As part of the World Breakfast Day, celebrated annually by UNESCO on the first Sunday of June, a scrumptious Turkish breakfast was presented at the residence of the Turkish Ambassador H.E Ms Ayşegül Kandaş in South Africa.

The event was attended by 50 guests which included female Heads of Missions, members of DIRCO, NGO’s, media and distinguished guests.

Van in the East of Turkiye, is viewed as the country’s breakfast capital with its diverse dishes and rich flavours.
The province has broken the world’s most crowded breakfast table record in 2014 with the participation of 51,793 people. Breakfast is so integral to Van that a backstreet parallel to the main boulevard is unofficially known as ‘Breakfast Makers Street’.

On the 11 June 2023, guests were treated to an array of Turkish delicacies, including menemen,simit ,sucuk, borek, rose jam, blue berry tart to name but a few which was complemented with traditional Turkish tea at the Turkish Ambassador’s residence in Pretoria.

The event not only showcased the world renowned breakfast but also emphasised the role of bringing people together.

While guests tucked into their breakfast Ambassador Kandaş thanked Chef Gift who worked with Nelson Mandela’s Chef and now has his own business and Chef Yunus who has his own business, the Baklava company in Centurion for coming together and preparing the mouthwatering breakfast.

Ambassador Kandaş arranged some guest speakers for the morning with the focus being on promoting tourism within South Africa. Debbie Mayes from Embassy Direct addressed the audience as well as David Frost the CEO of SATSA. Both speakers focused on the plentiful opportunities in South Africa to experience the beauty and culture . The prospect of creating a travel club for the diplomatic community was discussed in order for embassy staff to experience as much of the magnificent country as possible during their tenure.

Jo da Silva, Fundraising Manager from the Salesian Institute Youth Projects (SIYP) also addressed the audience followed by H.E. Lindiwe Zulu, Minister of Social Development. Jo shed light on the Salesian Institute Youth Projects, and the programmes that are providing skills development training to marginalized youth in Cape Town, enabling them to overcome social and economic barriers.
Minister Zulu reiterated her steadfast support for the projects,recognizing their unwavering dedication to uplifting youth.

Marion Smith a friend of Turkiye, displayed her book as well as some of her photos taken from her numerous visits to Turkiye allowing guests to get a feel of the country’s landscape and attractions.

Without a doubt a Turkish breakfast is definitely among the country’s finest culinary rituals, guests left looking forward to another Turkish breakfast in the foreseeable  future.

by Marion Kate