What is Simit? History, Meaning & Origins

Before coming to Istanbul, you’ve probably seen photos on social media where people point out the city’s historic buildings through a simit. Visitors to the city often point at the street vendors and ask, ‘What is this round food?’ or ‘What is a simit?’ As a tour guide and historian who was born and raised in Istanbul, I wanted to introduce you to the simit, one of my city’s most important symbols.

At the start of my article, I’ll explore the origins of the word ‘simit’ and explain what it means. I’ll then go on to discuss the history of the simit, simit vendors and the simit in the Ottoman Palace. What’s more, you can find photographs of old simits and images of simit sellers in this article as well.

If you’re keen to go beyond simply using it as a frame in your photos and really want to learn about the Turkish sesame rings, be sure to read this article right to the end.

What is simit?

Simit is a baked good that is generally round but with a hole in the centre—in other words, ring-shaped—and sprinkled with sesame seeds; it has a crisp texture. Made from a dough of flour, water, salt and yeast, simit is coated with molasses and sesame seeds on the surface before being baked in the oven. With its delicate texture, when baked, simit becomes a highly satisfying food with its distinctive crisp, crunchy texture, aroma and flavour. As it is dipped in a molasses-water mixture and coated with sesame seeds before baking, it develops a rich aroma. The molasses and protein compounds used caramelise with heat, taking on their characteristic colour and aroma. In this form, it has become a classic baked good associated with the baking culture of Istanbul and Anatolia.

What does ‘simit’ mean?

Although there is no definitive information on the origin of the word “simit,” archaeological research offers some insight. It reveals that throughout history, communities of various languages and religions have produced bagel-like breads. This spans a wide geography—from Central Asia to the Middle East, North Africa, Anatolia, Istanbul, the Balkans and Eastern Europe. Every language defines the word’s form differently. Still, the Arabic word “samīd,” meaning “pure white flour,” is particularly noteworthy. It bears a striking similarity to the Turkish meaning we are familiar with. In Persian, word appears as ‘Sefid’.

Now, in its current form, the word ‘simit’ first appeared in Ottoman texts in 1525. Initially known as “Simid-i Halka”—meaning “round simid”—this name changed over time. By the mid-17th century, people had simply replaced it with “Simid,” or, in modern Turkish, “Simit.” Looking at the earliest use of the word “simid” in the Ottoman world offers further insight. People knew the person responsible for distributing premium white flour from Bursa as the “simitçibaşı” (Head Simid Seller). This was once the flour arrived in Istanbul. The large warehouse where the flour was stored was called the “simithane” (Bagel Shop).

The History of Simit

As far as we know, simit first appeared in the Ottoman Empire towards the end of the 16th century. This legendary food weighs approximately 400 gr. The famous 17th-century Turkish traveller Evliya Çelebi described it as being “as big as a cartwheel.” This helps us understand something important: the simits of old were actually much larger than their modern counterparts.

At that time, people knew this food as ‘simid-i halka’, meaning ’round simit’. By the mid-17th century, there was a decrease in the weight of these round simits, and their size began to approach the dimensions we recognise today. Research shows that, contrary to popular belief, the simit did not originate exclusively in Istanbul but was also a food people ate throughout the Balkans.

The Ottoman Empire produced three types of bagel: sugared rings, sesame rings and the simit we know today. In addition to the large “round simit” commonly consumed by the general public, there were also small simit. These were known as “hurda” (in the original Turkish: scrap). Nowadays, when one speaks of varieties of simit, what comes to mind are those made with sourdough. These include street simit (classic simit), bakery simit (light in colour) and sunflower-seed simit. In addition to these, people consume small simit only during religious festivals. There are also large simit, mostly found in specialist bakeries.

Documents dating from the Ottoman period, specifically those from 1776, show that Istanbul kept the trades of bakers and simit makers separate. These documents classified bakeries according to the products they produced, and people knew bakeries specialising in bagel as ‘simit bakeries‘.

Naturally, all the bakeries in a city such as Istanbul were of considerable importance. Officials even carried out strict inspections at these establishments. Inspectors in plain clothes often conducted these inspections. They checked the quality of the flour used and, furthermore, whether bakeries were adhering to the specified dimensions.

Turkish Sesame Rings Sellers

Society knew simit sellers as ‘Esnâf-ı gevrekciyân‘, meaning ‘the guild of simit sellers‘. According to a note recorded by Evliya Çelebi, the famous 17th-century Ottoman traveller: “Even the bread ring sellers would decorate their ovens and stalls on their carts, thread bagel the size of cart wheels onto poles and have porters carry them. They would also decorate their stalls with small simits and pass by, offering simits and rings to the public out for a stroll.”

