Discovering menemen: A taste of Turkey through scrambled eggs

After the first bite of this scrambled egg dish, I discovered something about its unique taste that I liked. Today, I make this Turkish speciality at home and not just for myself. The other household members have fallen in love with it, too!

Vacations abroad not only mean relaxing by the sea and enjoying umbrella drinks on a lounge chair but also exploring local cuisine. And while I have nothing against all-inclusive holidays, I believe that hotel food does not reveal the true essence of national specialities. That's why I ventured out for breakfast in Turkey to find a charming spot in one of the streets of Belek serving traditional Turkish scrambled eggs called menemen.

What is menemen? I must admit I wasn't sure at first. Of course, I could taste the stewed vegetables, but I wasn't sure which ones. It turned out that Turkish scrambled eggs don't hide any surprising secrets. The classic recipe is simply eggs, tomato, onion, and pepper. I've learned that this local speciality is eaten for breakfast and lunch. This didn't surprise me much, as menemen kept me full for several hours!

Below, I present a sample recipe for this scrambled egg dish. It's worth trying—it's really delicious!

Ingredients:

                          
• 5-6 eggs
• 2 tomatoes
• 1 onion
• 1 pepper
• olive oil
• salt, pepper
• parsley or other greens

Preparation:

1. Peel the tomatoes using boiling water or a regular peeler. Then, cut the tomatoes and pepper into small cubes. Chop the onion into tiny pieces.
2. Sauté the onion and pepper in a small amount of olive oil. After a few minutes, add the tomatoes. Gently stir and sauté until the vegetables start to break down, which can take 8-12 minutes.
3. After this time, crack the eggs into the pan and mix everything. Cook until you get the desired consistency. In my case, menemen is quite runny.
4. Serve with parsley. Done!