As part of Turkish Cuisine Week events from May 21-27, an "Ottoman Table" tasting event was held at Cappadocia Alev Alatlı Gastronomy Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School, featuring dishes selected from the delicious recipes in "Funda's Kitchen Guide," written by our founder, Alev Alatlı.

The tasting event, prepared by the teachers and students of Cappadocia Alev Alatlı Gastronomy Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School, was attended by Ürgüp District Governor Mesut Tabakcıoğlu, Ürgüp Chief Public Prosecutor Kazım Yayla, our Rector Prof. Dr. Hasan Ali Karasar, Nevşehir Provincial Director of National Education Yusuf Yazıcı, Ürgüp District Police Chief Mevlüt Tüylü, Ürgüp District Gendarmerie Commander Muhammed Şahin, Ürgüp District Director of National Education Savaş Özdemir, Ürgüp Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Ahmet Aydın, and our Chair of the Board of Trustees Funda F. Aktan.

As part of Turkish Cuisine Week, the event emphasized the importance of cultural heritage beyond mere flavors, drawing inspiration from Alev Alatlı's words, emphasizing that a nation's food and beverage culture reflects its morality, aesthetics, and worldview. The events not only showcased the dishes themselves, but also the historical and cultural heritage behind them. The event, planned to become a tradition in memory of Alev Alatlı, was held with this special concept. Lentil soup with ground meat, fresh broad beans with artichokes, carob cake, and kupa böreği with carob syrup, prepared from Ottoman Table recipes from Funda's Kitchen Guide, were served to the guests during a presentation.

Özge Yozgat, Deputy Director of Cappadocia Alev Alatlı Gastronomy and Mineral Research and Exhibition Center (MTAL): As Alev Alatlı said, "No matter what anyone says, the table is a woman's domain of power."

Özge Yozgat stated that they were gathered to honor tables that bear the traces not only of food but also of a nation's memory, character, and culture. She emphasized that Turkish cuisine is not merely a palate; it is a cultural heritage blending history, geography, beliefs, and lifestyles. Yozgat stated that Turkish Cuisine Week offers a significant opportunity to preserve, preserve, and promote this heritage to the world. She continued, "We cannot fail to recognize the contributions of intellectuals like Alev Alatlı to this heritage. Although known as a writer, thinker, and academic, Alev Alatlı was also a champion of the integrity of culture. In her eyes, food was not simply a means of nourishment; it was a symbol that conveyed an identity and told the story of the people." Yozgat, who stated that Alatlı believes that the path to understanding Turkish culture lies not only in books but also in the kitchen, the lids of pots, and the scent of spices, said, “As Alev Alatlı said, ‘No matter what anyone says, the table is a woman’s domain.’ Based on this principle, we have taken ownership of our table and prepared today’s dishes with the efforts of our female staff.”

Through workshops, tastings, presentations, and panels that continued throughout the day, the richness of Turkish cuisine and the values ​​it has carried from past to present were shared with the participants. The event concluded with messages emphasizing that culinary culture is not just a palate but also a society’s historical memory and way of life.