It’s simit in Turkish and koulouri in Greek, known as ‘ Turkish Bagel ‘ in the world. Simit is the latest topic Greece and Turkey are sparring over after Baklava and Kardak rocks on the Aegean Sea.

Istanbul / NationalTurk –  Simit and koulouri are often sold by street vendors in Turkey and Greece, who either have a simit trolley or carry the simit in a tray on their head. Street merchants generally advertise simit as fresh (Taze simit!/Taze gevrek!) since they are baked throughout the day and drinking Turkish tea with simit is traditional in Turkish culture. Simit is generally served plain, or for breakfast with tea, jelly, jam or cheese. Last decade saw a immense increase in Simit Houses in Turkish cities, hundreds of fast food chains has opened Simit ‘palaces’ you can stumble on every 20 meters on every street.

Simit is the Turkish answer to American burger and fast food franchises and it turned out to be a lucrative and very profitable bussiness while earlier Simit was often sold only by street vendors and small bakeries in Turkey, who either have a simit trolley or carry the simit in a tray on their head.

Chamber of Simit Vendors Istanbul has taken steps towards obtaining the international patents for Simit and Greece is furious. Greece newspaper  Elefteros Tipos said ‘ next round of Turkey Greece fight starts, after Baklawa and a bunch of rocks on Aegean Sea it is ‘ simit ‘ or ‘ koulouri ‘ what has set two neighbouring countries at odds.

The newspaper added that Simit’s roots date back to times prior to Jesus and it was very popular during the Byzantine period in Thessaloniki and Istanbul ( back then Constantinople ). According to the report back then mothers ‘d wished for their sons ‘ to become a Simit vendor in Istanbul ‘, which clearly indicates the high profile interest for Simit in the social life those centuries ago.

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