Koulouri, the most beloved breakfast of Greeks. It's a circular bread, crispy and covered in sesame, easy to eat as you go to work. It originates from Thessaloniki, and traces back to Byzantine kollyrion. Is this delicacy common in your country, how is it called?
Posted by freddo_expresso@reddit | AskBalkans | View on Reddit | 408 comments
Choice_Cattle4197@reddit
Gjevrek
EssAre6@reddit
Ѓеврек (Gevrek)
freddo_expresso@reddit (OP)
The Cyrillic alphabet always caughts me off guard, because in Greek we would write it as ΓΕΒΡΕΚ hahah
Is it the same as koulouri?
Pen-Tool-1987@reddit
This is how we write it in Macedonian with one small addition ЃЕВРЕК.
MaestrSRB@reddit
Ђеврек(đevrek)in Serbian. That and yoghurt, the liquid one, not your weird-ass-spoon-eating kind, mmmmmm heavens.... Lol, i know your yoghurts are crazy good but i cant drink them while i eat so, when in Greece, i usually buy Ariani or Apiavi, Sergal is the manufacturer, sorry for butchering its name, but that type from that brand is phenomenal. Mevgal is also good.
drppr_@reddit
Gevrek + Ayran (the yogurt drink you mention) was the standard snack for school kids in Turkey when I was little.
MaestrSRB@reddit
Still a gold standard in snacks before or during work for me. But yeah, ate tons of them as kids in schools. And when we felt extra hungry we ate Mekika, dont know but would like to know how you call them in Turkish. This ones.
drppr_@reddit
Is it just fried dough? We have something like it either just dough or filled with cheese that we call “pişi”. Pişi is generally homemade though, my grandma would make it.
zpetar@reddit
Yes it can be filled with cheese here in Serbia too
True_Airport2595@reddit
well the Cyrillic alphabet was based on the Greek.
Deep-Contract-1146@reddit
Yes in Serbia, the writing is the same.
Now, I see it originates from the word Greek 🙂 Probably, Greeks'.
Many-Relationship149@reddit
Yeah, sesame seed covered dougnut like snack, also known as геврек in Bulgaria, too
EssAre6@reddit
Hahaha, yeah, it’s exactly the same!
MixPsychological4728@reddit
Same in Bulgaria, you person from a culture-stealing nation :)
abandonedtulpa@reddit
I usually just scroll past comments like this, but you’re literally a kid. Play your games, record your yt videos, have fun, and don’t just repeat the nonsense you hear on the internet. Forget about politics for the time being.
EssAre6@reddit
It was actually a nice post to look at in the morning, but someone had to go out their own way to bring politics into it. Thankfully someone has common sense.
EssAre6@reddit
If I wanted to hear your opinion, I’d have reached down the toilet ;)
abandonedtulpa@reddit
You’re talking to a literal kid, btw. Not only did you get ragebaited by a kid, you also stooped to his level by talking shit back.
naumovski-andrej@reddit
On the bright side, I had to scroll quite a bit to find the first one of these
OnePalmOne@reddit
No one is allowed to downvote this man! ☝️
EssAre6@reddit
For you and that person
OnkelMickwald@reddit
It's what you call it in İzmir in Turkey too.
alexstankovic@reddit
Djevrek, Serbia
Glittery_Marshmallow@reddit
Đevrek
alexstankovic@reddit
I was lazy, didn't want to switch the keyboard:)
RealShabanella@reddit
It's ok as long as nobody wrote ćevrek
Pen-Tool-1987@reddit
ѓеврек.
alexstankovic@reddit
Ћаци на одмору једу ћеврек :D
Keke_Papaya@reddit
Ђеврек
tolgayucel@reddit
Sounds like Gevrek, but we call it "Simit" in Türkiye.
sardasert@reddit
Except İzmir, people in İzmir call it "gevrek" while the rest of country call it "simit".
Automatic-Sea-8597@reddit
Izmir was a Greek town before WW1.
MurMurTr@reddit
You know it wasn't since 1081 by Çaka Bey.
Puzzleheaded_Sail729@reddit
it wasn't
nfguler@reddit
Aegean region calls it Gevrek.
basedfinger@reddit
In Aydın too
zeclem_@reddit
aydın is just izmir pretending its a different province
ExcitedKayak@reddit
Ѓеврек
NrwBoii3206@reddit
That's Macedonian
Quiet_Imagination561@reddit
Bulgarian* (same thing I know)
basedfinger@reddit
in Aegean region they call it Gevrek
East-Armadillo-1166@reddit
Gevrek in Turkish same origin i think
UVGYY@reddit
Lol in turkey some regions especially Aegean region calls it gevrek those words are similar
Fred_Neecheh@reddit
Đevrek
namematno@reddit
Turkish Gevrek originated
fulltime-sagittarius@reddit
We always make fun of İzmir people since they are the only one calling this gevrek and the rest of the country calls it simit. I am shocked to see that other Balkan countries call it so 🤯
Kostis102@reddit
Like berliner and krapfen
SiRaDa77@reddit
gavur izmir bosuna dememisler
Jnyl2020@reddit
aslında gevrek has türkçe, simit ise arapça'dan gelme. gavur izmir doğrusunu yapmış
10dt@reddit
İyi de gevrek sıfat, kökeni de Türkçe ve kolay bükülebilir anlamında bir tanımlayıcı, betimleyici sözcük, simit için değil her şey için kullanılabilir, başka yiyecekler için de kullanılıyor zaten.
barispurut@reddit
What’s ironic is while 'Gevrek' is purely Turkish, 'Simit' is derived from 'Samid,' which is Arabic for refined flour.
bojanabbbbb@reddit
Đevrek (gevrek) in Serbia too.
ComfortableParty2933@reddit
In Bulgaria we call it Gevrek.
