Kaimak, a famous traditional food from Turkiye (Turkey), is an impressive dish where the savory, rich flavor and tenderness coexist by concentrating milk fat as it is. There is also a famous anecdote in a TV program where Baekjongwon couldn’t forget the taste of this kaimak after going to Turkiye, so he planned a business and made it himself, but he gave up on Sujitasan because he could only get 400 grams from 10 kg of crude oil.
Kaimak is made by heating freshly squeezed milk, stirring it well, cooling it for a while, then heating it again to remove the hardened film from the top of the milk. It is the kaimak that is made by collecting these membranes. Cow breeds from Central Asia, which produce milk rich in milkfat, are produced in countries such as Turkey, Iraq, and Afghanistan because they can be made a little easier, and are very popular. I usually mix it with honey and spread it on bread because I feel that it’s a bit too good to eat caimak separately.
Recently, there has been an increase in the number of stores in Korea where you can enjoy kaimak. If you want to check out the flavors of exotic sweets that can be enjoyed nearby, I recommend visiting Kaimak restaurants.
Kaimak restaurants include Seoul Gyeongridan-gil Proof in the Coffee, Sinchon Sand Coffee Nontanto, Yeonnam Nontanto, Sinsa Nontanto, Sinsa Mosens Suite, Sangsu Mosens Suite, Idae Mosens Suite, Itaewon Alpedo, Ilsan Hadir, Daehak-ro Hauck, Mangwon Pickers, Itaewon Kerban Bakery, Mokdong Leflore, Myommok-dong Kiki, Paju & Joy Turkey, Suwon Haenggung-dong Spherospera, Inglicheon Dede, Busan Haeundae Diart Coffee, Jeonpo Kaiman Coffee, Seomyeon 33 Gate, Daejeon Doan Ikej Coffee Bar, Jeju Seongsan Sheargot, Jeju City Morning Smile Farm, Daegu Sandlake, Changwon Poveo, Damyang Attention Please, and Gyeongju Banum Coffee are famous.
1. âAlpedoâ in Itaewon, the Turkiye bakery featured on YouQuiz
Image source: txt kxrx’s Instagram
Image source: txt kxrx’s Instagram
A traditional bakery with a Turkiye feel. You can find a variety of Turkiye bakeries and desserts, such as Turkiye traditional bread, ecmack, roll pie, Ramadan pita, croissants, baklava, Turkiye candy âTurkiyesh Delightâ, and Turkiye rice pudding. Place a dollop of caimak on a plate full of honey and sprinkle with pistachio powder. If you place a little on the bread served with it and enjoy it, the rich milk flavor and sweet honey blend to create a savory yet sweet flavor.
[Eating tips]
â²Location: 174 Itaewon-ro, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
â²Opening hours: 08:00 – 23:00 every day
â²Price: Kaimak set 9800 won, pastiz 3600 won, Ramadan pita 4,000 won
â²Testimonial (Shikigami Noosek Namneubli): I came here to try kaimak, but there was a wait. I think it might be a little less if you come on a weekday. It’s sweet and delicious when eaten with honey.
2. The combination of soft pancakes and savory kaimak, Gyeongridan-gil’s ‘Proof in the Coffee’
Image source: do_rat_sy.0827’s Instagram
Image source: minisaru23’s Instagram
A cafe on Gyeongridan-gil with a great view from a window. If you sit in the upper seat, you can clearly see the space for preparing desserts and drinks, and it’s a unique structure. This place is famous for its seasonal fruit pancakes, which vary from season to season. The round shaped pancake, which reminds me of old castella bread, is soft and sweet. The pleasure is doubly served with savory kaimak.
[Eating tips]
â²Location: 24, Sowol-ro 38ga-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
â²Opening hours: 12:00 – 19:00 every day, closed on Mondays
â²Price: Seasonal fruit pancake (1 person) 7,500 won, additional kaimak 5,000 won, coffee in the cream 6,000 won
â²Testimonial (For eating bread): The pancakes are round and round, so they are cute, and the pictures are great to eat in one bite!
3. ‘Hadir’ from Ilsan, a traditional dessert to enjoy in an exotic space
Image source: mungjee_star’s Instagram
This cafe is famous as a popular spot in Bamridan-gil, Ilsan. The mosque-style entrance and the beige-centered interior evoke a desert, exude an exotic feeling. Along with coffee, they sell Turkic desserts and daily necessities. If you order kaimak, they serve a generous portion of kaimak on a large plate with bread and honey, so it’s a great place to spend a sweet time.
[Eating tips]
â²Location: 8-16 Mugunghwa-ro 187beon-gil, Ilsandong-gu, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do
â²Opening hours: 11:00 to 21:00 every day, closed on Mondays
â²Price: Kaimak 8500 won, signature Hadir coffee 5,500 won, Balsuit 6,000 won
â²Testimonial (Chonzuma Shikigami): There are so many people because she’s pretty and popular on Instagram. The caimak is delicious and the coffee is delicious. It’s a bit disappointing that parking is a bit difficult haha
4. Coffee extracted from sand, sweet caimak, and ‘Sand Coffee Nontanto’ in Sinchon
Image source: oq.may’s Instagram
Image source: oq.may’s Instagram
The Sinchon branch of Sand Coffee Nontanto has been popular since Garosu-gil. It is located right behind Exit 1 of Sinchon Station and has excellent access to public transportation. There are outdoor seats, so it’s a great place to relax and enjoy the cool breeze and sunshine like these days. Nontanto is famous for its sandwich coffee, Basque cheesecake, and kaimak, and sandwich coffee is made by extracting espresso from hot sand. The happiness of kaimak, which is similar to sweet clotted cream, is a bonus.
[Eating tips]
â²Location: 87-4 Sinchon-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul
â²Business hours: Sunday-Thursday 11:00-22:00, Fri-Sat 11:00-23:00
â²Price: Kaimak 7500 won, espresso 5,000 won, confana 5,000 won
â²Review (Shikigami Gongdae Armi): It’s right behind the station, so it’s a great cafe for people like me… The atmosphere of the cafe is also really nice! I was unfamiliar with the terminology, but I was grateful that the staff were so kind and explained it so well.
5. Enjoy relaxation with unique Middle Eastern sweets, the shrine âMosens Sweetâ
Image source: eat9.6’s Instagram
Image Source: gearsnet’s Instagram
A Middle Eastern dessert specialty store located on Garosu-gil. You can enjoy kunafas and kaimak, which are crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. Kunafa is an addictive dessert with a subtle sweetness even between the savory and salty flavors of cheese. Kaimak is served with honey and baguette, which is the best friend of the soul, and a hot baguette with a slight acidity that has been aged for 20 hours or more adds to the flavor of kaimak. We recommend serving it with a cup of warm balsut latte containing homemade buttermilk and honey.
[Eating tips]
â²Location: 21, Gangnam-daero 154-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
â²Business hours: 12:00 – 22:00 every day
â²Price: Kunapa 6000 won, cream kunapa 6000 won, caimak 9,000 won
â²Testimonial (Nutcracker): I tried kaimak for the first time, and it was so delicious because it was soft and sweet! I think it’s a mild cheese flavor? Hehe, I ate it with honey, so it was quick; the price went up a bit, but hehe, of all the drinks, the iced Mosen latte was the best fit for me!
*The copyright of this post belongs to Shikigami, and the original link and source must be posted when using the post.
*This post can only be used for non-profit purposes and cannot be modified or used in other creative works.
