Gözleme: What is this Turkish Breakfast?

Whether eaten as a savoury snack or for breakfast, gözleme (named for the "göz" or eyes [brown spots] that appear on the bread as it fries) gözleme is a mouth-watering food loved by nearly all Turks. Primarily found in Anatolian towns and villages, gözleme can be found in cafes and restaurants in metropolitan cities where it is served as a delicious appetizer. Most Turks prefer to enjoy gözleme for breakfast while others enjoy it during the day for lunch or as a snack. Made of hand-rolled dough which is lightly brushed with eggs and butter and filled with various toppings which include minced beef, chopped lamb, fresh or smoked seafood, vegetables such as spinach, zucchini, eggplant, onion and potato, or mushrooms and cheeses, these delicious "fillings" are sprinkled onto the dough before the dough is closed up and put in hot oil to fry. In Turkey, every region has its own variation of gözleme. When you visit Anatolian towns, for example, you will see older women sitting on the ground at a large, wooden "sofra" or short table where they prepare the dough of the gözleme. A gas-powered sac griddle can be seen near the tableside to cook gözleme. With a wooden rolling pin, which is called oklava in Turkish, is used to prepare the dough to fill toppings in it. Gözleme Fillings There are lots of well-known gözleme fillings that you can just request as a single filling or you can start to mix and match. Some traditional gözleme fillings are: • Peynirli – Cheese. In villages, this is often lor peyniri. This is a white crumbly curd cheese that is sometimes sold as ‘börek peynir’ (pastry cheese) in supermarkets. It hasn’t got a strong taste but it crumbles beautifully into börek dishes such as peynirli sigara. • Ispanaklı – Spinach. Spinach is also popular in saç böreği, aka gözleme. • Yeşillik. Yeşillik can be anything from chopped herbs such as parsley to salad leaves such as beetroot leaves, the leaves from celeriac or wild radish. • Patatesli – Potato. The potato filling could be grated potato that cooks while it’s on the saç. Or it could be pre-boiled small chunks of potato that are then smashed; not mashed. • Kıymalı – Minced Meat. Pre-cooked minced beef or minced lamb with finely chopped onion. Craving for this Turkish breakfast? Well, you’re in luck because Sahan Mezopotamian Street Food Restaurant serves the delicious gözleme. Interested? Order a takeaway right away and enjoy the authentic taste of gözleme in your home! Source: Daily Sabah, Turkeys for Life