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    Home » Breakfast » Turkish Acuka Breakfast Spread

    Published: Mar 6, 2010 · Modified: May 24, 2025 by Zerrin & Yusuf

    Turkish Acuka Breakfast Spread

    Jump to Recipe

    Acuka or Acika is a spicy breakfast spread that makes everyone addicted. Just spread some on a toasted slice of bread, top it with cheese and gobble it up. YUM!

    acuka4

    The first time I ate acuka spread was  when I was studying at university. I was staying at a dormitory sharing the room with four people, all of whom were from a different city. I learnt several new foods special to their hometowns and their moms. Once a week, our moms would alternately send a package full of foods that we missed and couldn’t easily find there. We would look forward to getting the package on that day with a great excitement. Those packages would turn our dinners into great feasts for a few days. And it was then when all of us realized how talented our moms were at fitting so many things in a box.  We would get together and unpack the package together with a great excitement.

    Acika was in one of these packages sent by a roommate’s mom. It was in a jar and I thought that it was a kind of diy tomato paste. It was more than this. When I opened the jar and smelled, I was fascinated by the scent of the flavors. My friend said that they eat this sauce at breakfast by spreading it on bread slices or on toast. I  also love to place a cheese cube on it.

    We ate it not only at breakfast but also at nights when we got hungry while studying.  When you want to snack, acuka is a great solution for you. Also, this sauce might be served as an appetizer or savory food with Turkish raki. You can keep this sauce in jars for a long time, so when you have unexpected guests, you can spread acuka on bread slices and serve it with tea. I’m sure they will all love it  and ask for its recipe.

    I’m so lucky to have homemade pepper and tomato paste and would like to thank to mom for this. She makes them every summer and brings some for us. As they are already salty, I don’t add any salt in this sauce.

    More Recipes For Turkish Breakfast

    • Traditional Turkish Breakfast
    • Turkish Melemen Recipe
    • Simit Recipe
    • Filo Burek With Cheese
    • Turkish Tea
    • Pogaca Recipe

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    📖 Recipe

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    Turkish Acuka Recipe

    By Zerrin & Yusuf
    An amazing breakfast spread with tomato and pepper paste, walnuts and spices.
    Yields: 1 small jar
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    PREP 10 minutes mins
    COOK 0 minutes mins
    TOTAL 10 minutes mins

    INGREDIENTS
      

    • 3 tablespoons pepper paste
    • 1 tablespoons tomato paste
    • ½ cup olive oil
    • 1 cup walnuts crumbled
    • ¼ cup white bread crumbled (optional)
    • 3 cloves garlic mashed
    • 1 teaspoon cumin
    • 1 teaspoon black pepper
    • 1 pinch thyme

    INSTRUCTIONS
     

    • Mix all the ingredients in a bowl. Taste it after they are mixed and if you think any of these ingredients is not enough, add some more of it.
    • You can increase the amounts and keep it in glass jars.

    NUTRITION

    Calories: 1839kcalCarbohydrates: 44gProtein: 22gFat: 185gSaturated Fat: 22gPolyunsaturated Fat: 67gMonounsaturated Fat: 90gSodium: 199mgPotassium: 969mgFiber: 10gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 405IUVitamin C: 16mgCalcium: 199mgIron: 7mg

    Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

    ADDITIONAL INFO

    Course Breakfast
    Cuisine Turkish
    Tried this recipe? Leave a comment below!
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      Recipe Rating




    1. Anej says

      June 27, 2021 at 6:14 pm

      Hey!
      I discovered acuka during a trip to istambul and never forgot it. I have at least found bilber salcasi so I could do your recipe tonight... very good! A litle bit too much garlic for my taste but appart from this this is exactly what I remember! So thank you!

      Reply
      • Yusuf says

        June 28, 2021 at 3:28 am

        Hi Anej,
        Happy to hear that you love acuka! Yes, you can make adjustments with the measurements of garlic to your taste.
        Cheers!

        Reply
    2. Dina says

      July 29, 2010 at 11:33 am

      i have never heard of acuka before. thank you for sharing. it sounds like something i'd like to try!

      Reply
    3. momgateway says

      April 30, 2010 at 5:04 am

      this is sauce is lovely with fish too!

      Reply
    4. Mely says

      April 01, 2010 at 6:06 am

      Great idea! It will be interesting to make it without the spices. Thanks for the recipe.

      Reply
    5. The Duo Dishes says

      March 29, 2010 at 9:16 pm

      This is such a different way to see walnuts used in a spread. Unique for sure.

      Reply
    6. shahana says

      March 19, 2010 at 5:22 am

      Wat a tempting pic!!!Looks really delicious!!

      Reply
    7. Diana says

      March 15, 2010 at 7:07 pm

      I've never mixed walnuts with tomato paste like that. Sounds like a new snack to try out.

      Reply
    8. tasteofbeirut says

      March 13, 2010 at 6:45 am

      I am reminded of muhammara with this sauce; nice to see it used in a different fashion! Looks so good! I had the best one at an Armenian restaurant in Beirut.

      Reply
    9. Food-G says

      March 13, 2010 at 7:31 am

      Thanks for sharing this. Roasted peppers and walnuts, mmmmmm...I'd like to try and make it at home. Love your flavors. You always give my senses something new and different to ponder.

      Reply
    10. Tangled Noodle says

      March 09, 2010 at 11:32 am

      Oh, I'm so excited to try this! Except for the pepper paste, I already have all the ingredients. It's always great to get a reminder to try a savory breakfast rather than my usual sweetened foods. I think my husband, especially, would love this.

      As for your university days, receiving such packages from your mother must have been like having a birthday present each time! 😎

      Reply
    11. feride aka farida says

      March 09, 2010 at 8:19 am

      Oh, I love this one! In fact I was going to make it one of these days and post it on my blog:))) This is almost like muhammara. Maybe 2 different names for the same thing.

      Reply
    12. dokuzuncubulut says

      March 09, 2010 at 8:04 am

      Sevgili Zerrin,
      yine güzel bir tarif vermişsin. Hem fotoğrafın, hem tarifin çok güzel. Sevgiler...

      Reply
    13. 5 Star Foodie says

      March 09, 2010 at 6:21 am

      A very unique sauce with walnuts & tomato paste! Sounds so delicious on a crusty bread!

      Reply
    « Older Comments

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    Meet Zerrin and Yusuf Gunaydin: The couple behind this blog. We bring Turkish food into your kitchen! From kebabs to desserts, everything you crave is here.

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    Zerrin & Yusuf

    Meet Zerrin and Yusuf Gunaydin: The couple behind this blog. We bring Turkish food into your kitchen! From kebabs to desserts, everything you crave is here.

    More about us→

    POPULAR RECIPES

    • Chicken seasoning in a glass jar and a small spoon in it.
      Dry Rub For Chicken - Chicken Seasoning
    • Turkish bean stew in a dark colored bowl and a spoon inside it.
      Kuru Fasulye Recipe (Turkish Beans)
    • Roasted tomato soup topped with feta cheese and basil leaves in a white bowl, grilled cheese sandwich dipped into it and more grilled cheese sandwiches behind it.
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    • Turkish chicken dish with a tomato sauce served in a bowl and a fork inside it.
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    • Baked chicken wings on a rack.
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