Turkish Travels, Raymond Hotel Breakfast

Our hotel provided free breakfast each morning (as many of the hotels in Istanbul do) and it was interesting to see what Turkish people eat for the most important meal of the day.

Usually, the breakfast buffet consisted of an assortment of bread (white, wheat, and rolls) and spreads (jams, jelly, marmalade, and nutella). There were also hard-boiled eggs with an extremely vibrant mustard-colored yolk. Sometimes there were scrambled eggs, which had a creamy consistency - it was quite interesting. They also served Turkish cheeses, some sort of salad, various luncheon meats, and sliced cucumbers. French fries made a frequent appearance as well. And one morning, we were surprised with gözleme, which are like filled Turkish crepes. There was always Turkish coffee and tea available as well as a Tang-like orange juice and a cinnamon-y cranberry juice.

I didn't like Turkish breakfast as much as I love English breakfast or Irish breakfast (which are almost identical) but it was filling and kept me energized throughout the day.