A gigantic cooperation for Turkish delicacies

Aegean Exporters' Associations (EIB) and Izmir University of Economics (IUE) signed a cooperation protocol for the "Turquality" project, which will last for 5 years, enabling Turkish cuisine to be taught at University of Las Vegas. Thanks to the project supported by the Ministry of Commerce, Turkish cuisine will be promoted in the international arena for the first time in terms of education. Master chefs, who will work in hotels around the world, will learn the historical development and healthy aspect of Turkish cuisine, and delicious recipes with 7 training videos of 20 minutes each prepared at IUE.

Foreign chefs, who will get to know many Turkish dishes, including lamb stew, stuffed leaves, and Turkish olive oil dishes, prepared with Turkish spices supplied by the EIB, will deliver these flavors to millions of people abroad. Products such as olive oil, sea bream and sea bass, fruit and vegetable products, medicinal aromatic plants, raisins, figs, olives, and oilseeds, of which the Aegean Region is a strong producer worldwide, will also be used in dishes. The training videos will be delivered to the University of Las Vegas College of Hospitality in the United States of America (USA) in July.

The signing ceremony for the project named 'Turquality', which aims to increase the export of Turkish food products to the USA, which imports 160 billion dollars of food products annually, was held at the Cam Restaurant within the IUE Department of Gastronomy and Culinary Arts. The protocol was signed by EIB Coordinator President Jak Eskinazi and IUE Rector Prof. Dr. Murat Aşkar. Asst. Prof. Dr. Betül Öztürk, Director of School of Applied Management Sciences, who is also the project manager on behalf of IUE, Cumhur İşbırakmaz, Secretary General of EIB, Serap Ünal, Vice Secretary General of EIB, Ece Şener Aslay, Trainer Chef of IUE Department of Gastronomy and Culinary Arts, academics and project supporters attended the ceremony. The joint work between EIB and IUE, which started 3 months ago, was developed by being formalized with the protocol. Speaking at the meeting, EIB Coordinator President Jak Eskinazi said that they aim to promote Turkish food products in the USA, the most important consumer market in the world, with the 'Turquality' project.

PROMOTION VIDEO IN A PRIVATE JET

Stating that they will increase their promotional activities for the project this summer, Eskinazi said, “We attach great importance to our project that will increase the impact of Turkish cuisine abroad and develop our country in terms of gastronomic tourism, which we have been working on it meticulously for 1 year. During this time, we have organized many events. Following the market research report; first we shot promotional videos with 6 different chefs for 6 sectors within the scope of the project. Menus were prepared using Turkish food products to suit the taste of US consumers, and videos were created by the famous chefs of the  region on the campus of the University of Las Vegas. Then, 6 different series of hybrid tasting events were held in the kitchen of University of Las Vegas College of Hospitality. We also have new preparations for the further development and effective promotion of the project. We will shoot a promotional video in a private jet; we will conduct an online advertisement with e-sports players and a chefs’ competition until mid-July. One of the most important activities to be carried out within the scope of the project is the educational content to be prepared at IUE that will be included in the University of Las Vegas curriculum. We would like to thank Izmir University of Economics for their support of our project.”

IT WILL STRENGTHEN OUR COUNTRY AND IZMIR

IUE Rector Prof. Dr. Murat Aşkar said that they are happy to be involved in such an important project that will strengthen Turkey and Izmir. Emphasizing that the high-level English education at IUE also facilitates cooperation, Prof. Dr. Aşkar said, “As a university, we see the whole of Izmir as our campus, and we consider it our duty to be a stakeholder in every project that will strengthen Izmir and our country. The 'Turquality' project implemented by the EIB is a very good example of this. There are many gastronomy projects in different parts of the world. But the 'Turquality' project is unique. With this project, a great contribution will be made to the promotion of Turkish cuisine, and the use of products specific to our country abroad will increase. The project will also increase learning gains for our students studying at our university. We have supported the project until today, and we are ready to contribute in every way under the leadership of IUE Department of Gastronomy and Culinary Arts.”