Simit and beyond
ISTANBUL
Top 50 lists have become all the rage. This time, CNN’s website published an article listing 50 examples of the world’s best breads. The bread of choice from Türkiye that made it to the list is our beloved “simit” - the sesame-studded bread ring. Back in 2019, the Turkish word “simit” had entered the Oxford English Dictionary, defined as “a type of bread often coated with molasses and covered in sesame seeds, originating in Türkiye.” Though sometimes referred to as the Turkish bagel, it is not as plump, but rather a thin ring of bread, with a delightfully crispy exterior and a pleasantly chewy interior. Simit is the ubiquitous grab-and-go street snack of the Turkish urban scene. An important part of our lives, it is now a source of pride to be the only wheaten product from Türkiye on the 50 Best Breads list.
News like this resonates widely immediately. Of course, the definition of “best” is a highly relative concept, highly subjective. Everyone considers their own bread to be the best; comparisons are unnecessary and often controversial. But then, the definition of bread is also relevant. In Türkiye, we do not think of simit as bread, a simit is a simit and that is all. It falls in the category of “wheaten products,” which is “unlu mamüller” in Turkish — a term which defines anything from a bakery. The list includes many items that most people would not classify as bread, similar to our stuffed and griddled doughs like börek, pide and gözleme or fried doughs akin to our “pişi.” This may confuse those looking at the list. As defining bread can be relative, Jen Rose Smith, the author of the CNN Travel article “50 of the World’s Best Breads,” referenced William Rubel, the author of “Bread: A Global History,” for a definition of bread to clarify this classification. His response was that it is difficult to define a single type of bread. He gave a somewhat evasive answer: “Bread is basically what your culture says it is!” Rubel says that any food made from any grain or ground material can be defined as bread, and he sees bread also as a companion that is taken to the field, used as a soldier's ration in war, and can be stored for the winter.
Online bread practice
William Rubel, whom I know personally, is an extremely thorough researcher who has carried out extensive field work. We’ve known each other from the Oxford Symposium of Food and Cookery, and for many years, he has organized online meetings on bread, bringing together people from all corners of the world. His group, titled “Bread History and Practice,” used to gather both researchers and bakers together, experimenting on recipes while simultaneously discussing various aspects of that particular chosen recipe and its history and culture. It was fun, and it was amazingly enlightening. From Türkiye, once the participant was Hakan Doğan from Pasto Bakery in Bursa, one of the most knowledgeable persons about bread types and wheat varieties in Türkiye and beyond, from Moscow to Iran. I remember, at one point, we also discussed chickpea fermentation methods to be used instead of yeast. It was enlightening for participants, and also a great way to accumulate knowledge from volunteer participants far and wide. Needless to say, the group was utterly entertaining, playing with dough and dusting flour around always brings enjoyment.
Simit: The one and only or many?
Of course, the Turkish public is proud to have simit included on the list, but what about other similar bread rings from other countries? Although simit is included, similar items such as the German Bretzel and Poland's famous Obwarzanek Krakowski are not on the list. Among the lacking is the Koulouri Thessalonikis, the pride of Thessaloniki bakeries, which still make the larger, crispier version, a true descendant of the Ottoman-period simit. Likewise, the ka-ak of Middle Eastern countries, which resembles a bracelet, has been left out. Yet, across a vast geography stretching from Iran to Yemen, countless varieties of ka-ak are made and sold on every corner as a staple flavor of daily life. Similarly, ring-shaped hard pastry like shushki, bubliki and baranki are popular examples of Russian, Polish, Belarusian and Ukrainian baked goods. One reason why simit-like bread rings with a hole in the middle are such an important street food is that they can be strung on a stick, or hung on a string, and sold by vendors wandering from street to street. That’s why simit-like bread rings exist across such a large geography and are an integral part of daily life, both for their taste and their ease of consumption.
Simit is believed to be the ancestor of other European examples, such as Bretzel and Eastern European ring-shaped breads. These, in turn, are believed to be the precursors of the American bagel. When we scan the entire list, we see that the New York-style bagel, iconic especially for New York, is not included, but the Montreal Fairmount Bagel from Canada made the list. However, when it comes to bagels, there are so many varieties, and each has its own fanatical enthusiasts, that choosing one over another is almost impossible. Just like our simit. There was a heated debate about Türkiye’s simit varieties in recent months, and no one could figure it out. The renowned food critic Vedat Milor was the one who ignited the debate when he singled out the İzmit simit as the best one in the country. Many chefs weighed in with their responses, each picking their preferred choices, the capital Ankara’s dark-crusted simit gaining support, and the rest was endless dispute among simit aficionados. We know that even if a city’s simit is well-reputed, one bakery may be superior to another, and enthusiasts always seek the flavor they are accustomed to, after all, it is a personal taste. Nevertheless, the existence of simit in our lives is fundamental; it is a joy for us. I will not debate on the best bread list, but in my opinion, a list of the “World’s 50 Simit and Similar” could even be compiled!
