Ooni Koda
  1. Home
  2. /
  3. Newsfeed
  4. /
  5. Turkey’s Bread Culture

Turkey’s Bread Culture

October 29, 2018

Bread or “ekmek” as it’s known in Turkish, is central to Turkish culture, and arguably always has been. Nomadic Turks have been consuming bread for millennia, and bread is an indelible part of Turkish culture and Turkish cuisine. Almost every meal you eat will be served with fresh bread, and soaking up the juices or oils of another delicious Turkish meal is always one of its highlights. Bread is made in a wide variety of ways and differs from region to region within Turkey. Each region, and often each bakery, has their own secrets to how to produce the perfect bread and these secrets are passed down from generation to generation. There is a premium placed on freshness in Turkey the likes of which you’ll see in very few other countries in the world, with lines out the door in bakeries three times a day as the bread is baked freshly for breakfast, lunch and dinner. In the Ottoman period, it was believed that Adam, after getting expelled from the Garden of Eden, was the Patron Saint of Bakers after he learned how to bake from the Archangel Gabriel. But bread touches all aspects of culture. It’s a binding food between the wealthiest and the poorest of society. It’s viewed as more than a “food” but a cultural product. It takes on a practically sacred air, and the labor that goes into making it is also revered. Indeed bakers will even invoke the name of God before placing the bread in the oven, and bread of course takes on an even greater importance during religious festivals. Almost every religious festival in Turkey, Christian, Jewish or Islamic, features its own varieties of breads, each baked and flavored in different ways. Bread is often seen as both the food of the poor and the food of the soldier. Peksimet (Romanian: pesmet), a form of hardtack, was the primary food source for many soldiers in World War I and the Turkish War of Independence. “Ekmek parasi,” or “bread money,” is the phrase used for the money one lives off of, tying the notion of bread with life itself. Bread is sold through government-regulated dealers, with the price determined by the state, though private bakers are permitted to sell at whatever price they deem fit.  Flatbreads were used commonly amongst central Anatolian Turkic tribes, with breads laid on top of one another and rolled up, ensuring that the inner layers stayed fresh and only the outer layers were exposed to the air. These sorts of unleavened breads are typically baked on what’s known as a “sac” in Turkish, a convex iron griddle that is either placed over a fire or filled with hot coals. But the types of breads in Turkey are endless, with the thickness and weight being a critical difference maker. The thickness is often determined by how breads are rolled out. Breads in Turkey are typically rolled on a long wooden rod called an “oklava.” They can be made with different quantities of wheat, barley or corn, and mixing and matching these ingredients is relatively common. Different flours and different seeds are added, and as bread is so common in every meal, they range from breads that are meant to be stuffed, used as pastries or used as loafs. So bread is tied to life and culture itself, and has been so for millennia both in Anatolia and from the origins of Turkish culture. When you come to Turkey, make sure you try as many varieties as possible – we can just about guarantee they’ll all be fresh! Adapted from Turkey.Home  

The text of this article has been partially taken from the publication:
https://www.nineoclock.ro/2018/10/29/turkeys-bread-culture/
Read in full - click here
Romanian state-owned gas producer Romgaz sues European Commission over CO2 storage quotas

Romanian gas producer Romgaz (BVB: SNG) has filed an action with the European Court of Justice against the European Commission, requesting the annulment of certain regulations that impose CO2 storage quotas on oil and gas companies. The company considers the quotas disproportionate.  It is the first time that Romgaz has initiated a direct action against […]

Bucharest residents invited to donate clothes, food to families affected by residential building explosion

Bucharest residents can donate clothes in good condition, non-perishable food, and toys for the families affected by the explosion that left 3 dead and many others injured, and nearly collapsed the apartment building in District 5 on Friday, October 17.  "Following the devastating explosion in District 5, entire families have been left without housing, and […]

Romanian SMR project developer announces contract with global nuclear software leader

RoPower Nuclear, the developer of the SMR (small modular reactor) project in Doiceşti, Romania, announced the signing of a contract with Studsvik Scandpower, one of the global leaders in software dedicated to nuclear fuel analysis, on Friday, October 17.  The president of the Swedish group emphasized that Romania is setting an important precedent for the […]

Energy regulator probes gas company response following deadly explosion at Bucharest apartment building

Energy regulator ANRE has launched an investigation into whether the gas distributor followed proper safety procedures before the powerful explosion that killed three people and injured others at an apartment building in Bucharest’s Rahova district on Friday morning, October 17. According to

Microsoft: Romania ranks 52nd globally in terms of impact of cyberattacks in the first half of 2025

In the first half of 2025, Romania ranked 52nd worldwide among the countries most frequently affected by cyber activities, according to the new Microsoft Digital Defense Report.  The sixth annual report, covering trends from July 2024 to June 2025, emphasizes that traditional security measures are no longer sufficient. Modern defenses and strong collaboration between industries […]

Romania’s Via Transilvanica among winners of 2025 Europe Responsible Tourism Awards

Via Transilvanica, the long-distance trail that traverses Romania’s cultural, historical, and natural landscapes, has been awarded silver in the “Peace, understanding and inclusion” category at the 2025 Europe Responsible Tourism Awards. The initiative is organized by the International Centre for Responsible Tourism Global (ICRT Global). The award ceremony took place at the Press Club Brussels […]