South-Fudge-1550@reddit
elder are wiser, its definetely simit
soulkeyy@reddit
Simit is used for brad too
OnePalmOne@reddit
The Izmir people were right all along.
etopal1@reddit
TheMediumJanet@reddit
You are the weirdos and now we have proof /j
fulltime-sagittarius@reddit
We did you wrong haha
kostac600@reddit
That was our daily breakfast on one trip to Istanbul
More_Ad_5142@reddit
Simit or Gevrek
freddo_expresso@reddit (OP)
What's the difference?
More_Ad_5142@reddit
People around İzmir (and the Aegean littoral) call it Gevrek, the rest of the country call it Simit. They are the same thing though, except some subtle recipe variations.
PeriodontosisSam@reddit
They arent the same:
Translation:
10dt@reddit
Simitin özü zaten pekmezle yapılır, sadece İzmir ve Ankara değil birçok yerde öyle. Ancak şu an yayygın olmamasının nedeni ekonomik tabi ki, Türkiye zenginleşse pekmezli simitler geri gelir.
th3_gr3at_cornholio@reddit
Hold my ayran. :)
More_Ad_5142@reddit
Did I say they are the same? I said subtle variations in recipe, didn’t I?
blumonste@reddit
That guy has not seen how Izmit simit is made.
NorthSuggestion2063@reddit
The texture and crispiness of simit and gevrek is not the same (coming from someone who has lived in both cities their whole life) Simit is superior imho.
PeriodontosisSam@reddit
Gevrek is a bit sweeter than simit
Puzzleheaded_Sail729@reddit
They do the same with Simit, no?
PeriodontosisSam@reddit
Afaik no
freddo_expresso@reddit (OP)
So gevrek is more like koulouri from what you describe, a good koulouri is crunchy and fluffy at the same time.
More_Ad_5142@reddit
I don’t know, main difference between gevrek and simit is that before gevrek is baked it is quickly dipped in a thin solution of grape molasses. Is koulouri done that way?
nobody1568@reddit
Nowadays you can fınd shops doing all sorts of variations (dunno about molasses), but the standard is just the sesame seeds.
freddo_expresso@reddit (OP)
No we never do that! Ours tastes a bit like tahini, due to the toasted sesame, it's a bit smoky.
Commercial_Law_1689@reddit
Region, in Izmir and surrounding area it's called Gevrek (turkish for crisp/crunchy) rest of Turkey calls it Simit.
metalheart08@reddit
We call that covrig in Romania
Friskis@reddit
Ka’ak in Lebanon
Natural_Scholar_1502@reddit
I can fit the whole Ka’ak in my mouth
Denislatifi94@reddit
Kak means shit in albanian😂
Substratas@reddit
I usually don’t like bread but that shit looks freaking delicious! 😍
DapperExplanation77@reddit
What do you mean 'I usually don't like bread'?!? 😁
Substratas@reddit
I can enjoy bread in small doses, when prepared a certain way, but I don’t consume it anywhere near as much as other people usually do. Never liked it tbh, it feels more like filler rather than like food.
TheRealUdonMan@reddit
It's literally food, and most of history people had a very heavy bread diet...it's a very human kind of food, one could say bread is an integral part of humanity's past and future
P-l-Staker@reddit
Calling this "bread" really does it an injustice, to be honest.
blix_kid@reddit
very common in macedonia. its called gevrek
velvlad@reddit
Covrig in RO
iwtkmt@reddit
but it's interesting that the place making them is called "simigerie" in romanian, which comes from the turkish name "simit" or the actual worker called "simitçi". gotta love the Balkans
Puzzleheaded_Sail729@reddit
'ell covrig also resembles gevrek which is also a Turkish originated word, but of course I'm not a linguist.
RegionSignificant977@reddit
We call it gevrek.
Vynzen@reddit
Is Gevrek a Turkish word?
RegionSignificant977@reddit
It looks like "gevrek" means "crispy" in Turkish, so yes.
ardacikci@reddit
bulgarians are from izmir then
MurMurTr@reddit
You know, simit is called gevrek in İzmir.
Puzzleheaded_Sail729@reddit
yes?
MurMurTr@reddit
Yes
Talithea@reddit
If is good am gonna eat it anyway.
featherofinspiration@reddit
Covrigărie
Magnum_Gonada@reddit
Luca my beloved
oldnr1@reddit
Petru > Luca, fight me!
mmm-tacos@reddit
nah, matei is the best
ronteaa@reddit
It might also depend where you’re from, because for me that’s a ‘colac’. Covrig would be the twisted one.
vic_lupu@reddit
„Colac“ is having old slavonic origins „kolačĭ“ in places like Slovakia and Czech Republic I heard them calling the Cake like that.
I believe „Colac“ as an origin comes from a celebration bread or something similar.
Hilux_Avet_Hobie@reddit
Interesting considering in Greece “kolatsio” refers generally to snacks you might consume between meals.
velvlad@reddit
Colazione is breakfast in Italian
Siduch@reddit
Yeah, “koláč” just means “pastry” in Slovak (specifically, one that’s baked, soft yeast dough, with ingredients like fruits or poppy seeds usually) The word is very diverse, but is not as broad as the English term “pastry”
Exciting_Ear1166@reddit
We have something similar in Poland and we call it obwarzanek
Different-Mind5013@reddit
Simiti, in Georgian, I've only eaten it in Greece tho as it's not commonly available in Georgia
MasterCerveros@reddit
Greek bagel
Sea_Gap_6569@reddit
but , who invented?
swinubjr@reddit
It's called simit in Turkish but people from İzmir (an Aegean city) call it Gevrek!
freddo_expresso@reddit (OP)
I had simit in Istanbul and it was geat, quite a different taste and texture to our koulouri. It was a tiny bit bitter, and more fluffy.
Sea_Gap_6569@reddit
I guess Greek one is more like pastane simidi
Commercial_Law_1689@reddit
Thay bitterness comes from caramelised molasses used to adhere the sesame seeds.
elorkinus@reddit
It's Ankara style
devoker35@reddit
Or burnt sugar syrup
blumonste@reddit
Grape molasses.
devoker35@reddit
İzmir gevrek is made by burnt sugar not molasses.
