The annual week of Turkish gastronomy was celebrated this Friday evening in Ouagadougou, during a Diner-Buffet offered by the Ambassador of the Republic of Türkiye Mrs. Nilgun Erdem Ari, at the Residence of Türkiye.
" Our gastronomy represents our culture and our identity. Each plate not only includes nutritional values, but also transmits the history, values, faith and experiences of its region”, affirmed Friday evening in Ouagadougou, the Ambassador of the Republic of Türkiye Mrs. Nilgün Erdem Ari during aa Diner-Buffet.
Ms. Nilgün Erdem Ari was speaking on Friday, May 19, 2023 in the evening during a Diner-Buffet at the Residence of Türkiye in Ouagadougou, on the occasion of the annual week of Turkish gastronomy which is celebrated in Türkiye and in the world.
She clarified that Turkish cuisine is “a long journey and a treasure that goes back centuries in many different regions, which consists of Seljuk and Imperial Ottoman culinary traditions”.
“Turkish cuisine has a liberal character that extends from the countryside to the palate. It is enriched by new experiences through the centuries without losing its original creativity and its multicultural character,” she continued.
The Diner-Buffet was organized under the aegis of Mrs. Emine Erdogan, First Lady of the Republic of Türkiye.
It took place in the presence of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Cooperation and Burkinabe Abroad Olivia Rouamba, several Burkinabè personalities and several diplomats accredited in Burkina Faso.
The theme of the annual Turkish Gastronomy Week is “Sustainable Turkish Gastronomy: Zero Waste, Traditional, Healthy”.
“We are proud that our cuisine creates a delicate balance between body, soul and life. The main philosophy of our gastronomy is to make our life healthy,” said the Ambassador.
This is why, according to her, Turkish chefs used to respect this balance to which is added, she continued, "the traditional zero waste aspect of their thousand-year-old gastronomy, all ingredients are meticulously valued and included in the culinary ecosystem.
Mrs. Nilgün Erdem Ari recalled that “in 2017, under the auspices of the Turkish First Lady, Emine Erdogan, Türkiye launched the Zero Waste Project to highlight the importance of waste disposal in the fight against the climate crisis. ".
“The UN Secretary General hailed the leadership of the Turkish government and First Lady Emine Erdogan in the fight against global waste,” she said.
The Ambassador also informed that "last December, the United Nations General Assembly unanimously adopted the resolution on the "zero waste" initiative presented by Türkiye, declaring March 30 as the International "Zero Waste" Day. waste " ".
“It is expected that the promotion of zero waste initiatives through this international day will contribute to advancing all the goals and targets of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,” she stressed.
There are huge taste similarities between Turkish cuisine and Burkinabe cuisine
Based on her own experience in Burkina Faso for two years, Mrs. Ambassador of the Republic of Türkiye Nilgün Erdem Ari felt that "there are enormous similarities in taste between Turkish cuisine and Burkinabe cuisine".
“All the ingredients for this evening's dishes were purchased from local markets in Ouagadougou. We didn't bring anything from Türkiye. These dishes were made with the help of my Burkinabè assistants,” she informed.
In his opinion, "today's event is also proof that there is a vast potential for cooperation also in the field of gastronomy" between Burkina Faso and the Republic of Türkiye.
“If there is a Burkinabe friend among you who would like to open a real Turkish restaurant in Ouagadougou, I'm sure he can make huge profits. I assure you that I will be the first frequent customer of this restaurant,” she encouraged.
The CEO of Ipro Business Mohamed Dabo, who spent 10 years in Türkiye for his studies, says he has eaten several types of Turkish food and recognizes similarities with Burkinabè food. He welcomed this activity which, according to him, can contribute to strengthening the ties between the two countries.
Source: Burkina Information Agency