'Food opens doors and starts conversations,' says Türkiye's envoy in Sofia
Traditional Turkish dishes were presented in Bulgaria's capital Sofia as part of the Turkish Cuisine Week organized to promote the country's rich culinary heritage.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Türkiye's ambassador Mehmet Sait Uyanik said the food served “reflects centuries-old traditions shaped by the diverse civilizations that have flourished in Anatolia.”
“Food is one of the strongest tools of cultural diplomacy,” he said. “It opens doors, starts conversations, and helps us understand each other through flavors and stories.”
The event featured a special menu curated by a team of Turkish chefs led by Oner Culfaz, head of the All Chefs and Pastry Chefs Confederation and the World Islamic Culinary Society (WICS).
The chefs prepared a variety of regional dishes using geographically indicated and locally sourced ingredients from Türkiye's seven regions.
“We wanted to introduce our country's valuable products to the Bulgarian people and high-level guests,” Culfaz told Anadolu. “This is our second time in Bulgaria and once again we're bringing cultures together through food.”
Culfaz said Turkish Cuisine Week presentations have been held in eight countries so far, and this time “we are serving Turkish dishes to 250 people here in Bulgaria. It's a great joy for me to share my country's cuisine with our neighbors.”
“Geography is destiny, destiny is culture, and culture is food,” he said.
The event drew wide attendance, including Bulgarian parliament speaker Nataliya Kiselova, former King Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, Deputy Foreign Minister Maria Anguelieva, as well as politicians, artists, and other distinguished guests.
