Kadınbudu Köfte…

It was the spring of 1973. I was a 4th-year student at the Ege University (EÜ) Faculty of Medicine. Today, I am a class representative alongside Dr. Hüsnü Uçar, one of İzmir's renowned psychiatry specialists. A boycott decision had been made due to national issues. During the protest, we were discussing the country and the problems of that day. Every now and then, we would chant slogans. Whatever happened, happened that day.

It was a beautiful spring day in 1974 at the EÜ Faculty of Medicine. While I was managing the boycott, a beautiful girl caught my attention. I met my future wife, who I learned was a 2nd-year student, for the first time. We were developing our friendship. The time came for a marriage proposal. There was shyness on one hand, and conversation on the other. I couldn't figure out how to bring up the subject. I struggled quite a bit, I waited. The anxiety lasted for a few weeks. One day, while we were grabbing a quick bite, I casually said, "Esen, I make very good kadınbudu köfte (lady's thigh meatballs)." Realizing that Esen also had feelings for me, I popped the question. First, we got engaged. Then came the families meeting, the formal asking, the engagement, the civil marriage, the wedding, and the days of married life began. Her mother was an immigrant from Thessaloniki, her father from Bulgaria. She was a hardworking student. My wife is also very successful and skilled in cooking. Even though I tried to lean into making "kadınbudu köfte" a few times, meaning I tried to enter the kitchen, I realized I couldn't even be an apprentice next to her. It wasn't like it didn't suit me, either. She makes wonderful meals. Seeing that the food was either ready or being prepared in the kitchen, I preferred to let my promise be forgotten. Despite nearly 48 years passing, I haven't been able to make kadınbudu köfte even once. Even though my wife occasionally reminds me of my promise from years ago, I still manage to brush it off somehow. Surely, one day I will fulfill my promise!

You might ask, where did the topic of food come from, right? Yesterday, that is, Friday, May 30, the 3rd Fethiye Gastronomy, Culture, and Friendship Festival was organized under the leadership of the Fethiye Municipality, with the Fethiye Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Fethiye Lycia Women's Initiative Cooperative, and Chef-Author Maria Ekmekçioğlu. It led to colorful scenes and events aimed at strengthening the friendship between the peoples on both sides of the Aegean and developing new collaborations.

Gastronomy, which is essentially about food, is both the mother and father of all cultures. In the panel held at the Fethiye Municipality Özer Olgun Culture Center, Dr. Ceyhun İrgil said, "Food is at the top of the list of the most important subjects that bring people together from birth to death, and even after death. It is the most important activity that brings together relatives, kin, and even the society one lives in, on every day of life, and even after death; on the seventh, fortieth, and fifty-second days [of mourning]."

Salih Güney, one of the celebrities of Yeşilçam, the world of cinema, along with journalist-author Mine Kızılkanat and Maria Ekmekçioğlu, explained various important aspects of food culture, that is, Gastronomy. While literature, painting, and music interest those who are interested in those fields, Gastronomy interests every segment of society and people of all ages.

In the panel where it was emphasized that Gastronomy is also one of the cornerstones of tourism, it was highlighted that French cuisine is the world leader. Turkish cuisine takes its place as the world's sixth. It was emphasized that it has only recently come to the forefront in recent years.

Cooperative president Çiğdem Karaca announced that they are conducting a study on the definitions and recipes of local dishes in the Fethiye region. She stated that they have identified 147 types of dish names and recipes from Fethiye and its surroundings and are working on promoting them.

It should be taken into account that the phenomenon of food, which we say "a little is a decision, too much is harmful," is an important culture for every individual, family, and society, whether poor or rich, beyond just filling our stomachs.

Last week, I participated in the Eastern Anatolia trip of the 1968 graduates of Ege University Faculty of Medicine to Malatya, Elazığ, Kemaliye, and Tunceli. We ate wonderful meals, especially meat dishes. Along with the wild nature of Kemaliye, the Munzur Forty Springs in Ovacık, Tunceli, and the god statues protecting the Nemrut Tumulus, the most talked-about aspect was the delicious food of the region.

I got to know Elazığ cuisine thanks to the "Local Flavors Elazığ Cuisine" book by the Elazığ Governorate Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism. I learned about types of dishes whose names and tastes I heard for the first time, such as "yarpuzlu ayran soup." Elazığ cuisine is a rich cuisine with 156 types.

As a country, we are still at the beginning of the road regarding Gastronomy. I believe that Gastronomy, which is also very important in terms of tourism, is a great opportunity for introducing Anatolian culture to the world.

We must work harder.