President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's wife, First Lady Emine Erdoğan, stated that Turkish cuisine will take a leading place in world cuisines with its healthy, traditional and waste-free aspects and said, "If we believe in this power and work together, we can break new records in the field of gastrodiplomacy." said.
First Lady Emine Erdoğan said that it was a great pleasure to see such an exciting project come to life in the promotional program of her book "Turkish Cuisine with Centuries-old Recipes", in which Anatolian traditional recipes of thousands of years were opened to the world for the first time with their healthy and waste-free aspects.
Noting that esteemed chefs and academics work very meticulously and show great devotion for the rich culinary culture to find the place it deserves, Erdoğan said to everyone who contributed to the preparation of this distinguished work, to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism that carried out the project, and to the Turkish Tourism and Promotion Development Agency (TGA) for their support. ) thanked him.
Erdoğan stated that the book will be on the shelves of the world's important libraries and gastronomy, as well as a new bridge in the field of cultural diplomacy.
Defining food as "culture", "the national identity of every society", "the fastest way to reinforce communication and friendship between people" and "a carrier of emotions", Erdogan said:
“We crown many special moments from birth to weddings with our food culture. The tables we gather around make us friends to each other. There are many beautiful words in our proverbs that convey this experience. 'A coffee for forty years' is the harbinger of loyalty, loyalty and tolerance. 'Eating sweet and talking sweet' expresses the power of culinary culture in establishing peace. In our tradition, setting a table for guests, strangers and passengers is a bridge that hangs between hearts. Our catering culture is legendary. We are really lucky to have such a culture of life.”
Explaining that the tables strengthen family ties, ferment and grow the bonds of friendship, First Lady Erdoğan said, “Which of us can forget the joy of Eid tables? When we're abroad, nothing beats a hometown meal. The smell of bread takes away the longing. For all these reasons, cuisine is one of the rare values that can maintain its special position in the globalizing world.” used the phrases.
“Turkish cuisine is an accumulation of wisdom that has been steaming from the stove for centuries”
Pointing out that there is an era in which the star of communication shines, Erdoğan noted that globalization and communication technologies facilitate access, cultural exchange is everyone's experience, and the kitchen plays an important role both as a sector and as a diplomacy tool in this process.
Emine Erdoğan pointed out that gastrodiplomacy has taken its place in all languages in recent years and said, “National cuisine is positioned as the soft power of societies. Besides, it has become a locomotive force of tourism. In metropolises, ethnic restaurants have become a center of attraction. These restaurants are places where cultural diplomacy is carried out and foreigners meet at the same time. In a study, it was determined that 57 percent of those who consumed foods from different countries' cuisines had a positive change in their views on culture. When you go to a restaurant belonging to a foreign country, you gain a great insight into the culture of that country. I have often experienced this abroad. Therefore, it is obvious that those who place themselves at the forefront in the world of flavors have won the hearts of the whole world.” he said.
Emphasizing that the way to create an image and become a brand on the international platform is again through the kitchen, Erdoğan continued his speech as follows:
“When we look at Turkish cuisine in this context, we can see what a rich potential we have. We have an ancient history spanning thousands of years and having many layers in Anatolia. Our cuisine has a history of hundreds of years in our lands, which have been the birthplace of many civilizations. Turkish cuisine is an accumulation of wisdom that has been steaming from the stove for centuries. Each bite carries content from our historical experience and world of belief. Our prescriptions are healing resources that take care of the delicate balance between the soul and the body. It is almost a pharmacy in itself. As you know, many of our traditional prescriptions were created with physicians. In the hospital, you see the cooperation of physicians and skilled cooks. However, today, the industrialized global cuisine threatens human health, unfortunately.”
“Turkish cuisine offers healing with pickle cubes and vinegar”
Underlining that malnutrition is at the root of millions of deaths caused by chronic diseases every year, Erdoğan said:
“Turkish cuisine always offers healing in its boiling pots, pickle cubes, vinegars and sherbets. It is very pleasing that local cuisines have become a solution center against the fast food culture that is making the world sicker every day. In this sense, there is growing interest all over the world. I also recommend this to our governors, local governments and NGOs during our city visits. I say 'Every city should have a gastronomy book guide'. Turkish cuisine responds to all food and beverage trends. Our cuisine offers unlimited options, especially for the rapidly rising vegetarian tendencies. Besides, we have the miracle that every remaining piece of food can turn into a completely different product. In other words, the preservation of food also occurs naturally. Of course, this turns food into wisdom rather than consumption. We have a high product variety offered by the climate diversity and fertile soils in our country. A wide variety of wild herbs, mushrooms, vegetables and fruits turn our kitchen into a feast. Meals prepared with products grown in their own region become a portrait of culture and history. In this sense, I believe that many of our dishes are qualified to receive geographical indications.”
“Turkish Cuisine Week” was announced for the first time
First Lady Erdoğan said that Turkish cuisine has a very special place among the cuisines of other countries, but that it would be unfair to the centuries-old history of Turkish cuisine if this reputation was limited to only a few dishes.
