Turkish Cuisine Lesson for Japanese Students

As part of the exchange program between Bahçeşehir University (BAU) and Mukogawa Women's University (MWU) in Japan, Japanese food science and nutrition students who came to Istanbul received training in Turkish cuisine. The students learned how to make kısır, ciğer kavurma and haytalı, and also observed baklava making on site.

In the program, in which Assist. Prof. Dr. Kerem İlaslan, Head of the BAU Department of Gastronomy and Culinary Arts, taught courses on “Turkish Fermented Products” and “Traditional Turkish Cuisine,” workshops were held where Turkish and Japanese dishes were prepared. The Japanese students also prepared dishes from their own cuisine, such as onigiri, okonomiyaki and misoshiru.

Noting that Turkish dishes are very delicious but not sufficiently known in Japan, MWU faculty member Shingeyuki Sato said: “The ingredients are unfamiliar to us, but we find them very tasty. With more promotion, Turkish cuisine could become popular in Japan.”

Sato emphasized simplicity and freshness in Japanese cuisine, and creativity and complex cooking techniques in Turkish cuisine. Dr. İlaslan said that the program strengthens cultural and gastronomic interaction between the two countries.