Simit · Egyptian · Main Course
Simit
Born in Egypt
“A circular sesame-crusted bread that changes character by city—crisp in Ankara, chewy in Istanbul.”
0 people have eaten this dish and left their thoughts across 6 platforms
8 in 10 mention sesame or seed-studded crust first
7 in 10 say it's worth it for the varies in crunch and chewiness by region
6 in 10 would come back the same week
Synthesised from Google · Yelp · Reddit · 3 food blogs · Updated August 2026
The story the reviews tell
Simit is a circular bread that carries the fingerprint of the Ottoman Empire across its sesame-crusted shell. What makes it compelling is its regional stubbornness—in İzmir they call it gevrek and chase crispness; in Ankara, the bakers make them smaller and sharper still. The same dough, the same idea, but each city argues for its own version.
What makes this version distinct
Simit or koulouri is a circular bread, typically encrusted with sesame seeds or, less commonly, poppy, flax or sunflower seeds, found across the cuisines of the former Ottoman Empire and the Middle East, especially in Armenia, Turkey and the Balkans. Simit's size, crunch, chewiness, and other characteristics vary slightly by region. In İzmir, simit is known as gevrek ("crisp"), although it is very similar to the Istanbul variety. Simit in Ankara are smaller and crisper than those of other cities.
Signature elements
What people love
- sesame or seed-studded crust
- varies in crunch and chewiness by region
- deeply rooted across multiple cuisines
Know before you go
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