The Department of Gastronomy and Culinary Arts at Hasan Kalyoncu University (HKU), Faculty of Tourism, organized the “Turkish Cuisine Week Award-Winning Cooking Competition” as part of the May 21-27 Turkish Cuisine Week. The event aimed to promote the riches of Turkish cuisine and provide a platform for gastronomy students to showcase their talents.
The competition took place at the HKU Gastronomy and Culinary Arts Department Training and Application Kitchen. The distinguished jury included:
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Prof. Dr. Türkay Dereli (HKU Rector)
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Prof. Dr. Mehmet Lütfi Yola (Vice Rector)
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Prof. Dr. Tuba Büyükbeşe (Acting Dean of the Faculty of Tourism)
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Assoc. Prof. Dr. Furkan Baltacı (Head of Gastronomy and Culinary Arts Dept.)
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Ümit Şahnaoğlu (HKU Secretary General)
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Selçuk Korkmaz (Acting Director of Gaziantep Provincial Culture and Tourism)
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Özgür Çözgener (General Manager of Novotel Gaziantep)
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Mühlüm Şen (General Manager of Divan Hotel Gaziantep)
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Chef Osman Kaplan and Chef Mutlu Durgun.
Emphasizing the importance of supporting activities that promote Turkish cuisine, HKU Rector Prof. Dr. Türkay Dereli stated:
“Our university places great importance on practical experience and sectoral cooperation in educational processes. This competition allows our students to showcase their talents and improve their professional skills. The high standards and professionalism displayed here demonstrate the competence of our students, who will achieve great success in the field of gastronomy in the future. We are extremely pleased to see our students reflecting the rich heritage of Turkish cuisine while displaying innovative approaches.”
During the competition, students prepared “Mutancana,” a significant dish of the Ottoman Palace Cuisine. Each group presented their own interpretation of the dish to the jury while remaining faithful to the original recipe. Following the evaluations, medals were awarded to the top three groups, and all participants were gifted the book “Gaziantep Yemekleri”
