the World
Breakfast has long been recognized as the most important meal of the day, marking the start of a new day filled with enthusiasm and energy. This holds true everywhere in the world, including Turkey.
Breakfast is known as the most important meal of the day.
It is often said that Turkish breakfasts are so delicious that even night owls would commit to waking up early to enjoy them. Among these, the city of Van in Eastern Turkey is particularly famous, earning the title of “the breakfast capital of the world.”
Hours before sunrise in Van, every kitchen lights up, meticulously preparing for the most important meal of the day.
The neighborhood with the highest concentration of breakfast shops is Kahvaltıcılar Çarşısı, near the ancient Silk Road.
Kenan Coşkun, who runs one of the oldest breakfast shops in the city with his brother, states: “We only sell breakfast. We do not have bread, no soup, no kebabs, no lunch, no fish in the evening, no live music, no alcohol. Just breakfast.”
Dishes served in small plates during breakfast in Van, Turkey.
Notably, breakfast in Van features up to 30 different dishes, primarily focusing on dairy products from grass-fed livestock on the surrounding Anatolian plateau.
Breakfast dishes in Van include martuğa – a mixture of butter and flour with fried eggs, kavut – a porridge-like dish made from wheat, roasted butter and sugar, the famous crispy white cheese otlu peynir from Van, cacık – a dish made from yogurt and cucumber, various orange jams, rose jams, honey, sirmo – a fragrant herb, along with many spices such as leeks, mountain thyme, dill, and mint…
Aylin Oney Tan, one of Turkey’s leading food writers, mentions: “Local dishes are served in many different small plates. That’s how breakfast in Van is; there is no room for anything else on the table.”
The bustling breakfast street in Van.
The Origins of Van’s Legendary Breakfast Culture has been a topic of debate for many years. According to Aylin Oney Tan, this tradition emerged in the mid-20th century when farmers from nearby villages would bring their products to the bus station early in the morning to sell. They prepared take-away breakfasts in small bundles.
Meanwhile, some opinions suggest that the local cuisine is inherited from the legacy of the Ottoman Empire, which ruled for over seven centuries. Additionally, the city’s unique location along the ancient Silk Road, a trade route connecting the Western world with the bustling Middle East and Asia, adds to its culinary significance.
Breakfast in Van has now evolved from a simple meal into a celebrated tradition. The local government has submitted a proposal to include breakfast traditions on UNESCO’s list of intangible cultural heritage.
In 2014, 50,000 people participated in Van’s Guinness World Record attempt, creating the largest breakfast gathering.
The tradition has become so popular that Van-style breakfast shops have opened across Turkey.
