The mystery of the waffle
Whenever you travel there is always that one food you miss terribly. Often, it is something you wouldn't necessarily want all that often but now that you can't have it you want it constantly.
My food cravings tend to be breakfast items. I enjoy the odd pancake at home (although, more often than not I like them for dinner instead of breakfast), but once I'm on the road I crave them incessantly. The thick doughy goodness of American breakfasts fills my empty ache for home.
So you can imagine my delight when we walked around my Istanbul neighborhood and I saw several nearby places advertising waffles. Neon signs! Pictures of bright green kiwi toppings! Whipped cream! I filled my head with plans to eat one every day. Every single day until I never wanted a waffle again.
Alas, there is apparently some secret of the waffle I do not understand.
It all started on Monday when I eagerly went into the nearest waffle place (which is quite literally next door) for breakfast.
"ONE WAFFLE PLEASE" I said in my horrible yet functional Turkish.
The man just shook his head. "It is not the time."
My confused expression caused him to offer a long explanation in Turkish, but unfortunately I did not understand any of it.
"No waffle?" I tried again.
"No."
I sadly ordered something else for breakfast. However, I still wanted my breakfast prize and decided on Tuesday to try again. I went to a new restaurant at a new time, and ordered. I got the same response: it was not the time. I then realized I had never actually seen anyone eating a waffle. Did they even exist?
Since then I have attempted many times, but have never got what I seek. I shall try one last time. I will go to yet a new restaurant at dinner time and see if I have any luck - maybe they are a dessert instead of a breakfast. Will it be time?
My food cravings tend to be breakfast items. I enjoy the odd pancake at home (although, more often than not I like them for dinner instead of breakfast), but once I'm on the road I crave them incessantly. The thick doughy goodness of American breakfasts fills my empty ache for home.
So you can imagine my delight when we walked around my Istanbul neighborhood and I saw several nearby places advertising waffles. Neon signs! Pictures of bright green kiwi toppings! Whipped cream! I filled my head with plans to eat one every day. Every single day until I never wanted a waffle again.
Alas, there is apparently some secret of the waffle I do not understand.
It all started on Monday when I eagerly went into the nearest waffle place (which is quite literally next door) for breakfast.
"ONE WAFFLE PLEASE" I said in my horrible yet functional Turkish.
The man just shook his head. "It is not the time."
My confused expression caused him to offer a long explanation in Turkish, but unfortunately I did not understand any of it.
"No waffle?" I tried again.
"No."
I sadly ordered something else for breakfast. However, I still wanted my breakfast prize and decided on Tuesday to try again. I went to a new restaurant at a new time, and ordered. I got the same response: it was not the time. I then realized I had never actually seen anyone eating a waffle. Did they even exist?
Since then I have attempted many times, but have never got what I seek. I shall try one last time. I will go to yet a new restaurant at dinner time and see if I have any luck - maybe they are a dessert instead of a breakfast. Will it be time?
[EDIT 2021: In 9 months in Turkey, I managed to get a waffle ONCE. I still don't know the secret of the waffle.]
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