Menemen is a traditional Turkish breakfast dish made with tomatoes, eggs, and peppers. It can be prepared as scrambled eggs or an omelette and is often served family-style with flatbread and yogurt sauce. It is a popular comfort food and can be customized with additional ingredients. Menemen is also enjoyed at other times of the day and has been introduced to other cultures by Turkish expats.
Menemen is a Turkish breakfast dish made with tomatoes, eggs and peppers. Its name comes from the central Turkish district where it is believed to have originated, but its popularity is ubiquitous throughout the country. Menemen is often compared to an omelette or scrambled egg dish, depending on how it is prepared. Cooks can scramble the eggs before adding them to the peppers and tomatoes, or add them whole, then wait for them to set. Both versions are considered traditional.
The key ingredients of menemen are few: hot peppers, onions, fresh tomato and eggs are essentially it, plus oil and spices to taste. Most menemen are made in tin-lined cast iron or copper pans. First the onion and peppers, then the tomatoes are added to thicken things up. The eggs, usually between four and six, are added last.
For a scrambled egg menemen, cooks stir the eggs before adding them to the pan, then stir them quickly, being careful to coat all the other ingredients. In an omelette-style menemen, the eggs are cracked right into the pan and allowed to rest briefly before serving. The eggs should be slightly flaky and soft in both iterations.
Menemen is usually prepared family style: that is, a dish for a whole group of people to share. In most homes and restaurants, the pan is taken straight from the stove to the table, where it is placed in the center. It is traditionally served with flatbread and often a yogurt sauce as well, depending on how spicy the peppers are. Dairy products like yogurt tend to counteract some of the heat in spicy foods.
Cooks often customize this Turkish dish by adding other ingredients. Spicy Turkish sausage, known as sucuk, is a popular addition, as are flat-leaf parsley, green onion, mint and feta cheese. Herbed or flavored focaccias are also unique accompaniments.
Menemen has long been one of the most popular breakfast foods in Turkish cuisine, but it is popular at many times of the day. Many families prepare eggs as a simple summer dinner, and it’s a perennial late-night favorite for Istanbul’s youth. It is widely considered a comfort food, particularly among expats.
Turks living abroad have introduced menemen to many other cultures, often trying to recreate the flavor of the dish using local ingredients. Many Western European versions use canned tomatoes instead of fresh, for example. It is also common to replace traditional thin peppers with more readily available peppers.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