BigStretch6503@reddit
Nope original recipe use molasses
devoker35@reddit
My bad it was Ankara simidi that used burnt sugar mixed with water.
Metrobuss@reddit
İs the reality of our common simit.
Commercial_Law_1689@reddit
True since OP mentioned istanbul i went in with Molasses.
sardasert@reddit
Well in Turkey we sorta have different simits. Such as pastane (patisserie) simit, Ankara simit, İzmir simit etc.
They all have some differences in recipes.
taloschat@reddit
There are many varients of simit in turkey i personally like butter simit
Superb_Bench9902@reddit
Best simit in Türkiye is arguably from Ankara. It's coated with grape molasses before cooking
postexitus@reddit
Istanbul Simit sucks! It is derogatorily called as “Patisserie Simit” in rest of Turkey. Real Simit is Ankara Simit. Less fluffy and with more molasses.
devoker35@reddit
Ankara simit>İzmir gevrek>the rest
blumonste@reddit
Izmit simit is the best of all. The rest are just inferior.
sirhades@reddit
This, not even close!
blumonste@reddit
You don't know; it is fine. Izmit simit doesn't lose just because you are unaware. 🙄
Tardelius@reddit
Why are you forgetting Trabzon simit?
Sure, it is likely to shatter your puny teeth but it is good.
Commercial_Law_1689@reddit
Facts. Can't get over that level of crisp.
No-Specialist5122@reddit
Try "çamlıca simit" my fellow from Ankara. Maybe "kastamonu simit" if you are enemy with fluffy texture.
postexitus@reddit
Is that the one they threw to byzantine soldiers to knock them out?
No-Specialist5122@reddit
It is. Cannon, sword, shield and simit...
Mguener@reddit
I recommend you to try Devrek (Zonguldak) simit if you are on the western Black Sea coast at some point. It's unparallelled.
valqyrie@reddit
Simits can come in different styles. Some are fluffy, others are crunchy. It can be better or worse depending on how you like it I'd say.
Immediate_Engine3066@reddit
we have 2 type, the one you eat is street simit i guess, the other one sells at bakeries, pastane simidi which mean bakery simit
Ok_Ice_4215@reddit
We have a couple of different types. The one you ate was probably with molasses but also have the golden colored one that tastes more milky.
Voldypants_420@reddit
The Smyrnan version, gevrek, is actually quite close to Thessaloniki style koulouri.
FlyingCars2027@reddit
I would imagine so! Koulouri looks like what we call “patisserie simit” which is something different than the basic ones on street.
vroombangbang@reddit
I’m traveling in Istanbul right now, this bread and some kaymak? That and honey is some good stuff
treba_dzemper@reddit
In Bosnia we also call it đevrek
SuperSerb07@reddit
Yep yep 😊
DeInking@reddit
We also call it Gevrek in Bulgaria
Brosterz@reddit
Bro you are right. Fucking who can’t swimming say we, you Need simit.
d3rf0x@reddit
Gevrek , covrig, similar pronunciation I believe
enigbert@reddit
in Romania it's called covrig, but the shop is sometimes named simigerie, and the workers simigii (from Turkish simitçi)
devjohn023@reddit
Gevrek sounds similar to Covrig
Long-Mess-1338@reddit
Simit :)
Dazzling-Turnip-1911@reddit
That’s not a Jerusalem Bagel?
drubbaaa@reddit
Simit 🇹🇷
KaraTasak35@reddit
So technically, the Greek version became distinct and widely known in the 1800s, but it was clearly inspired by the earlier Ottoman/Turkish simit, which goes back to at least the 15th century in Istanbul. Simit or Gevrek is the name of this bread in Turkiye, and pretty much all Ottoman influenced countries (Balkans) will also call it Gevrek or Simit, the name Gevrek is super common, not my favourite overall but good every now and then. I love Boyoz from Izmir, Turkiye, it is a pastry only Izmir makes, literally, would suggest you to try if you you go to Izmir komşu!.
freddo_expresso@reddit (OP)
The Oxford Companion to Food
"It is a ring-shaped bread associated with Greece and the eastern Mediterranean, and its name is related to Byzantine kollyra/kolikion, a type of bread."
KaraTasak35@reddit
Simit and koulouri are essentially the same sesame covered ring bread with shared historical roots. Similar ring shaped breads existed in Byzantine Constantinople, please note that it was not well documented, but the first clear records of the modern product appear in Ottoman Istanbul in the 16th century, where simit was standardized and widely sold. In Turkey, especially in İzmir, it’s also widely known as Gevrek, which is a Turkish name emphasizing its crispy texture. From there, it spread across the Balkans and Greece, where it became known as Gevrek and Koulouri in Greece.
So, historically speaking:
Ancient/Byzantine period it was the early forms (not exactly today’s version, cant call it the same)
Ottoman period: documented, standardized modern simit/gevrek
Greece regional adaptation (koulouri) in 19-20th century especially via population movements.
If one side had to claim it, the modern version leans more toward Ottoman/Turkish origin, but the reality is that it’s a shared Eastern Mediterranean food shaped by both cultures over time, not something that belongs exclusively to one nation, but its closer to Turkish than to Greek.
Keke_Papaya@reddit
Ђеврек
TheMidwinterFires@reddit
Woww what's that first letter
someloser_@reddit
Ð
Smooth-Win1616@reddit
Simitski
EvilNoice@reddit
*Kollyra
Kollyrion means drops for the eyes
ProductGuy48@reddit
Covrig 🥨. They come in different shapes and forms and sometimes even have fillings. I prefer the simple ones with salt and sesame seeds with a nice drinkable yoghurt. Best breakfast 👍
espandon@reddit
Where to begin? The shape is wrong, the colour is off. The dough is unleavened at parts. I invite you to get the real deal here komşi. And bring me some alfa beers please.
