Shapedbymorethan a thousandyears of culturesandtraditions, socialheritageandstories, Turkish cuisinepresentsitsdistinctiveanddiverseflavourstotheworldduring Turkish CuisineWeek, 21-27 May. Initssecondyear, Turkish CuisineWeekintroducesTürkiye’srichgastronomiccultureto a broadaudience at homeandabroadthroughtherepresentations of theRepublic of Türkiye. Thisimportant seven-dayeventfeaturesuniquerecipesfromtimeless Turkish cuisinewhilehighlightingthesustainability of an age-oldculinarytraditionwherepotshavebeenboilingwiththephilosophy of zerowasteformillennia.

Uniqueexamplesfrom Turkish cuisinearepresentedwithinthescope of Turkish CuisineWeek. Thisyear’sspecialmenuconsists of localdishesfromthecuisine of Hatay.

Included in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network in gastronomy, thecity of Antakya in Hatay province has longbeenworld-renownedforitsdiversecuisine. Featuringmorethan 650 dishes, Hatay’sgastronomy is a Mediterraneancuisinecharacterizedbyfreshvegetables, qualityoliveoil, andlegumesandcereals. Hatay menu, showcased in thisyear’sinternationalevents, includesflatbreadwithredpepperpaste, olivesalad, hummus, kısır (fine bulgur salad), oven-baked kebap and rosesyrup.

During Turkish CuisineWeek, numerousdishesreflectingtimelessandsustainable Turkish cuisinewill be preparedwithlocalingredientsandtraditionalcookingtechniques. EventsheldacrossTürkiye’s 81 provinceswillshowcaseallaspects of Turkish cuisine, including Turkish coffee, Turkish tea, and Turkish delight.

 

 

RichCuisineShapedOverMillennia

Nourishedbytheinteraction of differentcultures in a historicalprocessexceedingthousands of years, Turkish cuisinebringsdeep-rootedtraditionstothepresentday, benefitingfromthefavourableclimateanddiverse flora and fauna of thefertilegeography of Türkiye. The Turkish tasteheritage, shapedbycountlesscivilizationssuch as theSeljuksandtheOttomans, is amongtherichestcuisines in theworld, featuringtraditionalrecipes, healthyandwaste-freetables, and a timelessidentity. Consisting of originaltastespreparedwithlocalproducts in almosteveryregion of thecountry, Turkish cuisinesupportshealthyandbalancednutritionthroughitsrichbiodiversity, high-qualitynaturalproductsanddifferentstorageandcookingtechniques. Inaddition, Turkish food, whichdraws on a widevariety of field-to-tablevegetablesandfruits, has numerousvegetarianandvegannutritionoptions. Withthesecharacteristics, Turkish cuisinedrawsattentiontoitsexistingandpotentialsynergywithdiversedininganddrinkingtrends.

Turkish cuisine is naturallywaste-free, withrecipesthatuseeverycomponent of eachproductandstandoutwith a sustainablestructure. Mealsarepreparedwithoutwastingingredients, andtablesare laden withhealingspecialtiessuch as vinegarandpicklesthataremade of foodscraps. Thetransformation of potentialfoodwasteintoedibledelicaciesreveals a gastronomictraditionthatpreservesbiodiversityand is ecologicallysustainable. Turkish cuisinealsostandsoutduetoitsculturalsustainability – featuringdininganddrinkingritualsformedaroundfeelings of unityandsolidarity. Tables, wheretheentirefamilygathersandguestsareaccepted as guests of God, bringtogetherpeople of allages, conditionsandsocialclasses, playing an essential role in socialcohesion. Traditionaltablesareonemanifestation of thegenerosity of the Turkish people, theirlove of sharingandsolidarity, and a daily life-affirmingculturethat has existedforthousands of years. Turkish cuisine, also an essentialcomponent of Türkiye’sintangiblesocialheritage, guaranteesthe transfer andsustainability of culturalheritagetonewgenerations in thisrespect.