What a month it has been for Turkish cuisine, from Turkish Days around the globe to the celebration of Turkish cuisine thanks to the week devoted to it being enjoyed worldwide. Now the traditional and famous dishes of Turkey are under the spotlight once again, this time at the glamorous "Taste of London" food and beverage festival being held in the British capital since Wednesday.
The five-day festival, sponsored by the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism, opened its doors to visitors in the famous Regent's Park.
GoTürkiye, which has become the destination partner of the festival, drew great attention from visitors as Turkish chefs showcased their skills from the GoTürkiye stand.
Arzu Kahraman Yilmaz, the culture and promotion counselor of the Turkish Embassy in London, told Anadolu Agency (AA) that this was Turkey's second time participating in the festival.
"We aim to promote gastronomy as a tourism product all over the world, with the instructions of our Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy. In this respect, we opened our stand here today,” Yilmaz said.
Turkish chefs will introduce the country's cuisine to the British for five days at the festival, she said, adding that Turkish products are also being sold in the market set up at the stand.
"On the first day of the festival, one of our Turkish chefs Pinar Ishakoglu showed some examples of Turkish cuisine at The Fire Pit area, namely the general tasting area of Taste of London. The British also welcomed this with great interest," she said.
Chef Ishakoglu said that she has a company in Turkey that provides private chef services.
She cooked "Alinazik" – eggplant puree and grilled meatballs – on the main stage where dishes from all over the world were exhibited.
Underlining that the audience enjoyed the story of the Alinazik, she said telling the stories behind the meals draws a lot of attention.
Taste of London will host food lovers between June 15-19 as it celebrates its 18th edition this year.