Reminding that the success of Turkish chefs costs the world, Erdoğan said that there are gastronomy stars who have won the championship in the world's most important gastronomy competitions, that there are restaurants opened by Turkish chefs that are included in the list of "50 best restaurants in the world", that there are "Michelin star" and chefs who have received the world's leading awards in this field. attracted attention.
Stating that Gaziantep, Hatay and Afyonkarahisar are in the “UNESCO Creative Cities Network”, abugannuş, oruk, künefe, Turkish delight, cream, sausage and pudding are Turkish dishes that are protected by UNESCO, Erdoğan said that Turkish cuisine is “a place where many more great discoveries can be made”. he called it “the sea”.
Stating that it is also very pleasing that cooking is a preferred profession among young people, Erdoğan expressed that he is confident that they will achieve great success with this rich cultural heritage.
“I hope that the book Turkish Cuisine with Centennial Recipes will make a meaningful contribution to the promotion of Turkish cuisine to the world.” Erdogan said:
“I also find it extremely important to declare a 'Turkish Cuisine Week' for the first time. Hopefully, this development will be the occasion of wonderful journeys on the delicious routes of our geography, and will contribute to the emergence of large and international brands from Turkish cuisine as soon as possible. Our job is just getting started. I believe that Turkish cuisine will take a leading place in world cuisines with its healthy, traditional and waste-free aspects. If we believe in this power and work together, we can break new records in the field of gastrodiplomacy.”
Thanking the chefs and academics who contributed to the preparation of the book, Erdoğan shared his excitement and expressed his gratitude to the important representatives of the gastronomy industry, members of the media and writers who joined them.
“The work includes not only recipes but also serious information about Turkish culture”
Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy also stated that the work “Turkish Cuisine with Centennial Recipes” has the feature of being the most comprehensive and realistic work on Turkish cuisine published so far.
“The work, which will soon be translated into many different languages of the world, contains not only recipes but also serious information about Turkish culture.” Ersoy continued:
“Because the way to understand Turkish cuisine correctly is to get to know Turkish culture as well. If the spirit that determines the Turkish cultural world can be understood, then the importance of not wasting any food in Turkish cuisine will be understood. As this spirit spreads and beautifies every area of society, it also enters the kitchen and determines the understanding of gastronomy. The kitchen ceases to be just a place to eat and drink, it evolves into a world where it is understood how important it is to respect, share and be thankful for blessings.”
Stating that in the globalizing world, individuals are now engaged in tourism activities even to taste local delicacies, Ersoy said, “We draw the attention of world tourism to this area by making effective promotions in gastronomy tourism, as in many other fields of tourism. With this aim, I wish that the work called Turkish Cuisine with Centennial Recipes, which we are promoting today, will be beneficial. I would like to express my gratitude to everyone who contributed to this work, especially Ms. he said.
Meanwhile, Ersoy also announced that as the Ministry, they decided to declare 21-27 May as "Turkish Cuisine Week".
After the speeches, Minister Ersoy presented the book “Turkish Cuisine with Centennial Recipes” to First Lady Erdoğan.
Book consultants, famous chefs, industry representatives and gastronomy writers who keep the traditional tastes of Turkish cuisine alive also participated in the program. On the night, Prof. Dr. A video message by Mehmet Öz, in which he explained his views on the book, was also watched.
At the end of the night, Emine Erdoğan and Minister Ersoy had a souvenir photo taken with the participants.
About the book
The book, which was prepared under the leadership of Emine Erdoğan and under the auspices of the Presidency, in cooperation with the TGA, and with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, with the contributions of famous chefs, academics and experts, aims to promote the richness of Turkish cuisine in the international arena.
With the book, which draws attention to the healthy storage and cooking techniques of Turkish cuisine, as well as its waste-free, ecological and sustainable features, it is aimed to record the authentic recipes of centuries-old traditional recipes and transfer them to future generations.
With the contributions of 5 consultants and 14 famous chefs
Academicians, experts and famous chefs supported the preparation of the book, which records centuries-old recipes with original recipes. Book by Prof. Dr. Mehmet Oz, Prof. Dr. Arif Bilgin, Prof. Dr. Gunay Kut, Assoc. Dr. Ozge Samanci and Dr. It was prepared under the supervision of Gönül Paksoy and under the coordination of Ebru Erke.
Famous chefs Ali Ronay, Arda Türkmen, Aydın Demir, Cüneyt Asan, Eyüp Kemal Sevinç, Fatih Tutak, Ömür Akkor, Savaş Aydemir, Sezai Erdoğan, Sinem Özler, Şemsa Denizsel, Şerife Aksoy, Yılmaz Öztürk, Zeki Açıkgöz contributed to the book with special recipes. The book contains 218 recipes for healthy and alternative diets such as waste-free, fermented, local, local, gluten-free.
It will take its place in world libraries
The book "Turkish Cuisine with Centennial Recipes" will be published as a prestige book by the Presidency's publications within the scope of international high-level promotion. At the same time, the book, which will be published in Turkish from the publications of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, will be available in bookstores as of October 2021.
The book, whose English version will be published internationally under the name “Turkish Cuisine With Timeless Recipes”, will be translated into many languages, especially English, Spanish and Arabic. The book aims to introduce Turkish cuisine on an international scale with its approach and recipes that leave a mark not only on the past and tradition, but also on the future.
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