Hina Khan, a true-blue foodie at heart, is currently vacationing in Istanbul, Turkey. She couldn't stop herself from enjoying the traditional delights at the country's cultural and historical hub. On Instagram, the actress can be seen enjoying her traditional Turkish breakfast at a popular restaurant there. She shared an array of photos showcasing her enthusiasm for the local cuisine. The mouth-watering spread on her carousel features several savoury items, including assorted white cheeses, fresh black and green olives, cucumber and tomato salad, and more. Many other small bowls of the delectable items were also seen, alongside freshly baked white bread, simit, small bowls of honey, jams, delectable spreads, etc.
Along with the Turkish food was the special tea (served in small, tulip-shaped glasses), which was the perfect accompaniment to rich dishes. Honey with clotted cream, also known as kaymak, was also featured. The treats didn't stop there. We spotted a waffle topped with sliced bananas, chocolate chips, crushed pistachios and various colourful candies. This was further drizzled with chocolate sauce and dusted with powdered sugar, enhancing its flavours. Another sweet dish, a slice of chocolate-topped cake, was on a separate plate in the background.
The actress said, "When in Istanbul, never miss exploring the amazing Turkish breakfast joints. Their view, food, hospitality and warmth are so special and heart-touching. It's simply unmissable, and once you experience it. It's unforgettable! Loved it." Take a look at the post here:
In another video posted on Instagram Stories, Hina Khan taught us the right way to indulge in a Simit. She said, "This is bread from here in Turkey. It is called Simit. And yeh humare Kashmir ke Chochwor jaise hai halaki (This is similar to our Chochwor in Kashmir, though), it has a lot of sesame seeds. Isko aese torke, isme honey lagake (Twist it like this, and put honey on it) and then this traditional butter, Turkish butter, and this is how you eat this." Chochwor, also commonly known as the "Kashmiri bagel" or "desi doughnut" due to its iconic ring shape, is a staple of Kashmiri afternoon tea culture. Unlike sweet doughnuts, the savoury bread is traditionally enjoyed in the afternoon with Noon Chai (salty pink tea) or kahwa, and often with the addition of butter or jam.
Photo Credit: Instagram/ realhinakhan
More About A Traditional Turkish Breakfast
Locally known as kahvalti, it offers a wide variety of dishes featuring small plates of both sweet and savoury items rather than big portions, encouraging sharing and a slow-paced meal. Popular dishes include hard-boiled eggs, sunny-side up eggs, omelettes, menemen (a juicy, spicy scrambled egg dish with onions, red and green peppers, and tomatoes), chunks of sesame-based "halvah", cut and peeled tomatoes, cucumber, sweet peppers, slices of sucuk and pastirma. Simit, loved for its crispy crust, soft interior, and generous coating of sesame seeds, is enjoyed with tea or ayran. Soup and rose petal jam add more flavour to the lavish spread. Accompaniments include fresh items such as cheeses (feta and kashkaval), black and green olives, white bread, fruit preserves, honey, sweet butter, and black tea, served in Turkish tea glasses.
Hina Khan's foodie outing in Turkey seems simply drool-worthy!