Local dishes promoted in ‘Turkish Cuisine Week‘

ISTANBUL

Turkish dishes are being promoted in a series of events held across the county and at diplomatic missions during “Turkish Cuisine Week.”

As part of “Turkish Cuisine Week,” celebrated from May 21 to 27 under the auspices of the Turkish Presidency and with the support of the Culture and Tourism Ministry, special events that showcase award-winning culinary delights from the country are being organized.

While the main theme of the week, which is being celebrated for the second time this year, was determined as “Sustainable Turkish Cuisine: Waste-free, Traditional, Healthy,” the events were carried out based on the local delicacies of the southern province of Hatay, a city included in “UNESCO Creative Cities Network.”

In the events held at the international representations, the unique tastes of the cuisine of the ancient city of Hatay, which has been home to countless civilizations for thousands of years, were presented to visitors.

Hatay-style cherry “yaprak sarma,” or stuffed leaves in English, and “kısır,” also known as bulgur salad, were offered to visitors at the event organized by the Culture and Promotion Counselor of the Paris Embassy of Türkiye and Le Cordon Bleu, Paris’ well-known cooking school.

“Simit” and “döner,” which are identified with the city, were served at the event held in the capital Ankara.

In the northwestern province of Edirne, halva, a classic, rich and flavorful sweet derived from Ottoman court cuisine, was made and served to local and foreign visitors.

A sherbet made from elm pumpkin was also presented to visitors for the very first time.

At the event held in the western province of İzmir, “lokma,” a dessert, and artichoke rice were cooked.

Speaking at the opening program of the event, İzmir Governor Yavuz Selim Köşger said, “One of our most basic needs is nutrition. We live in the most ancient geography of the world. We live in a geography where humanity first started to do agriculture and first urbanized.”

“We have a refined culinary culture with a highly developed palate,” he said.

In the southwestern province Şanlıurfa, a gastronomy competition was organized, while tastes of the region, such as “çiğköfte” and stuffed meatballs, were also presented to visitors.

Winners of the competition were awarded with prize money.

At the events held in the Black Sea province of Samsun, cooks prepared a large number of fish sandwiches for people.