The “Turkish Cuisine Week” event was held in Vienna, the capital of Austria, by the Embassy of Türkiye to Vienna.
As part of Turkish Cuisine Week, organised by the Presidency’s Directorate of Communications under the auspices of First Lady Emine Erdoğan, spouse of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, an event was held at the Austrian Representative Office of the Turkish Maarif Foundation (TMV).
The event organised by Türkiye’s Embassy in Vienna was attended by Türkiye’s Ambassador to Vienna Gürsel Dönmez, Türkiye’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office in Vienna Ambassador Mustafa Kibaroğlu, Türkiye’s Permanent Representative to the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Ambassador Zeynep Kızıltan, Azerbaijan’s Ambassador to Vienna Rovshan Sadigbayli, Uzbekistan’s Ambassador to Vienna Bakhtiyor Ibragimov, Austria’s former Ambassador to Ankara Klaus Wölfer, and the President of the Islamic Religious Community of Austria (IGGÖ), Ümit Vural, as well as numerous guests.
Speaking at the opening of the event, where Emine Erdoğan’s video message was played, Ambassador Dönmez said, “Turkish cuisine is the accumulation of centuries, a cultural heritage. The scent of spices is the voice of history.”
Dönmez said that in Turkish culture, the kitchen is a place where love is shared and that the more food is shared, the more abundant it becomes.
Stating that those who sit around the same table cannot remain strangers to one another, Dönmez added that every shared bite strengthens friendship.
Emphasising that discovering the cuisines of different countries means understanding the spirit of those societies, Dönmez said, “Every new flavour breaks down a prejudice.”
Following the speeches and a musical performance, two chefs briefed guests on the richness of Turkish cuisine.
The chefs also gave live demonstrations on the preparation of traditional Turkish dishes, including sarma and kol böreği.
During the programme, Ambassador Dönmez also joined the chefs in sarma rolling.
Guests were served a selection of distinguished Turkish dishes at the event.