If your windows are open, you can hear them every day, the simitçi (simit vendors) go around neighborhoods yelling Simitçi! Taze, Sıcak, Gevrek! Gel! (Fresh, hot crispy Simits! Come!)
They carry scores of those circular bread on their head, and this street food fuel numerous turks!
Simits are sold EVERYWHERE in Turkey. It is probably Turkey’s most popular and famous fast food. Most of the time it is encrusted with sesame seeds but you can also find variations with poppy, flax or sunflower seeds.
Simits are made inside thousands of bakeries from 3 a.m. until 2 p.m. You can also see vendors with a simit trolley, they can be found in busy parks, streets, or public places.
The word simit comes from Arabic samīd “white bread” or “fine flour”.
The “Turkish Bagel” has been around for a while…archives show that simits were produced in Istanbul since 1525! It is a heritage of the former Ottoman Empire and the Middle East cuisines.
It’s can be crunchy or chewy, characteristics vary slightly by region.
In Ankara, they are often smaller and crisper.
In Istanbul, you find Simit made with molasses.
This article on turkish-cuisine.org explains how simits are made. Check it out!
