The Balkan Breakfast is a TikTok trend that originated with a video of middle-aged Turkish TikToker @.dayi _ eating raw individual ingredients one bite at a time.
What is a Balkan Breakfast?
For those curious about the Balkan Breakfast trend and where it got its name, it is important to note that “Balkan” doesn’t refer to a country, but a region that consists of countries such as Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Macedonia, Greece, Romania, Bulgaria, and Turkey, among others.
While they all have their own distinctive breakfast foods, pastries, and more, the common Balkan Breakfast that folks on the internet know of is a much simpler affair: raw vegetables, bread like rolls or a baguette, and some kind of meat.
That being said, it isn’t the ingredients themselves that make a true Balkan Breakfast, but in how one eats them. Specifically, eating individual bites from a little bit of everything, however the mood takes them. Some folks will use a pocket knife to cut up pieces, while others will simply use their hands and teeth.
Another aspect of the Balkan Breakfast is the common liberal use of salt on each individual bite as well, so that the person will, for example, sprinkle salt over a tomato and bite into it like they’re eating an apple, then repeating the process.
Origin of the Balkan Breakfast TikTok trend
While not the cause of the surge in Balkan Breakfast TikToks, the original content creator to post videos parodying the way Balkans eat breakfast was TikToker @balkandad back on April 14th, 2020. In the video, which appears to draw on personal experiences from his own childhood, he wrote, “How Balkan dads eat breakfast,” and dramatically ate bites of everything from cheese on bread slices to a spring onion.
The video was viewed over 2 million times and was liked over 169.5K times. The TikToker continued posting videos along the similar theme since that one went viral, and uses his account to share the rich variety of cuisines available in different countries, while also cheekily following his Balkan Dad roots.
@balkandad Replying to @Dragane The Ultimate Balkan Breakfast 🍳 #balkandad #fy #balkanbreakfast #dorucak #balkan #balkanfood #kakavparsleybre #fyp #balkantiktok #tiktokbalkan #recep ♬ original sound – balkandad
The original 2024 Balkan Breakfast meme guy
While @balkandad started the concept of the Balkan Breakfast meme trend, the version we’ve seen all over TikTok in the last month was due in large part to Turkish TikToker @.dayi_, who posted a TikTok on August 26th, 2024. The video is a little over a minute long, showing him eating a typical breakfast, including plenty of raw peppers and bread, with his bare hands while staring off into the distance.
His video blew up, with over 4.5 million views since being posted, and spawning plenty of memes and jokes about how Balkans eat.
More trend examples
Inspired by @.dayi_’s nonstop meal video, folks from across the globe recorded their own TIkToks of eating Balkan Breakfast style meals. Some people have taken it on as a challenge, while others have posted foodie reviews of the style of breakfast.
@veronicamirgova1 #veronicamirgova1 #fyppppppppppppppppppppppp #fyp #food #foodie ♬ original sound – Veronika Mirgova
@heavyhands94 Replying to @dylanrodriguez9692 I accidentally ate a hot one 🥵 #mukbang #balkantiktok #balkan #balkanbreakfast ♬ KEHLANI – Jordan Adetunji
@fishbswimmin #balkanbreakfast ♬ original sound – FishBswimmin
Plenty of folks on the social media app have shared that this is also their experience, either from childhood or even how they currently eat breakfast today.
@vinkiva 🌹🌻🇧🇬🌻🌹 also i know i didn’t switch my entire accent halfway through sentences you don’t have to tell me #balkanbreakfast #breakfast #Balkan #Bulgarian #bulgarianfood #Bulgariamentioned #food ♬ original sound – Vin Kiva 🏳️⚧️
