Van breakfast is a traditional type of breakfast originating from the province of Van, located in Eastern Türkiye, consisting of a wide variety of local products. It is protected by an designation of origin (mahreç işareti) under the Industrial Property Law No. 6769, and was registered by Van Yüzüncü Yıl University on July 16, 2020. Its geographical boundary is limited to the province of Van, and the existence of certain products produced within this boundary constitutes the distinctive quality of the Van breakfast.
Van Breakfast (Tuşba Kaymakamlığı)
History
The origin of Van breakfast dates back to the tradition of tradesmen who did not return home after the morning prayer but instead had breakfast in the city. This habit began to institutionalize with the opening of the first “milk house” in 1947, which eventually gave way to breakfast salons. Van breakfast became traditionalized and identified with the region through the contents offered in these salons. In 2014, a public open-air breakfast event held in Van, attended by 51,793 people, entered the Guinness World Records as the "world's most crowded breakfast table."
Content and Ingredients
The main components of Van breakfast include Van herbed cheese (Van otlu peyniri), murtuğa, Van kavut, clotted cream (kaymak), butter, honey, rose jam, cacık and various dishes prepared with eggs. In addition to these essential elements, the breakfast may be accompanied by products such as tea, milk, different varieties of jam and cheese, olives, tahini, molasses, çörek (a kind of pastry), bread, plain pita and lavaş (flatbread). French fries, salami, sausages, ham and pastry varieties (börek) are not included in the Van Breakfast.
Registered Products
The Van herbed cheese, murtuğa, and Van kavut included in the Van breakfast must be produced in accordance with their respective geographical indication registrations. Honey should preferably be of the karakovan (wild beehive) type and produced in the region. Clotted cream (kaymak) is made from cow or buffalo milk; it is prepared using traditional methods, and the layer formed on the surface is carefully collected. Cacık is prepared using çökelek (a type of curd cheese) or strained yogurt as a base; it is mixed with dill, green chili pepper, coriander and optionally fresh spring onion. It may be served with butter.
Rose jam is prepared with the petals of Rosa damascena and Rosa damascena semperflorens roses. The processing must occur shortly after the roses are picked; therefore, the production of the jam must take place in Van.
Varieties Prepared with Egg
The breakfast includes varieties such as boiled or pan-fried eggs, eggs with sucuk (spicy sausage), eggs with kavurma (preserved fried meat), and menemen (scrambled eggs with vegetables). The kavurma should be made from lean meat, and the sucuk should be made from veal with a mosaic appearance.
Çörek
Çörek (pastries) are prepared as plain or filled. Plain çörek can be presented in a cut or round shape; filled çörek is presented in a half-moon shape. The dough is prepared with wheat flour, egg, yeast, solid fat, salt and water. Walnuts, çörek filling (a spice mixture) or both are used in filled çörek. After leavening, the surface is scored, brushed with egg and baked in the oven.
Production and Inspection
The clotted cream (kaymak), butter, rose jam and honey included in the Van breakfast must be produced in Van. Registered products must be prepared in accordance with the relevant registration information. Inspection is carried out at least once a year by a committee consisting of representatives from the Van Commodity Exchange, Van Yüzüncü Yıl University, Van Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Van Provincial Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry. In case of complaints, inspections can be conducted at any time. Expert support from public and private institutions may be enlisted during the inspection process.