There are many clues we can glean from this. Firstly, there was a high level of organisation and a supply chain in place for simit production. It would not have been possible for such a foodstuff to become an integral part of urban culture at this level in a short space of time. This suggests that this baked good, invented a long time ago, must have captured the interest of a significant portion of society. Consequently, demand influenced supply, and mobile vendors became necessary to ensure the product reached the public.

Another important observation is worth noting. Turkish bread ring actually comes in three varieties. We see people selling the larger ones—even those described in our source as being “as big as a car wheel.” The smaller ones, meanwhile, mostly remain in the shops. Vendors offer these as complimentary treats. The interesting part is this: today we pay a considerable amount of money to buy the simit they describe as “hurda“—meaning “small.” Back then, vendors simply offered it as a complimentary treat.

Simit in the Ottoman Palace

Simit is one of the common threads linking the upper classes and the common people. We possess many valuable sources written on baking in the Ottoman Empire. Undoubtedly, one of the main reasons for this interest is that simit was popular amongst a large section of society. According to research, a kitchen ledger dated 1651 lists 95 ‘simid-i halka’ (bagel rings) amongst the baked goods served to the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed IV.

Another record from the reign of Sultan Süleyman II (1687–1691) indicates that the palace allocated 30 simit daily. Like all bread and flour-based products, the Sultan’s mothers (valides), their families and their close circle frequently consumed simit. The palace kitchen served twelve simit daily at the table of Hatice Muazzez Haseki Sultan, the mother of Sultan Ahmed II.

Some studies on this subject are quite interesting. According to these, as evidenced by the palace archives, the palace purchased baked goods from outside sources on days corresponding to the month of Ramadan in 1809 and at various other times, and the records note that these products included bread ring. In fact, simit—an inexpensive staple food of the people—clearly won everyone over.

Turkish Simit FAQs

What Is Turkish Simit Made Of?

Simit is made from simit dough—composed of flour, water, salt and yeast—and is topped with molasses and sesame seeds. Turks refer to this type of simit as “street simit” or “classic simit.” However, there are also varieties of simit made from different types of flour and with different fillings, as well as varieties coated with sunflower seeds.

What Is Simit Called in English?

Mostly known as Turkish bagel, or Turkish sesame rings. It’s also known as Turkish bread rings. But Turkish people prefer to call it just simit. Given that, even though the croissant is Turkish, it isn’t referred to as a “Turkish croissant” despite its crescent shape, it would seem more reasonable simply to call it just simit.

What Does Simit Taste Like?

Simit has an aromatic and delicate flavour as it is coated in sesame seeds and drizzled with molasses. However, what really makes simit stand out is its crisp, freshly baked texture. Served hot and fresh straight from the oven, simit is thoroughly satisfying in terms of its aroma, taste and texture. The distinctive dough and yeast used also contribute to its unique character.

How to Eat Turkish Simit Bread?

Although it is now widely eaten with well-known brands of chocolate-hazelnut spread, Turks typically enjoy simit plain, accompanied by Turkish tea. Sometimes, however, it is also eaten with cheese at breakfast. Nowadays, it is mostly eaten at breakfast or as a snack. This food, which is delicious in every form, has become a classic street food, and you can enjoy it whenever and however you like.

What Is the Difference Between a Bagel and a Simit?

An ordinary bagel is rather dense and dough-heavy; what’s more, it is often soft. In contrast, the Turkish simit is quite different from an ordinary bagel in terms of its crispness, the type of dough used, and even the molasses syrup and sesame coating. Although grape molasses is used, Turkish simit does not have a sweet taste; instead, it has a well-balanced flavour thanks to its sesame coating.

Conclusion

Turkish bagel is undoubtedly an integral part of modern-day Istanbul and one of the most important elements of the city’s culture. It is a food that we pair with our tea in our daily lives and which has left such a lasting impression on us that we could never do without it.

Back in 2013, when I was still a young trainee tourist guide, bread ring was my staple lunch. I used to sit in the old park next to the spot where the tram line—which winds its way right past the Hagia Sophia, near the archaeological excavations—meets the water tower, eating my simit and filling my lunch break.

You can also access my regular posts about Istanbul via this blog. Your views and comments are important to me. I read all your emails and messages and reply to them. You can contact me directly via the contact form here. See you next time.