The week of Turkish cuisine began with a gala dinner organized for hundreds of guests by the Embassy of the Republic of Turkey in Zagreb, the Turkish Cultural Center “Yunus Emre” in Zagreb and Turkish companies operating in Croatia, reports Anadolija.
The Embassy of the Republic of Turkey in Zagreb is promoting the rich Turkish gastronomic culture as part of the Week of Turkish Cuisine from May 22 to 24 in Croatia, and this traditional gastronomic event began with a gala dinner.
At the festive dinner, hosted by Yavuz Selim Kiran, the ambassador of Turkey in Zagreb, the guests tasted Turkish dishes prepared by the world-famous Turkish chef Yunus Emre Akkor and his team.
In his speech before about 250 guests, Ambassador Kiran reminded that the Week of Turkish Cuisine is held all over the world, under the auspices of the Presidency of the Republic of Turkey, under the leadership of Mrs. Emina Erdogan and with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
“Our kitchens are mirrors in which our cultural identities, cultures and traditions are reflected. Each bite of food contains not only nutrients and taste, but also history, family, society, culture, religion and more,” said Kiran.
He pointed out that Turkish cuisine, with its richness and diversity, is among the most popular cuisines in the world, and stated that three Turkish cities are on the UNESCO list of cities of gastronomy.
The special dinner menu, which reflects the flavors of “ancient and sustainable Turkish cuisine”, was inspired by the book “Turkish cuisine with centuries-old recipes” prepared under the patronage of Mrs. Emina Erdogan and with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Turkey, the ambassador stated.
This book was published in October 2021 in Turkish and English, and was later translated into Italian and Serbian, while preparations are currently underway for its publication in various other languages, including Croatian.
The main theme of this year’s Turkish Cuisine Week, which is celebrated all over the world and in Turkey from May 21 to 27, is “Sustainable Turkish cuisine: Waste-free, traditional and healthy”.
The ambassador reminded the audience of the devastating earthquakes that took more than 50,000 lives in Turkey a few months ago, during which 11 provinces with a population of about 15 million were affected. Two of the three Turkish cities whose gastronomic heritage is protected by UNESCO were affected by the earthquakes.
Among the guests were members of the Government of Croatia, officials, ambassadors, important representatives of gastronomy, culture, art, academic community, media and business, as well as Turkish investors in Croatia. Among the numerous high-ranking guests, the gala dinner was attended by Croatian Admiral, Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia Robert Hranj and Minister of Agriculture Marija Vučković, who briefly addressed the crowd.
“I am honored to be able to attend this gala dinner with a special menu from the 11 regions affected by the earthquake in Turkiye. We sympathize with the Turkish people and regret every lost life, as well as material damage,” Minister Vučković said.
During the festive dinner, the state artists of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Turkey played traditional Turkish songs, and paid special attention to traditional chants from the regions affected by the earthquake.
At the next Turkish Cuisine Week event, on Tuesday, May 23, chef Yunus Emre Akkor will present a special menu of Turkish dishes in Zagreb’s “Gallo Restaurant”.
On Wednesday, May 24, at a breakfast hosted by Yavuz Selim Kiran, the ambassador of Turkey in Zagreb, chef Yunus Emre Akkor will prepare a Turkish breakfast menu, which will be served to the leading representatives of the tourism sector in Croatia.
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