Gastronomy festival kicks off in Bursa

BURSA

The northwestern province of Bursa is hosting a gastronomy festival from Sept. 23 to 25 to promote its local cuisine, which is considered the foundation of the Ottoman court kitchen.

Bursa is preparing for its first citywide gastronomy festival with local and national flavors both on a corporate and professional basis, Bursa Mayor Alinur Aktaş stated, speaking to reporters about the festival.

The festival, which will last three days and is expected to be visited by thousands of people both from Bursa and other parts of the country, consists of different sessions and competitions with a special concept.

Pointing out that Bursa has an intense commerce network and strong industry sectors, including automotive, textile, wood and machinery, Aktaş said that the city should be promoted with its cuisine, economy, history and tourism in the world.

Bursa’s cuisine is known mostly for its “döner” and chestnut candy, Aktaş said, adding that the city, which hosted various cultures from Anatolian, Caucasus and Balkans, also offers many other flavors, such as halva from milk, Kemalpaşa desert, Gedelek pickle and İnegöl meatball.

Noting that Bursa is one of the UNESCO creative cities with its silk, they chose the slogan of “Silky Flavors” to indicate that the city is strong and ambitious in gastronomy as in the field of silk.

Underlining that Bursa is an important center for agriculture in the country, he stated that various fruits and vegetables are grown in the city and make a great contribution to gastronomy.

Agricultural products in Bursa have received an important share from the country’s exports, Aktaş stated, adding that the products create a difference with their quality and diversity.

The city was the first capital of the Ottoman Empire. According to the empire’s court kitchen registers, containing information on ingredients and names of food dishes, the city laid the foundation of Ottoman cuisine.