A gala night was recently held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia as part of Turkish Cuisine Week, a festival to promote Turkish cuisine internationally from May 21-27.
The event was organized by the Turkish Embassy in Kuala Lumpur and the Kuala Lumpur Culture and Promotion Office.
Attending the gala night were 250 special guests from different countries, as well as Malaysian Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Nancy Shukri and Turkey's Ambassador in Kuala Lumpur Merve Safa Kavakçı.
During the special night, guests were informed about the activities to be held during the Turkish Cuisine Week, organized by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Turkish Tourism Promotion and Development Agency.
They were offered the "Istanbul menu," - healthy Turkish dishes nourished by Anatolia's thousands of years of rooted history, accompanied with Turkish music.
Following the dinner, the guests were served Turkish coffee, a style of coffee prepared using very finely ground coffee beans without filtering.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Kavakçı said it was for the first time the Turkish Cuisine Week was being organized by the Turkish Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, noting that from now on it will be marked every year under the leadership of first lady Emine Erdoğan.
"We celebrated a culinary and artistic night with Turkish friends in Malaysia, introducing them to Turkish meals, coffee, sweets and music to promote Turkish culture," she added.
Turkish food was also the flavor of the day in Japan as the major port city of Nagoya hosted an event part of international celebrations of the ongoing Turkish Cuisine Week.
Guests at a gathering organized by the Turkish Consulate General at Meicho Academy, one of Nagoya's leading culinary schools, enjoyed a lavish menu of traditional Turkish dishes prepared by chef Nurol Eyigün.
Umut Lutfi Oztürk, the Turkish consul general in Nagoya, offered them nuggets of the rich history of the delicacies, while also delving into the importance of healthy and sustainable ingredients in Turkish cooking, as well as its emphasis on minimizing waste.
Highlighting the diversity of Turkish cuisine, Oztürk said: "This shows that our country is a land of tolerance. Our tables are symbols of sharing, solidarity, hospitality and generosity."
Traditional Turkish foods were promoted at an event in the Indian capital too on Sunday as part of the newly launched Turkish Cuisine Week.
Diplomats were also among the several guests at the program hosted by Turkish Embassy in New Delhi.
"Tonight, we are enjoying Turkish cuisine with centuries-old traditional recipes," said Turkey's Ambassador to India Fırat Sunel.
Highlighting that beverage culture is a part of the rich Turkish cuisine, he spoke about the different kinds of sherbets consumed in Turkiye to quench thirst, ease digestion, as well as to cure diseases.
He said Turkey and India share deep-rooted historical and cultural ties, also marking the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.
"Cultural belonging is also related to your connection to your meals. You may lose your language in the diaspora, but the last link to be lost is food. Food unites people," said Sanjay Verma, undersecretary at India's External Affairs Ministry.
Turkish Cuisine Week is organized under the auspices of the Turkish Presidency, and with the support of Culture and Tourism Ministry.
Held for the first time this year from May 21 to 27, it aims to showcase Turkish dishes "with all their original qualities as the crown of our tables," according to the presidency.
Meals prepared with creative presentations by Turkey's world-famous cooks will be offered to visitors in different countries.
Promotional activities will also be organized by Turkey's embassies, consulates, and representative offices all over the world.
