President Bozbey entered the kitchen and showcased his skills.

The Bursa International Gastronomy Festival, organized for the third time this year by the Bursa Metropolitan Municipality with the theme ‘Bursa on My Palate’, continues to bring the city’s forgotten flavors and rich culinary culture together with gastronomy enthusiasts. Within the scope of the event, Mayor Mustafa Bozbey and his wife Seden Bozbey, who entered the kitchen along with Sahrap Soysal and Melek Baykal, prepared ‘Bursa dudugiller salad’ using Bursa’s geographically certified products.

The ‘3rd Bursa International Gastronomy Festival’, prepared with rich content in Merinos Park to promote and introduce Bursa’s rich culinary culture to tourism and the world, continued in the evening after a busy daytime. Throughout the day, Bursa Metropolitan Mayor Mustafa Bozbey visited the area, chatted with citizens alongside his wife Seden Bozbey, and offered sweets to commemorate Mevlit Kandili. Mayor Bozbey, who congratulated all Bursas and the Islamic community on the holiday, said, “May Allah grant us the opportunity to reach the candles in an environment where people can look to the future with confidence and peace. On the second day of the Gastronomy Festival, our citizens are showing great interest. It makes me very happy to see that the festival is embraced by the people of Bursa. However, there were issues criticized in previous years, and we did not include any of those in this festival. It is not taking place in the atmosphere of a fair but rather in the atmosphere of a real gastronomy festival. It is a festival where the products of Bursa, the dishes of Bursa, and the tastes that extend from the past to the future come to the fore. We want to make Bursa’s gastronomy the number one cuisine in Turkey.”

Mayor’s ‘Bursa dudugiller salad’

As part of the festival, Mayor Mustafa Bozbey and his wife Seden Bozbey visited the booths set up by district municipalities to examine local products, and later participated in a discussion moderated by Prof. Dr. Gül Sayan Atanur with Nebil Özgentürk about ‘Bursa’s Historical Cultural Heritage and Gastronomy’. At the main stage set up in the area, Mayor Bozbey and his wife Seden Bozbey, guests of the ‘Gastro Stage’ presented by Sahrap Soysal and Melek Baykal, donned kitchen aprons and prepared ‘Bursa dudugiller salad’ using Bursa’s geographically certified products. Guided by Chef Ali Müfit Çağlayan, Mayor Bozbey said that everyone in Bursa, and then all of Turkey, will know all the flavors that Bursa possesses. Participants enjoyed delightful moments with the high energy of Sahrap Soysal and Melek Baykal, while also watching Mayor Bozbey’s culinary skills. After tasting the prepared salad, Mayor Bozbey and his wife Seden Bozbey recommended the salad made with fruits and vegetables to the people of Bursa. At the end of the program, Mayor Bozbey and the guests danced to the song ‘Ayva Çiçek Açmış’ on stage.

Gastro discussion with master names

On the second day of the festival, the ‘Gastro Discussion’, prepared with the participation of valuable names, attracted great interest from Bursans. In discussions moderated by Chef Dr. Esat Özata, Prof. Dr. Alpaslan Türkkan, Ramazan Başan, and Gökhan Çakar, Chef Maria Ekmekçioğlu, Michelin Star Chef Serkan Güzelçoban, Abidin Şakir Özen, Hakan Ziya, Fatih Yıldırım, Ayça Tayar, Güzin Abraş, Nedim Atilla, Burçak Şener, Rıfat Sınmaz, Selahattin Can, Emre İdrisoğlu, and Haluk Dedeoğlu addressed important points in the gastronomy sector.

Competitions, concerts, entertainment areas

Throughout the day, colorful and exciting scenes unfolded in the competitions organized. The ‘Bursa flavors with fusion cuisine’ competition with national chefs, the eating contest of Bursa black fig baklava, which is registered with the European Union and geographical indication with Hacı Hasanoğulları, and the ‘Couples Compete’ competitions showcased all the skills of master chefs and flavor enthusiasts. Children who spent a fun-filled day in specially prepared areas experienced unforgettable moments with the Karagöz shadow play. Participants also enriched a day full of flavors with concerts by ‘Bedevi’ and ‘Barış Aşkan and Damla Elbi’.