Türkiye's First Annual Turkish Cuisine Week Launches with a Celebration of Anatolian Flavors

NEW YORK, June 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Kicking off the inaugural Turkish Cuisine Week, the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism's New York office held a celebration of Anatolian cuisine and traditional flavors on the evening of May 23, 2022 on the terrace of the Turkish House, overlooking the United Nations. With renowned Turkish Master Chef Ismet Saz leading the kitchen, more than 180 journalists, members of the Turkish Embassy and guests of the Embassy dined on exquisite Turkish dishes, wines and spirits. 

The event kicked off with opening remarks by the Consul General of Turkey Reyhan Özgür and the Turkish Ambassador to the United States Hasan Murat Mercan, followed by a video of remarks from First Lady Emine Erdoğan and a traditional Turkish dance performance. Chef Ismet Saz amazed attendees with a cooking demonstration. For images of the event, click here.

Guests then dined on a wide variety of classic Anatolian dishes part of a menu curated and prepared by Chef Saz including Zucchini and Calamari Fritters with Pomegranate Reduction Sauce and Salted Yogurt; Hünkar Beğendi Braised Beef with Velvety Smoked Eggplant Puree; Stuffed Grape Leaves with Sour Cherries (known as Sarma); Quince Carpaccio with Double Cream and Walnut and many other dishes.

Several recipes of dishes served at the event are available on the official website for Turkish Cuisine Week (TurkishCuisineWeek.com) and in the new book, Turkish Cuisine with Timeless Recipes. An online guide to Türkiye's cuisine, TurkishCuisineWeek.com offers curious guests an in-depth look at Türkiye's history through its food. Recipes on the website include: Dolma; Bitter Almond Cookies; and classic Ottoman sherbets. Cooking videos by award-winning Turkish chefs including Ismet Saz, Ali Ronay, Sinem Özler and many more are also available for a more in-depth walkthrough of a selection of recipes. Scholars and academics have also published articles on the website, explaining the history, sustainable impact and nutritional value of Turkish cuisine.

Türkiye is home to three UNESCO Creative Cities in the field of gastronomy: Gaziantep, Hatay and Afyonkarahisar. Each city is known for its culturally significant gastronomic scenes reflecting centuries of knowledge and cultural heritage. Istanbul also recently made headlines as the 38th international destination of the world-leading restaurant rating organization, Michelin, which will reveal its compendium of the best restaurants of the city on October 11, 2022.

CONTACT: Keaton Ramjit, [email protected]

SOURCE Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism