Long ago, a Roman emperor sailed forth to bring his newfound faith in Christ to the unbelievers in the East. He came to rest in the City-Between-Continents, which he promptly renamed after himself. He surrounded it with a wall and chained off the harbor, but these do nothing to protect faith. In truth, Constantine was moved by the spirit of capitalism—trade and nation building. It didn’t matter that the Easterners never bowed before the cross. They proved willing to increase trade which is, in the end, all you can really hope for. Without a hitch, opium, spices and everything—practically wrapped in silk—kept flowing, rebranded, taxed and sent off to new markets across the empire.
Despite Christianity’s dubious motives, or Istanbul’s many name changes—whether you come to party, see the mosques, or enlighten yourself on issues regarding East/West ideological struggles, there’s one experience you can’t pass up. It’s breakfast. All other concerns should wait until after we order. I’ll go for something spicy.
These days, the Turkish government has a long-term, dysfunctional relationship with Youtube, so naturally, every liberal, Istanbulite-cook and baker has a video for Turkish breakfast, sometimes sprinkled with political commentary. Like most online recipes, these won’t work for you as-is, but together they show how endless the possibilities are. Istanbul takes this diversity to a level that would make a high-volume brunch-spot quail—and yes, you can get that too. No matter how much time you spend with it, you will never try everything.
I said spicy, so allow me to suggest Menemen. Like its across-the-mediterranean cousin Shakshuka, Menemen is a scrambled egg dish. It starts with sautéed onions and mild to medium green peppers, (Anaheim or Poblano if you want to try from home). Caramelize the edges a bit and then stew with diced tomato. At the end, throw in spicy sausage, or not, and scramble the eggs in the pan with some melty cheese. A crusty hunk of bread is proper and absolutely necessary to clean out the pan. You’ll also have to weigh in on another important issue. Will you choose local black tea which is actually red, or the ever classic, roasted-hazelnut coffee?
During a period of national cost-cutting, the newly formed Turkish Republic made an effort to encourage its people to give up their dependence on coffee in favor of locally produced tea, elevating it to a national pride symbol. Red flag—red tea? Fortunately for coffee, the effort didn’t last and now you have a choice that’s as simple or as politically divisive as you care to make it. Black tea, made red by the temperate climate comes from the Eastern side of Istanbul and its gentle hills to the East far beyond. Imported coffee comes from the West, ready to be mixed with local flavors, like hazelnut. This mingling of local and imported, served side by side in the same cafes all over town and throughout the ages must mean something. Does it tell us how disparate ideologies, and seemingly incompatible lifestyles can live together in beautiful contrast? Or does it suggest that Constantine’s true faith remains first in our hearts after all this time?
There’s a number of other things to digest. Opium and its poppy-related by-products still cross the border—mostly, we’re told, from Turkey’s less-stable neighbors. From there it wends its way to clandestine heroin labs and pharmaceutical plants alike, ready for consumption. Turkey also has an immigration problem to rival the worst in America—imagine Syria or Afghanistan next door and you might think more kindly on Salvadoran women and children who need help fleeing gang violence. Statistics suggest that while some European countries say they’ll take refugees, most often they return them to Turkey. Stuck between an impenetrable wall and certain death, the people just wait. Were we talking about Menemen, or Huevos Rancheros?
None of this is new. Constantine didn’t start it, even if he did take ownership. Some concerns will always need to be managed. Still, things might seem less challenging if everyone,—drug dealers and conquerors included, get some time along their way to wherever for a thoughtful breakfast.
Istanbul, Turkey
