The press conference of the 2nd Adana Delight Festival, which will be hosted by the Adana Governor's Office at Merkez Park from Oct. 12-14, under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, was held at the Park Zirve on Sept. 12.

This year, the festival, organized under the theme "By the Power of the Traditional," focuses entirely on the traditional cuisine of Adana and the deep-rooted culinary culture kept alive among the locals, aims to promote Adana's delicacies both countrywide and worldwide and improve Adana's tourism in this regard. Adana Governor Mahmut Demirtaş delivered a speech at the press conference which was attended by members of the press, saying that they will welcome the formidable names of the world of gastronomy in Adana from Oct. 12-14.

"As you know, traditional cuisines have stood out in the world. All the renowned chefs focus on traditional cuisines and cooking techniques. Adana is also one of the important centers of traditional Turkish cuisine with its diversity, quality and richness. We are striving to protect the values of our local community, adapting them to the present and carrying them to the future. As a reflection of this goal, we have determined our festival's theme for this year as 'By the Power of the Traditional,'" Governor Demirtaş said, wishing for the event, which transforms the different tastes of Adana into a festival, enables visitors to taste the delicious meals of Çukurova and brings together all the stakeholders of the industry, to be beneficial for the city. He also thanked the festival's executive board, mayors, and representatives of public sector and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) for their efforts, inviting both domestic and foreign guests and locals to the festival.

The festival will be opened with a very special gastro show, where famous chef Alexandre Dionisio, holder of two Michelin stars will interpret the traditional Adana Kebab with a presentation by French Michelin Guide Director Sebastien Ripari. While the event will allow visitors to enjoy Adana's delicacies, it will also bring together the world of gastronomy in the city. Dionisio said he is proud to attend the festival. "I am very proud to be part of this beautiful adventure. While cooking, we actually remain eternal apprentices and always discover new things. Thanks to this festival, I will discover Adana's local cuisine and learn new techniques," he continued. "Exploring traditional cuisines helps me learn the mix of multicultural flavors and the culture of a country. I am very excited to be able to bring new inspiration to my kitchen after this discovery."

Star figure of gastronomy to meet in Adana

While the festival is colored with stands of the city's leading flavor brands, gastro shows entitled "Tradition and Future" with famous chefs Sahrap Soysal, Eyüp Kemal Sevinç and Bruno Santa Cruz, "Hennaed Hands" with Yunus Emre Akkor, "Adana's Street Flavors" with Hazer Amani and "Adana's Hidden Vegetarian Treasure" with Ebru Erke, as well as events such as "Cheese Tasting" with Ilhan Koçulu and "Olive Oil Dishes Tasting" with Italian expert Massimo DeRienzo will be the highlights of the festival. In addition to the workshops and shows that will feature the most traditional tastes of Adana's cuisine by the local chefs, sessions by Adana's famous dietitian Dilara Koçak entitled "Healthy Adana Cuisine," "Meeting of Adana's Oldest Kebab Masters and Doyens," along with panels entitled "Brand Creators," "Adana: The City of Festivals" and "The Power of Local Cuisine – Adana as a Gastronomy Brand" will be featured in the festival program.

The gastro festival to be organized in Adana for the second time this year and arranged as a three-day program is supported by the Adana Metropolitan Municipality and District Municipalities, the Adana Chamber of Commerce, the Adana Chamber of Industry, the Adana Commodity Exchange, the Adana Hacı Sabancı Organized Industrial Zone, the Mediterranean Exporters' Association (AKIB), the Turkish Hoteliers Federation (TUROFED), the Turkish Travel Agencies Association (TURSAB), the Union of Tourist Guides (TUREB), Çukurova Association of Touristic Hoteliers and Cuisine Friends Association.

Yedi İletişim has undertaken the organization of the festival, while the content is prepared by Logos İletişim, the most experienced agency in the field. It is expected that the festival will contribute to the branding of Adana as a "rising tourism destination" by blending the concepts of "traditionalism and local gastronomy" and serving as a mediator to bring together Adana's disappearing traditional culinary traditions to the wider public.