The Embassy of the Republic of Türkiye in Thailand recently launched Turkish Cuisine Week with a unique culinary workshop at The Food School Bangkok. Running from May 21 to 27, the week-long celebration showcases the rich flavors and culinary traditions of Turkey, focusing particularly on the Aegean region this year.
Under the guidance of Türkiye’s First Lady, Emine Erdoğan, Turkish Cuisine Week aims to introduce the world to Turkey’s diverse and sustainable culinary practices. The Aegean theme for this year’s event spotlights a cuisine recognized by UNESCO as part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The diet of the region features ingredients such as artichokes, zucchini blossoms, various local herbs, plentiful seafood, and renowned olive oils made from ancient olive trees.
At the event, Muammer Ayar, the chef at the Turkish Embassy in Bangkok, led a “Turkaegean Cooking Class” attended by the Ambassador of Türkiye to Thailand, Serap Ersoy, Thai celebrities, beauty queens, and media personalities. Participants learned how to make traditional Aegean dishes such as “mücver” (zucchini fritters), “karides güveç” (shrimp casserole), and “incir uyutması” (milk and dried fig pudding).
After the cooking class, participants savored a meal that included the dishes they had prepared, as well as several other dishes prepared by Chef Ayar, including “tarhana” (traditional Turkish soup), “zeytinyağlı pırasa” (leeks braised in olive oil), and “ıspanaklı börek” (layered pastry with spinach). The event also highlighted the communal traditions of Turkish cuisine, emphasizing the collective pleasure of cooking and dining together, a key element of Turkish cultural heritage. (NNT)
