Organized in collaboration with Kartepe Municipality and Kocaeli University Kartepe Gastronomy Festival, is preparing to open its doors at Kartepe City Square on June 14-15. Speaking at the festival's introductory meeting, Kartepe Mayor Mustafa Kocaman and Kocaeli University Tourism Faculty Dean Prof. Dr. Emrah Özkul shared the details and goals of the event. The festival will offer visitors an unforgettable experience with workshops, various events and delicious food.
Award-Winning Competition for Local Flavors
As part of the festival, a cooking competition will be held in three different categories: soup, main course and dessert. Those who want to participate in the competition will be able to apply in only one category and with one type of dish. Open to everyone who lives in Kartepe, is over the age of 18 and is not a professional cook, this competition will bring Kartepe's local flavors to mind, share the stories of the dishes and reward the most delicious recipes. This competition also aims to pass on the region's gastronomic heritage to younger generations and keep the local culinary culture alive.
Kartepe: A District Where Nature and Culture Meet
Kartepe Mayor Mustafa Kocaman emphasized the unique qualities of Kartepe in his opening speech at the press conference. Kocaman said, “It is a district close to the city and where the city and nature are intertwined. It is a district where both agriculture and animal husbandry can be done.” Noting that Kartepe, where approximately 6 thousand people move annually, has a stable population growth, the Mayor added that the district has a self-sufficient structure.
Kocaman, who stated that they built a city square in Kartepe, which was formed by the merger of 10 towns in the past period, which is more beautiful than any other 12 districts, emphasized that they attach great importance to cultural and tourism investments as well as urban investments. Kocaman, who especially touched on the importance of cooperation with universities, stated that this cooperation with Kocaeli University Faculty of Tourism showed that Kartepe is not only a ski resort but also a nature and culture center where people find peace.
Strong Steps and Inventory Work in Gastronomy
President Kocaman reminded that they had organized events such as the Quince Festival in the past and expressed that they were working to make the strong steps taken in the food sector more professional. Kocaman, who said, “Let gastronomy live among the beauties in Kartepe,” stated that the real boss of this work was the university and thanked Kocaeli University and Dean Prof. Dr. Emrah Özkul.
Prof. Dr. Emrah Özkul expressed his satisfaction in working with a municipality that is open to cooperation, such as Kartepe Municipality, as the Tourism Faculty of Kocaeli University. Özkul said, “We have a municipality where we can make progress in a very short time,” and emphasized that they have undertaken different projects since the faculty started its duties in 2020, but this work in the field of gastronomy has a special meaning. Özkul stated that the main purpose of the festival is to create a gastronomy inventory of Kartepe and that the results of these inventory studies will be shared with visitors in the festival area.
