Acina Gondol
They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Whoever ‘they’ are, might have been Turkish because a Turkish breakfast is serious business that will make you full for the rest of the day.
Acina Gondol is a cute breakfast spot along the river with a beautiful view. Kahvalti, the Turkish word for breakfast, is served all at once so you can see all the food in front of you and come up with a game plan of how to eat everything and try not to eat too much. Some may say I ate too much but is there really such a thing as too much breakfast?
Yes, unfortunately yes there is.
Our Turkish breakfast included:
Four different types of cheeses (they were all smooth and cheesy and I am not skilled enough to tell you what kind of cheese they were).
Cucumbers and tomatoes
Butter and clotted cream (which gives peanut butter competition for best pairing for jelly)
Tahini paste, rose jelly, grape jam, and honey
French fries (because who said French fries can’t be breakfast)
Black and green olives
Grilled peppers stuffed with cheese
Fried dough stuffed with cheese (sigara boregi)
More peppers and tomatoes but together grilled to perfection with spices in oil
A soft cheese, tomato, parsley, lemon dish
Eggs fried in a hot plate
Bread, beautiful bread
And, of course, cay (tea)
The combinations of cheese with soft grilled tomatoes or pepper on bread was my favorite savory bite. It was warm and a burst of smoky flavor with a great balance of cheese. On the other hand of flavor, my favorite sweet combo was clotted cream spread across some bread topped with cherry jam. The clotted cream was smooth and perfectly cut the sweetness of the jam with its buttery goodness. Simple and tasty is all you need for a good breakfast. By the end of our meal we were stuffed and I didn’t need to eat again until later that evening.
Turkish breakfast is a must do when visiting Adana and Acina Gondol is a great place to do it.
Read more about homemade olives and goat-carcass-ripened cheese, two ingredients that may make an appearance in Turkish breakfast.
Follow Acina Gondol on Instagram and Facebook
Written By: Hannah Greer
Photography By: Hannah Greer
First published on west2east.org as Turkish Breakfast: To Be Grazed, Not Devoured
