This Turkish tradition lets you feed the hungry anonymously by hanging a loaf of bread on a hook

They say, 'When you give, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,' and the Turkish people follow it like no one else. Well, the Turks swear by an age-old tradition called "askıda ekmek," where they purchase extra bread for those who can't afford it. It was featured on National Geographic (@natgeotv) in their series "World Eats Bread" in 2024, and it's something everyone should follow.

The tradition has been in practice for centuries. People buy more than they need and ask the shopkeeper to hang the extra loaf of bread on the hook. When someone who needs it arrives at the store, they give it to them. "Just follow the signs for 'askıda ekmek.' It means 'bread on the hook,'" the narrator explained. "I first saw it at a nearby bakery. I would say 50-60 loaves of bread on the hook," another bakery owner shared.

Why does the tradition demand the giver to be anonymous? A gentleman on the show explained, "Because the giver can always claim superiority, in fact, isn't? And the other humility. Well, you take the bread on the hanger; you don't feel humiliated." According to Professor Febe Armanios, this custom is associated with zakat, one of the five pillars in Islam that focuses on various acts of charity. Now, giving ekmek or bread is important because in Islamic belief, bread symbolizes life, and protecting life is sacred. 

"Bread is absolutely critical to eating and is representative of hunger-satiation/starvation-desperation," Armanios shared with the BBC. Meanwhile, people, clearly overwhelmed by the Turkish culture, praised the Turks for upholding the century-old tradition. For instance, @healychristy commented, "The gentleman’s message about not taking credit for a good deed, anonymous kindness, is my favorite part."

Similarly, @parthenopesworte shared, "In Italy, there's the thing called café sospeso. It is similar, and it's profoundly beautiful! People who think of others leave bread or coffee in 'suspense' for someone who needs it." Someone else, @tube, recalled, "In my street in Cologne, there was a small Turkish bakery that did the same thing. You could pay in advance for someone else, basically. I often witnessed homeless people coming in and asking for bread — and they actually got it."

Another user who goes by @farahfutom on Instagram wrote, "Helping the poor and keeping their dignity even when receiving help is a trait that only very noble people are capable of doing. What a beautiful tradition to be kept alive, but I hope there will come a day when the world is cleansed and filled with incredibly noble and beautiful souls who no longer require aid to afford something as basic as food."

Echoing the sentiments, @ryan.ingrid wrote, "What a beautiful gesture. That's the way giving should be. No one needs to feel ashamed for not having, and shouldn't be made to feel that way. Love this." A user, @new34000, said, "There is also a 'bill on the hook' system in Türkiye; people in need can submit their unpaid utility bills to an online platform, and others can choose to pay them anonymously."

You can follow National Geographic TV (@natgeotv) on Instagram for more such human-interest stories.