ShareKUWAIT: The Turkish embassy hosted a workshop at the embassy for Turkish cuisine week which lasts from May 21 until May 27. The Turkish ambassador showcased ways of cooking Turkish dishes at the workshop. The workshop was attended by many notable figures including the Azerbaijani and Indonesian ambassadors as well as other important local and international figures. The seven-day event features unique recipes from timeless Turkish cuisine while highlighting the sustainability of the age-old culinary tradition where dishes have been cooked for millennia with zero waste.
In 2010, UNESCO recognized the Mediterranean diet as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity. The coastal regions along the Aegean Sea among others are famed for vegetables, such as artichokes, zucchini blossoms, and local herbs, as well as seafood. The Aegean Sea region is also known for its centuries-old olive trees and olive oils — so much so that olive gardens stretch from Canakkale to Mugla, revealing the region’s cultural heritage that expands with olive cultivation.
In the region, Izmir and Milas stand out as the two stops of “the Routes of the Olive Tree”, which was registered by the Council of Europe. The findings in ancient Klazomenai in Urla, home to Anatolia’s oldest olive oil workshop, attest to the 2,600 year old history of olive processing methods that are still being used today. Turkish Ambassador to Kuwait Tuba Nur Sonmez said during her welcome to the guests: “The cuisine contains a diverse range of choices that include modern techniques while staying true to the traditional culinary culture of Turkiye.”
Shaped by thousands of years of cultures, traditions, social heritage and stories, Turkish cuisine presents its distinctive and diverse flavors to the world. Turkey has a total of 2,218 products registered by the Turkish patent institute, of which 1,637 products have designation of origin sign, 565 products have geographical indication, and 16 products are traditionally specialty guaranteed products.
The country also has 21 products registered by the European Union Commission including the Gaziantep baklava, the Aydin Kestanesi, and Aydin inciri, the Byramic beyazi, the Malatya-Kayisisi, the Milar Zeytinyagi, Taskopru Sarimsagi, the Giresun tombul findigi, the Antakya Kunefesi, the Suruc nari, the Caglayancerit Cevizi, the Gemlik zeytini, Edremit zeytinyagi, the Ayas domatesi and others.
Turkish cuisine is a wonderful gastronomic tradition embracing high quality. Natural ingredients with different food preservation and cooking techniques also offer numerous options for vegetarian and vegan diets.