KSIMSK@reddit
Also called SIMIT 🤣
Third_Rate_Duelist_@reddit
Ѓеврек(gjevrek) in mkd. There's a variety know as the Ohrid one, which is smaller with a thicker crust and a denser inside, I prefer that one.
CAPTAINTURK16@reddit
This is Simit wtf u talking about ???!
StudioKOP@reddit
Simit, açma, kandil simidi, gevrek.
Electrical-Leg-8785@reddit
O-LEB
Spiritual-Can2604@reddit
Kaak in Lebanon
Just_Pollution_7370@reddit
We call it gevrek but we have also külür. Its name maybe derived from your qoulouri.
Jnyl2020@reddit
Never heard of it. In which region is it called that?
Just_Pollution_7370@reddit
Pişi is called külür in İzmir.
roulette_player@reddit
Isn't this turkish?
CountPleasant617@reddit
I think that almost everything "Turkish" was actually Greek/byzantine. They only spread it to Balkan more since they were chilling here for so long
cicikusbabacik07@reddit
Nope for majority of our cuisine. At most you could call it Anatolian, which continued to be made after the Turkification of previously Hellenized Anatolian locals, therefore still 100% Turkish in the modern national sense. An Italian-American wouldn't be less entitled to the pasta recipe of his grandmother because he is primarily an American now. Even then, most food and the other stuff are still either brought by Turkic tribes (like yogurt, which has nomadic origins) or an Ottoman, post-Turkification addition to our culture (like döner).
I'd expect, if it was really Greek and originated in Thessaloniki like OP claims, then, by proximity and the longer duration it has been prevalent, the balkans, at least some of the closer ones would be more likely to call it a variant of Koulouri. It's origins are Istanbul according to Wikipedia.
Dull_Cucumber_3908@reddit
This is not what "kollyrion" means. Here are some medieval/ancient greek dictionaries
https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0058%3Aentry%3DKOLLU%2FRION
https://www.greek-language.gr/greekLang/medieval_greek/kriaras/search.html?lq=%CE%BA%CE%BF%CE%BB%CE%BB%CF%8D%CF%81%CE%B9%CE%BF%CE%BD
https://www.greek-language.gr/greekLang/modern_greek/tools/lexica/triantafyllides/search.html?dq=&lq=%CE%BA%CE%BF%CE%BB%CE%BB%CF%8D%CF%81%CE%B9%CE%BF
Lizard_Of_Roz@reddit
Simit. I’ve always found it somewhat boring, and I’ll probably get some hate for that. It’s delicious for like ten minutes when it’s fresh out of the oven, after that it becomes a bit meh. Good with kasar cheese though.
BL1ND_JUST1C3@reddit
Đevrek
BL1ND_JUST1C3@reddit
Đevrek in Serbia
Lost-Ad4934@reddit
I have tried scouring for sources regarding the koulouri. I can't find anything academic (or from original sources) stating that koulouri is actually of greek origin. The etymological origin is definitely greek, but the delicacy itself has no source whatsoever. I think it's probably one of those recipes whose primitive form existed for thousands of years and altered through time to be what it is today. The first mentions for its current form are apparently around the early 16th century in Constantinople.
Decoding the quality signature of Koulouri Thessalonikis: A metabolomic and sensory characterization of an emblematic Greek functional street food (2025) "[Decoding the quality signature of Koulouri Thessalonikis: A metabolomic and sensory characterization of an emblematic Greek functional street food" claims that the food is of greek origin as it was consumed by slaves, but it does not provide any sources.
](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0889157525012669#:~:text=The%20term%20'koulouri'%20derives%20from,2000)%2C%20exemplifies%20this%20potential.)
Sahillioğlu, Halil. "Osmanlılarda Narh Müessesesi ve 1525 Yılı Sonunda İstanbul’da Fiyatlar" Belgelerle Türk Tarihi 2 (The Narh Institution in the Ottoman Empire and the Prices in Istanbul in Late 1525. Documents in Turkish History 2) (Kasım 1967): 56
I have ripped this straight from Wikipedia, so I hope it's a reasonable source.
Anyways, I hope we don't have a fight over who the koulouri belongs to. The tastiest one I ever had was in Crete funnily enough.
tellmesmth@reddit
100% turkish
freddo_expresso@reddit (OP)
So close! It's actually 0%
tellmesmth@reddit
Hahahahah ragebait comment from my side
kutzaldoktor@reddit
Ya bi sktir ordan gevreği çalmışsınız
kutzaldoktor@reddit
Ya bi siktir ordan gevreği çalmışsınız
name2sayMKD@reddit
Ѓеврек😁, gevrek. The best ones are in Ohrid -MK, and Istanbul TUR,. NO OFFENCE, i cannot try all of them, this is on what i try😁
Potovalec14@reddit
"when she is ready to settle down" ahh post
Glittery_Marshmallow@reddit
Wrong subreddit. Go to r/incel
Bekammkk@reddit
average modern women around 30 and ready to settle down
Glittery_Marshmallow@reddit
Wrong subereddit. Go to r/incel
Organic_Refuse4209@reddit
This is not greek lol. This is Turkish Simit bread.
GokTengr-i@reddit
Fake Simit
BetImpressive6469@reddit
Ѓеврек in Macedonian.
One_Bill_8581@reddit
I guess you guys dont drip it to pekmez befor baking huh? It looks brighter than our version (simit)
GanyoBalkan@reddit
Геврек
dr_prdx@reddit
Same name in Izmir, Turkey
pdonchev@reddit
In fancy bakeries in Bulgaria they now call it "Turkish simit" so they can charge more :) The "Turkish" part is because "simit" is a type of bread in Bulgarian (probably semantic shift from Ottoman times).
East-Armadillo-1166@reddit
simit, turkiye
f1fan6890@reddit
Xhevrek
little_towers@reddit
We have Simit, looks same but taste different.
