Turkish Embassy In Serbia Marks Turkish Cuisine Week

The Turkish Embassy in the Serbian capital Belgrade held an event Tuesday to mark Turkish Cuisine Week.

Turkiye has been promoting its local dishes in a series of events held across the country and at all of its missions worldwide during Turkish Cuisine Week, which is being held for the first time this year from May 21-27.

Turkish Cuisine Week is being conducted under the auspices of the Turkish Presidency in cooperation with the Turkish Tourism Promotion and Development Agency (TGA), an affiliate of the Culture and Tourism Ministry.

Ambassador Hami Aksoy and his wife Canan Fingersizoglu Aksoy hosted special guests at the embassy residence and served them Turkish dishes.

The event also promoted "Turkish Cuisine With Timeless Recipes," a gastronomy book published under the leadership of Turkiye's first lady Emine Erdogan.

In his speech, Ambassador Aksoy drew attention to the fact that all the dishes served are from the book.

"I hope you will enjoy all the dishes, but do not forget that the originals of these flavors are in Turkiye. There are three flights a day from Belgrade to Istanbul. It is much easier to go to Turkiye these days with Turkish Airlines, which provides direct flights to Turkiye," he said.

Canan Parmaksızoglu Aksoy said that food does mean history, culture, belief and identity.

"The cuisine of all cultures carries the cultural identity of the place it belongs to. 'Food' means not only nutrition but also history, culture, belief and identity. Turkish cuisine dates back centuries. Ancient Anatolian civilizations, Seljuks, and Ottoman Empire periods influenced Turkish cuisine. The geographical locations and different cultures we have been in throughout history have made our cuisine rich," said Parmaksızoglu Aksoy.

She added that many cultures and nations lived together during the Ottoman Empire.

"We have many common dishes such as baklava, dolma, wrap, kebab, rice, yogurt and börek with neighboring countries, including Serbia, where we lived together. Turkish cuisine is handed down from generation to generation and is waste-free, sustainable and healthy. The book 'Turkish Cuisine with Timeless Recipes,' prepared under the leadership of Emine Erdogan, is a guide with recipes. The publication of this book was an important step toward introducing the richness of our cuisine to the world," said Parmaksızoglu Aksoy.

The Serbian translation of the book has also started.

The event was attended by the ambassadors of Japan, Australia, France, Spain and Azerbaijan, the chief of the European Union Delegation, representatives of local institutions, journalists, and some local mayors.

Turkish Cuisine Week is celebrated with a theme determined every year in Turkiye's 81 provinces and at its embassies, consulates, overseas consultancy and representative offices with promotional activities all over the world. -