Turkish Scrambled Eggs

Scrambled eggs with cured meats are among the oldest documented breakfast preparations in Anatolia. What makes the Turkish version distinct is the choice of companion: sucuk — a garlic-and-spice-cured beef sausage — or pastirma, air-dried beef coated in a fenugreek-and-garlic paste called "çemen" that has been produced in the Kayseri region of central Anatolia since at least the 10th century.

Sucuk is often called Turkey's answer to chorizo, though its flavour profile is closer to a cross between a Hungarian paprika sausage and a Lebanese beef kofta. When rendered in a pan, it releases a deeply aromatic red-orange fat that perfumes the eggs as they cook. Pastirma — thought to have originated as pressed cavalry rations for the Ottoman army — cures beef with salt and a thick coating of çemen paste, producing an intensely savoury meat that softens beautifully in scrambled eggs.

At Cappadocia Café you choose your companion: sucuk, beef mince, or pastirma, each producing a scramble with its own distinct character. All three are served with the same warm toasted Turkish bread and the expectation that you will order a glass of Turkish tea to go with it.