Around the World in Egg Breakfasts

Around the World in Egg Breakfasts
At the heart of shakshouka are eggs poached sunny side up in a pan of simmering tomato sauce, sometimes sweet, sometimes spicy. Mironov Vladimir/Shutterstock
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Abundant, easy to cook, and delicious, eggs are popular the world over. Perfect for breakfast and beyond, different cultures have different ways of preparing them. Here are seven from my travels that I’ve grown to love.

Menemen

Classic Turkish breakfasts are a favorite of mine. They sport a nice collection of hard-boiled eggs, cheese, olives, tomato, and cucumber slices served with tea and fresh bread and honey—simplicity at its finest in the preparation.

But even among Turkish breakfasts, menemen is something special. Named for a town just north of Izmir on the Aegean coast, menemen is essentially scrambled eggs, diced tomatoes, Turkish peppers, onions, and seasonings such as black and Aleppo pepper, all cooked in olive oil. The mild peppers are long, tapered, and light green, with a thinner but crunchier flesh than a bell pepper (though the latter could certainly be a substitute). The eggs are cooked over medium-low heat; they do cook through, but the juices of the tomato keep them loose and help to prevent them from drying out or clumping.

Kevin Revolinski
Kevin Revolinski
Author
Kevin Revolinski is an avid traveler, craft beer enthusiast, and home-cooking fan. He is the author of 15 books, including “The Yogurt Man Cometh: Tales of an American Teacher in Turkey” and his new collection of short stories, “Stealing Away.” He’s based in Madison, Wis., and his website is TheMadTraveler.com
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