BogdanovOwO@reddit
RO - covrig (maybe colac)
RegionSignificant977@reddit
I've heard that colac was also used in Bulgarian.
https://recepti.gotvach.bg/r-36737-%D0%9A%D0%BE%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%B4%D0%BD%D0%B8_%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%BB%D0%B0%D1%87%D0%B5%D1%82%D0%B0_%D1%81_%D0%BC%D0%B0%D0%BA_%D0%B8_%D1%81%D1%83%D1%81%D0%B0%D0%BC
BogdanovOwO@reddit
In general "colac" is used for d*ad person. In your language is the same meaning?
RegionSignificant977@reddit
No.
gokceyylmaz@reddit
Its name is Simit (Turkish bagel), and there's even a street game about it. You have to shout "simiit!" as long as you can breathe, and if you stop, they beat you up :d
FreneticGR@reddit
It is not our most beloved breakfast my guy ,one of the most beloved in the past yes , the older generations were mostly eating it.It still is cheap so the masses consume it.
Nifitsaaa@reddit
Obwarzanek in Southern Poland
0a_boy0@reddit
Hmm interesting what is this
Resident-Cake9430@reddit
Covrig 💘
Original-Hall-9832@reddit
We have it in Skopje too. I think it's Turkish food by origin.
freddo_expresso@reddit (OP)
Not really!
Original-Hall-9832@reddit
Yes really. Same with baklava. You Greeks take too much upon yourself.
WritingRegular7933@reddit
Simit. Turkish.
RegionSignificant977@reddit
Геврек - Gevrek, колач\колаче - kolach\kolache, кравай - kravay. Looks like we have a lot of words about that thing.
wettit2x@reddit
Đevrek!
Complex_Shine_1113@reddit
Gevrek for us.
Side note: I find it interesting that most Turks call it simit cuz simit is what we call another food in Macedonia.
PurpleMclaren@reddit
Solun* this is actually macedonian dish
freddo_expresso@reddit (OP)
Macedonians call this city Thessaloniki btw
PurpleMclaren@reddit
More_Ad_5142@reddit
The Slavic Solun, Turkish Selanik and Greek Thessaloniki all come from the Ancient Greek name of the city Thessaloníkē. What’s so funny?
PurpleMclaren@reddit
Solun or Sughlun is a Turkish word adopted by Bulgarians as Солун -which means Pheasant.
freddo_expresso@reddit (OP)
HAHHAHAAHHA
PurpleMclaren@reddit
Whats so funny
More_Ad_5142@reddit
I believe it is a phonetic simplification of the original Greek name Thessaloníkē, shortened over time by Slavic speakers to Solun. The SLN, dropping the T in front and K in the end. In Turkish, it is known as Selanik. I don’t recognize any Turkic word meaning pheasant sounding like Solun.
freddo_expresso@reddit (OP)
I love how you take him seriously and try to make any sense
More_Ad_5142@reddit
Turks call it Selanik
freddo_expresso@reddit (OP)
They all come from Thessaloniki anyways 🥀
LaVeriteEstDansLeVin@reddit
You should butcher the name of Macedonia too so there's no confusion when so talk about it. Call it kdonje or something.
RotShepherd@reddit
Macedonia as a country didn't exist when this was invented. Your indoctrination is immeasurable
riyadh_vipfriendshp@reddit
It is copy of Turkish “simit” 🇹🇷
Front-Fudge9313@reddit
Sesam-Kringel
atamehmet@reddit
It originates to Turkiye and it’s called “simit”.
freddo_expresso@reddit (OP)
Turkish food nationalists with 0 education and self-awareness incoming!!
Successful-Biggy@reddit
Seriously, is there any genuine resource u can share that says simit is greek ?
freddo_expresso@reddit (OP)
The Oxford Companion to Food
"It is a ring-shaped bread associated with Greece and the eastern Mediterranean, and its name is related to Byzantine kollyra/kolikion, a type of bread."
"“The kollyrio… was a small-sized, round shaped bread made of barley flour. It was consumed mainly by children. The kollyrio of the ancient Greeks reappears in the Byzantine period… as kollykio… All three terms imply a type of small and roundish bread.”"
Successful-Biggy@reddit
This is again just a definition man, i was speaking about evidence. For example, simit is mentioned in Seyahatname (written around 1600s) and that is used as an evidence for the researchs. I was asking for smt like that. But again, Greek or Turkish. Great food, i love that.
freddo_expresso@reddit (OP)
I just gave you very solid proof, though. I mean, how hard is it to invent a circular piece of bread? We have built the Parthenon and Hagia Sophia, I think we could pull this off as well, hahah.
Successful-Biggy@reddit
Oh really ? Then what was the great thing that you guys made ? Debt ?
freddo_expresso@reddit (OP)
Democracy, I am aware this word is unknown to you 😁
Successful-Biggy@reddit
Actually, it is very known but, shit u are right about that one i think 😂 respect to Ancient Greeks, they were amazing at architecture..
Successful-Biggy@reddit
A greek is blaming someone by being nationalist. Joke finished.
freddo_expresso@reddit (OP)
Projecting final boss 🥀
Successful-Biggy@reddit
InfuriatingLeisur081@reddit
Here I arrive, a Turkish gastro-diplomacy scholar.
While we are at it, shall we focus on where the name 'Greek' comes from and why the world refuses to call you guys 'Hellenic'? :)
P-l-Staker@reddit
Might as well just bluntly change the subject, dude.
InfuriatingLeisur081@reddit
Why would I waste time educating you on a subject I've been working on for the last decade that corresponds to one another?
P-l-Staker@reddit
You've been working for a decade on the origin of the word "Greek"? Hot damn, dude! 😯
InfuriatingLeisur081@reddit
And that statement alone is why I won't bother. Way too much work for little to no reward
P-l-Staker@reddit
I'm sorry for not being worth your time, oh great one! 🧎
Gimmebiblio@reddit
Oh absolutely my good sir! Let's do focus on the greek tribe called Γραικοί- Graecians- Graeci that were among the first Hellenes that came in contact with italic people.
