TikTok’s version of a “Balkan breakfast,” which primarily features variations of the same whole, raw ingredients, has a distinctly rural flavor, she explains. While summer breakfast plates are more likely a celebration of tomatoes, sweet peppers, and watermelon (á la “Balkan breakfast”), hearty, savory porridges made from buckwheat or polenta are common winter fare—particularly in the colder, mountainous areas. And many ingredients are regional, like Albania’s crepe-like flija, or prosciutto, pečenica, and other cured meats from the Dalmatian region of Croatia.
Contrary to what social media may have you believe, not every day is an occasion for a huge spread. Often breakfast is simply a pastry, such as a burek and a Turkish coffee or a glass of yogurt. But weekends can call for more elaborate meze, including plates of eggs cooked with stewed veggies, kajmak and other homemade soft cheeses, vegetable preserves like the popular sweet bell pepper and eggplant relish called ajvar, and layered pastries filled with everything from meat to vegetables to jam. Pickled vegetables are common throughout the Balkans, as are fruit preserves. The portions tend to be small and, she adds laughing, “We do use plates and cutlery.”
As customary as it may be in the Balkans, this small-plate style approach to eating isn’t unique to the region.
“That culture is Mediterranean in general,” says food historian and professor at the University of the Pacific Ken Albala, pointing to similar food presentations like Spanish tapas, Basque pinchos, and mezze platters around the Middle East and Mediterranean. And breakfasts filled with fresh, whole ingredients are common in Turkey, Egypt, and as far east as Israel or Lebanon. “I can’t think of what would make that distinctively Balkan.”
The benefits of a Balkan-style breakfast
When it comes to Balkan breakfast, the overall emphasis on convenience, simplicity, and fresh, local ingredients makes for a healthy and adaptable morning routine.