The 'Turkish Cuisine Week', which was started under the auspices of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's wife Emine Erdoğan with the aim of promoting the rich culinary culture of Turkey to the whole world, was celebrated with a program where local delicacies of Bursa were exhibited with the contributions of Bursa Metropolitan Municipality.
Under the auspices of the Presidency and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's wife Emine Erdoğan, the 'Turkish Cuisine Week' was organized on May 21-27 under the coordination of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, by the Bursa Governor's Office and the Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism with the support of the Bursa Metropolitan Municipality. It was celebrated with the program organized with the contributions of the district municipalities. Citizens showed great interest in the program in Merinos Park, where examples from Bursa's rich culinary culture were exhibited. In the program that started with Hacivat and Karagöz shows, besides the promotion of Bursa's local flavors, a gluten-free flour cooking competition was held in cooperation with Bursa Celiac Life Association. Celiac disease and the importance of gluten-free life were emphasized by offering gluten-free products.
“We have countless values”
Bursa Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Alinur Aktaş said that Bursa, the first capital of the Ottoman Empire, is one of the most important cities of Turkey in terms of gastronomy and culinary culture. President Aktaş stated that although doner or chestnut candy comes to mind when Bursa is mentioned, Bursa cuisine, which has a very rich tradition in terms of ingredients and recipes, has a wide range from olive oil to meat dishes, from fish to desserts. Expressing that the past of Bursa cuisine can be seen when looking at Bursa yearbooks, Bursa evkaf registers, kadı registers, records kept by foundations, products purchased for the palace cuisine, different documents and books, Mayor Aktaş said, “As Bursa Metropolitan Municipality, we are working with different stakeholders to reveal these values. Bursa, which grew up with immigrants from Rumelia to the Balkans, from the Caucasus to different regions of Anatolia, has all kinds of culinary cultures. We want to bring this richness together with all of Turkey and the world. We have countless values, from meatballs with pita to black figs, from milk halva to pita with tahini, from Bursa peaches to Gemlik olives. We have planned various activities for the Turkish Cuisine Week. We will organize a festival called 'Bursa Gastronomy Festival Silky Tastes' for the first time in Bursa for 23 days on 25-2022 September 3. We have big goals related to gastronomy. I believe that the festival will add value to Bursa. We know that gastronomy is one of the most important titles of tourism. As Bursa, we have this potential.”
Ahmet Misbah Demircan, Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism, took the stage and gave information about the work with Emine Erdoğan's book 'Turkish Cuisine with Centennial Recipes', in which Anatolia's thousands of years old traditional recipes were opened to the world for the first time with their healthy and waste-free aspects. Referring to the importance of the soup culture in Anatolian lands, Demircan said, “We should not consume random industrial products. In which region we live, we should consume the products produced in that region. Nutrition is a culture. Feeding is another thing. One way of integrating with the environment we live in is to feed on the foods in the region. Food diversity is high in Anatolia. It is industrial food that threatens us. We should always point out the harms of this. For this purpose, Turkish Cuisine Week programs are held simultaneously in 81 provinces. Let's not forget that culinary culture has an important role in tourism. We should not forget how precious the kitchen is.
Bursa Governor Yakup Canbolat stated that eating habits are shaped according to the geography and turned into a culture over time. Stating that Central Asian, Seljuk and Ottoman periods should be examined in order to understand modern Turkish cuisine well, Canbolat stated that Turkish Cuisine Week will bring out the forgotten food culture and refresh the cultural memory. Stating that different cultures keep their unique cuisines alive in Bursa, which has received immigration from different parts of the world in every period of history, Canbolat said, “Bursa, which brings different cultures together at the same table, has enriched its cultural heritage. The abundance of products grown in Uludağ and Bursa plain has seriously reflected on the city cuisine. We attach importance to such studies that aim to bring Turkish cuisine to the fore.
After the speeches, the winners of the pastry competition made from gluten-free flour were presented with gifts by the members of the protocol. At the end of the program, the cake made by Hasan Acar with gluten-free flour was cut and served to the participants. President Alinur Aktaş and those accompanying her later visited the stands set up in the area and examined the handicraft products made by the associations.
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