InfuriatingLeisur081@reddit
And I wonder what it derrived to after the ancient Greeks populated the Roman cities
Gimmebiblio@reddit
I have no idea what you just said. Please rephrase.
InfuriatingLeisur081@reddit
An extra 'r' typo got to you, huh?
Gimmebiblio@reddit
Actually no. The "derived to" is what got me (and not to me). You should brush up your phrasal verbs.
freddo_expresso@reddit (OP)
We literally never said anyone not to call us Greeks, what on earth you talking about?
LocodocoBamBamBoom@reddit
He’s mad that his country is named after a stupid bird that isn’t event tasty 🦃
Commercial_Law_1689@reddit
I personally as a Turk find that most of a good portion of those arguements are pointless as a lot of the dishes have varieties across the middle east(iran, levant, etc.) and balkans, due to heavy mediterranian trade and regional cultural exchange saying one thing is a 100% product of a singular nation,people etc. is somewhat ridiculous. Personally i find such arguements to be a waste of time, so i'd say claiming ones own variety of the dish and then calling the cuisine regional leads to a lot less headache.
InfuriatingLeisur081@reddit
Personal opinions on that matters not however yours does correspond with the scientific explanation so yeah, I'll give you that.
90% of gastronomic merits are regional and cannot be adhered to a single ethnicity. The remaining 10% is there usually because of a tragic event in history: I.e.: Yoghurt for Turks, pasta for Italians, Haggis for N. Irish and Scottish.
atamehmet@reddit
Turbulent-Debate7661@reddit
TIL East Roman Empire was turkish
freddo_expresso@reddit (OP)
A real Byzantine Turkish delicacy 😂
More_Ad_5142@reddit
I don’t understand food nationalists. People seem to forget that Ottoman cuisine was partially Byzantine, and modern Greek, Turkish and Balkan cuisines are partially Ottoman, so in that way recipes do not stop at borders or end with new historical eras. They keep being recycled across time and space.
freddo_expresso@reddit (OP)
I know, but people especially from Turkey go absolutely nuts for some reason. They think all the dishes they have back home, were invented by the ancient Turkic tribes or something 😂
More_Ad_5142@reddit
We do tend to be food ultranationalists, true
P-l-Staker@reddit
😡😡😡
PermitInfinite7263@reddit
It’s called Simit and it’s Turkish.
freddo_expresso@reddit (OP)
So close! It's called Koulouri and it's Greek.
PermitInfinite7263@reddit
Sorry hon, it’s Turkish.
freddo_expresso@reddit (OP)
Does koulouri sound Turkish to you babes?
PermitInfinite7263@reddit
Looks like that’s the name you Greeks found for Simit in Greek. 90% if not more of “Greek cuisine” is actually Turkish. 🥰🥰😘😘
freddo_expresso@reddit (OP)
Turkish cuisine is just a mix of Byzantine, Arab, and Persians cuisine by the way!
adastraal@reddit
Aah simit
RasputinXXX@reddit
Man... i love arguing and fighting greeks over food.. This is the only kind of battle i support. Whose gevrek is better? Fight!
freddo_expresso@reddit (OP)
It's all laughs until Greeks call the KOULOURA, the final boss of all koulouris... We only make it for weddings, but now we need it more than ever to defeat our enemies.
Here she is:
drywalls56@reddit
Πέρα από τη πλάκα πρώτη φορά το βλέπω
RasputinXXX@reddit
Damn.. thats a fatality...
No_Improvement_5358@reddit
Where do you even start?
Beginning_Soft4438@reddit
Геврек
FilipAdzic97@reddit
Yes, we call it "Đevrek"
GypsyGuyGuy@reddit
Gjevrek is what we call this in kosovo
BattleGoose_1000@reddit
In Serbia, this is associated with a classical bakery breakfast usually bought with yoghurt. We call it "đevrek" at least in Central Serbia. We also have something similar, though it is shaped like a pretzel 🥨 and covered in a salt and water mix but serves the same breakfasty purpose, especially among older generations.
Big-Nectarine2531@reddit
Filled with peanut butter is even more tastier! 😋
Positive_Feedback_82@reddit
Koulouri had shitloads of sugar, its not for diet.
oxingames@reddit
Omg one of the bests breakfasts bro. Also isnt it officially called Thesalonikian Koulouri in English? Αφού εμείς το λέμε κουλούρι Θεσσαλονίκης μάλλον έτσι θα νε και στα αγγλικά
Cyberdonut21@reddit
With kefir is amazing.
gloomycastlerock@reddit
Its not greek it's Turkish Simit
freddo_expresso@reddit (OP)
Absolutely not 😂
gloomycastlerock@reddit
Now because of the economic situation it looks same unfortunately they don't add quality products
thonguch@reddit
Well according to me this crispy bread with sesame (no matter how you named across the Balkans) is the most delicious snack 🥯 🥯 🥯 🥯
LakiPingvin@reddit
Gevrek
fogleth@reddit
It's a staple as a Macedonian breakfast over here, mainly I'm betting because we share the same Byzantine heritage.
Gramerdim@reddit
"breakfast"
Agron7000@reddit
In Kosovë we call it simit and Prizren used to be known in Yugoslavia for the best simits during Tito & Rankovic apartheid.
Tiny_Pianist3494@reddit
Ebesinin ami ama ha
SunnyTheMasterSwitch@reddit
Just like the Turkish simit. Seems Turks and Greeks share a lot of the same foods
ParliamentReserv@reddit
Origanal Turkish taste call as “simit” kind a bagel.
cowboyboah@reddit
Gevrek bulgaria
dcdemirarslan@reddit
Idk where you got the information but I am sure it is wrong. There hasn't been any record history about Simit even in early ottoman period let alone byzantines...
freddo_expresso@reddit (OP)
"It is a ring-shaped bread associated with Greece and the eastern Mediterranean, and its name is related to Byzantine kollyra/kolikion, a type of bread."
dcdemirarslan@reddit
Didn't had sesame tho, hardly the same thing.
