A lot of sharp, soft cheese… that’s what I remember most.

Turkish breakfast is not quite a "meal," or at least not in the classical sense. There is no "main course," rather, a lot of little things. 

Indeed, Turkish breakfast is more of a breakfast-themed snack platter than an actual meal. 

Included in this platter will be fruits, breads, and the aforementioned cheeses. All things considered, it was really good! This sort of light graze is a great way to start your day. Couple it with Turkish coffee, and you're all set for a productive day. The Turks are onto something. 

ADANA KEBAB

Being a staple of many different Islamic cuisines and cultures, you might already know what a Kebab is. Turkey has it's own take the Kebab—a few of them actually! Featured here is Adana Kebab.

Adana Kebab is a long piece of grilled meat (the Kebab) that is served with supporting rice, bread, and greens. It's very, very good. 

This should typically cost you 25-30 TYR (6.62-7.95 USD). 

FIRINDA SARMA BEYTI

Firinda Sarma Beyti consists of some version of the following:

Melted cheese and well-cooked meat is wrapped bread, like a cream-filled donuts, except with meat instead of cream. The bread is cooked up so that the exterior has been sufficiently toasted, and then it's cut up into little pieces. 

These cross-sections of meat, cheese, and bread are then served with yogurt. In the picture to the right, this yogurt was topped with pistachio shavings. 

This should typically cost you 20-25 TYR (5.30-6.62 USD). 

PACHA SOUP

Pacha Soup is another staple in many Islamic cultures. In other places across Persia and Arabia, this soup often includes pieces of a lamb’s head, including the brain, eyeballs, and tongue. Thankfully, it's a little different in Turkey. 

In Istanbul, I was served a slightly less disgusting version of this dish: cow’s hoof soup. It was actually very good! 

This should typically cost you 11-16 TYR (2.91-4.24 USD). 

İÇLI KÖFTE

These things tend to look like breaded, deep friend lemons, because of their shape. Here's how İçli Köfte is made...  

Dough is fried and wrapped around ground beef. This forms a sort of lemon-shaped, breaded, meat dumpling. They are served warm as a sort of side-dish to a Turkish dinner. 

As an add-on to your meal, this should cost you  5-7 TYR (1.32-1.85 USD). 

PIDE

Pide is a Turkish favorite, but for all its clout as a great, cultural food... it's basically pizza.

Pide is, essentially, an elongated flat bread pizza. So, in other words, it's awesome! And it's a total loophole in the mentality of needing to eat Turkish food whilst being in Turkey. 

"But Mom, it's not pizza; it's pide!" 

The price for 1 should be around  10-16 TYR (2.65-4.24 USD)—that is, depending on the toppings. 

ZURNA

It's kind of hard to tell what Zurna is simply by looking at it. It's sort of like burrito/wrap, except that it's as long as your arm.

Exactly what is inside a Zurna can be pretty much anything. The options vary, but meat is almost always included.

Mine was a mystery meat and some sort of spicy sauce. It was very good. It's a great food to get if you're on-the-go. 

The price for 1 should be around  _ _ TYR (_ _ USD). 

Ayran

Somewhere in between the lassie that is common in India & Bangladesh, and our western version of yogurt, you'll find Ayran. Most Islamic countries have some version of this drink, many of which have different names. 

I'm just gonna be honest here: I hated this drink. It tastes like sour, liquid yogurt. But it's a pretty significant food here in Istanbul, and other people seem to love it, so I'm pretty much obligated to include it. I think it's just an acquired taste. 

The price for 1 container (as seen here) should be around  2-3 TYR (0.53-0.79 USD).