Simit Tava

The simit is as old as Istanbul itself. First mentioned in Ottoman records from 1525, the sesame-crusted bread ring has been the fuel of Istanbul's working classes for five hundred years. Simit sellers — "simitçi" — carry towering trays stacked six feet high on their heads through every neighbourhood in Turkey, calling out their wares from before dawn. There are an estimated 30,000 simit sold every single hour in Istanbul alone.

The word "simit" may derive from the Greek "simigdali" (semolina) or the Arabic "samid" (fine flour), reflecting the polyglot history of the Bosphorus. What distinguishes a true simit from any other sesame bread is the dip in pekmez — grape or pomegranate molasses — before the sesame coating, which gives the crust its distinctive deep brown colour and faint sweetness.

Simit Tava ("simit pan") transforms this iconic street snack into a knife-and-fork breakfast: the ring is sliced open and filled with crispy sucuk slices, two eggs fried in the sucuk's own red-orange fat, and melted mozzarella. The result bridges five centuries of street food history and the best breakfast sandwich you have ever eaten.