CapitalScarcity5573@reddit
Don't know hot to tell you this, but that's a simit basically.
vbd71@reddit
Турски геврек.
Mahs777@reddit
Oh cool. So it's Macedonian then?
freddo_expresso@reddit (OP)
Obviously, Thessaloniki is the capital of Macedonia after all.
Eldanosse@reddit
'Bismit.'
Nah. When I was in middle school, we'd go to this little shop across the school that, I think, only sold simit. And the children there would be like a school of fish, all excited, trying to reach the front; everyone reaching their arm out with money, saying 'Abi, bi' simit,' 'Abi, bi' simit verir misin?' 'Abi, bana bi' simit.' All, versions of '(Older) Brother, a simit for me, please.'
In Turkish, 'bir' means 'one,' it could also be 'a, an,' as in the indefinite article. In daily usage, people often don't pronounce the 'r' at the end, and just say 'bi'.'
When they said 'bi' simit' really fast, it turned into 'bismit.' My classmate and I would wait in the back, wouldn't want to get into that kerfuffle. And we'd laugh at all the other children shouting 'bismit,' and when finally the most excited ones left, we'd approach and say 'Abi, bize iki tane bismit.' As in '(Older) Brother, two bismits for us.'
Though, now that I kept saying 'older brother,' I started to hear it in my mind as 'brøther, I cräve the forbidden lämp.'
ClessxAlghazanth@reddit
Simit, Turkiye
Jazzlike-Active1411@reddit
i bet most greeks don’t eat this as breakfast so i don’t know where most beloved comes fromf
BadBot001@reddit
Covrig in Romania 🇷🇴 and Moldova 🇲🇩 very famous
little_lady_dems@reddit
You only ate the soft middle and left the crust?
koolpoe@reddit
Its SIMIT
freddo_expresso@reddit (OP)
KOULOURI
jaunmilijej@reddit
Simit! Also, my hometown (Samsun) has its own variety of simit, simply called Samsun Simidi, which uses a lot more molasses in the dough and is crispier and darker than regular simit! It’s divine!
freddo_expresso@reddit (OP)
That sounds delicious, I love the taste of molasses.
By the way, since you are a Black Sea Turk, I want to ask if you know a very popular Pontic Greek dish. It's called otia (it means "ears" in ancient Greek) and it looks like this:
jaunmilijej@reddit
tbh I have never heard of that 😅 maybe somewhere else in the region they might be known but at least not where I’m from. What do they taste like?
freddo_expresso@reddit (OP)
It's very simple, fried pieces of dough that you can eat as savory or sweet depending on the topping.
poppopfizz@reddit
zilikta!!! or some might call it cırıtta, cırıhta, sirikta... and all sorts of varieties lol.
Young_Owl99@reddit
Simit in Turkey, Gevrek in İzmir alone (they are weirdly strict about it)
Super popular. Yours looks super similar but I bet you don’t eat it with tea or Ayran as we do :)
derekdurie@reddit
Ankara simit is superior to gevrek or any other simit variation anyways.
chrstianelson@reddit
It's not just an Izmir thing. It's called gevrek in Most of thr Aegean region.
freddo_expresso@reddit (OP)
We always eat it with our iced coffee as we go to work lol
Young_Owl99@reddit
As you go work part is the same :)
treacamearga@reddit
Don’t let the Polish folks up north infiltrate… krakowskie obwarzanki
intotheeagen@reddit
Gevrek or simit in Turkiye.
ZAMAHACHU@reddit
It doesn't exist in Bosnia, but it would be called đevrek.
treba_dzemper@reddit
Yes it does, it's just not a thing in today's mostly Albanian owned bakeries, but they were all over the place when I was a kid in the 80s.
ZAMAHACHU@reddit
Which bakery has them?
treba_dzemper@reddit
In Sarajevo, I've seen them in Kajzerica bakeries or Žitopeka in Banja Luka. I have occasionally seen them here and there in other bakeries but you can't expect me to remember random bakeries from my local travels, it's been over a decade that I travelled Bosnia for work.
Granted I've seen them in RS more often than in FBiH but there's a spot here and there with them. Not as commonplace as in Serbia anymore but still not completely extinct.
ZAMAHACHU@reddit
Alright, thanks. I'll check it out. I haven't found any in the Tuzla region. I liked eating simit while I was in Turkey.
Northen-Lights-44@reddit
Ѓеврек
ComfortableParty2933@reddit
This originates from the former Ottoman Empire bro. Most Balkan countries have adopted it.
pitogyros@reddit
Bro thinks Byzantine empire was Ottoman lmao
ComfortableParty2933@reddit
Bro thinks Byzantine empire was Greek lmao
pitogyros@reddit
And where did I say it was Greek ? Everyone knows it was Romanian / Dacian empire 😎
ComfortableParty2933@reddit
So it is not a greek food?
pitogyros@reddit
It come to Greece through Greeks of Istanbul , since Greeks of Istanbul were the Byzantines who created it , its safe to call it Greek food.
It can be Byzantine and Greek , it can be Byzantine and Armenian and goes on.
Byzantines were not an ethnic group , they were multiple ethnicities living in the empire , because Greek culture and language was dominant ( and population , especially in later periods ) it doesn’t make everything Byzantine automatically Greek.
In order to determine from which ethnic group of Byzantine empire the X food comes you need to search deeper on things like 1) which region the food comes from 2) did Byzantines take this food from Greeks / Anatolians / Romans / Caucasians ? Etc
freddo_expresso@reddit (OP)
Is this AI?
freddo_expresso@reddit (OP)
No, the Ottomans spread it they didn't invent it.
ComfortableParty2933@reddit
It comes from Istanbul. Does not originate from Greek soil.
freddo_expresso@reddit (OP)
Again, wrong. It's from Thessaloniki.
ComfortableParty2933@reddit
Again, you are wrong, but please enjoy your delusion.
Vaisiamarrr@reddit
It’s just a fucking pretzel
chrstianelson@reddit
People correctly mentioned gevrek/simit in Turkey but one thing that's not mentioned is that it's not a singular thing. There are dozens of local versions. Some with molasses, some without, different shapes, different taste profiles, different textures.
Izmir style is largely considered the best though.
Equivalent_Bag_3634@reddit
“Circular bread” so accurate but somehow so wrong!
LLTsochev@reddit
Солунски Геврек (Solun Bagle)
Salt_Fennel8876@reddit
Помня една история като дете. 1990 година е. За първи път можем да пътуваме до Гърция. Качваме се с майка ми на автобус за Атина и спираме вечерта на автогарата в Солун за почивка. Виждам на гарата една сергия пълна с гевреци. Стоя и гледам, много ми се яде, но не знам как да си поискам, а и пари нямам. Продавачът ме вижда и ме пита: "Геврек ли искаш?" Даде ми геврече и пари не ми взе!
freddo_expresso@reddit (OP)
Really? So you consider it a Thessaloniki dish as well?
LLTsochev@reddit
Ya
UpperBat8378@reddit
Gevrèk in Bulgaria
Satori_is_life@reddit
Covrig cu susan -Romania
bombosch@reddit
Its wrong. It doesn’t traces back to Byzantine. It traces to wakanda history and aliens brought it😂
freddo_expresso@reddit (OP)
Osmanlanda
Salt_Fennel8876@reddit
Solunski gevrek.
Sea_Atmosphere3095@reddit
Gevrek 🇧🇬
Successful-Biggy@reddit
Idk why, it looked very familiar to me 🤔
bombosch@reddit
Hahaha 😂😂
Amk çocukları birde neymiş 1.000 yıl öncesine Bizans’a kadar uzuyormuş diyorlar😂
Barbak86@reddit
It's called Gjevrek (spelled like English Jevrek) in Kosovo and Macedonia among Albanians. It's a staple food on Kosovo as well. Used to eat it a lot like a kid in school.
orhanozturk@reddit
The proper name for yet another thievery would be like Simitades or Gevreki. Even better is Greek Gevrek.
freddo_expresso@reddit (OP)
Bro lives in Istinpoli and calls other people thieves 🥀
Successful-Biggy@reddit
Are not you tired of rage bait and upvote bait ?
berkman92@reddit
Mougatsa !
Istar10n@reddit
It's called covrig here. We also have a version with poppy seeds instead. That is my favorite.
kalyjuga@reddit
Đevrek
lazaros1312@reddit
I'd rather have a tiropita over this
turkoman_@reddit
Gevrek. Literally means crispy in Turkish.
idontknowitatall123@reddit
đevrek in bosnia and herzegovina
negatif0@reddit
Варен ѓеврек од семафорите на Неготино.
aktionaerderbaer@reddit
Gevrek in Macedonia
TangoCyka@reddit
God I could for one right about now. Super good!
Fun-Combination5301@reddit
Everything reminds me of her
TimmoTerenz@reddit
Your granny?
SpectralCozmo@reddit
Hope you get better soon bro
polenta2025@reddit
The Mediterranean diet /s
Ian_Dess@reddit
Maybe the mediteraranean diet is the friends we made along the way… (for real, i believe huge factor is lack of stress and chill life, not the food itself)
OnePalmOne@reddit
Yes because when I’m chill I tend not to overeat on every meal to death.
czanian1985@reddit
Gevrek
OriginalCause5799@reddit
it's called 麻圈(ma quan)
Acceptable-Ratio4339@reddit
Геврек in N. Macedonia. Also Симит was used before, but now is used for different style of pastries. Word comes ultimately from Turkish, gevrek simit, crunchy simit.
Substantial_Gold_189@reddit
Djevrek or Ðevrek in Montenegro
Ujemegaz@reddit
In Turkey they sell such in those wheeled counters.
MacaroonAntique3669@reddit
Baškot (bashkot) here in Croatia...
Arsimp33@reddit
Simit, in Turkey (in İzmir Gevrek). (And how dare you call Simit circular bread)
Lil_Lord_Funkleroy@reddit
Canlı Fırını in Alsancak Izmir - has my favorite Gevrek
TheMediumJanet@reddit
Gevrek my beloved
intheblaze@reddit
Basicly turkish simit
freddo_expresso@reddit (OP)
It's quite different actually, I had simit in Turkey.
Independent_Doubt454@reddit
Simit
MainCommercial729@reddit
Gevrek
Dead3Avenger@reddit
0/10 ragebait go eat baklavaki or smthn
freddo_expresso@reddit (OP)
Ok Mr Istinpoli 🥀😂
P-l-Staker@reddit
Please spell our dishes properly. 😉
Mahmmout@reddit
Simit bu
dr_prdx@reddit
Simit in Turkish
fat-wombat@reddit
As you were able to add to the conversation without resorting to fighting over where it was invented, you have now been chosen to represent your countrymen
Top_Satisfaction4851@reddit
Simitki?
freddo_expresso@reddit (OP)
Iskoulouri?
InfuriatingLeisur081@reddit
bruh... Simit
fat-wombat@reddit
Dude you couldn’t help yourself
freddo_expresso@reddit (OP)
bruh... Koulouri
RepresentativeSet340@reddit
Đevrek in Serbia. There was a bakery in Belgrade who sold it stuffed with bacon and urnebes (hot sauce with peppers, cheese and garlic). Sadly it is closed now.
blumonste@reddit
Simit.
freddo_expresso@reddit (OP)
I love simit
vintage_cycles@reddit
In both Moldova and Romania it is called covrig
blumonste@reddit
Obwarzanek Krakowski
freddo_expresso@reddit (OP)
I mean bagel is also a kind of koulouri, a fat one.
SamiTheAnxiousBean@reddit
Đevrek by beloved
Key_Information3273@reddit
Luca /s
No-Specialist5122@reddit
Best patisserie so far. Warm and delicious.
mahboilucas@reddit
Obwarzanek but ours isn't so anorexic