Two Cities, One Kitchen: Ağrı and Izmir Met at the Same Table

Establishing an exemplary cooperation in the field of gastronomy, Izmir University of Economics (IUE) and Ağrı Ibrahim Çeçen University brought together students from miles away in the same kitchen. The students who came from Ağrı as guests to IUE entered the kitchen to prepare regional dishes such as keledoş (a hearty, traditional main dish native to Eastern Anatolia) and ovmaç helvası (a traditional Turkish flour halva particularly popular in Eastern and Northeastern Anatolia), alongside Aegean-specific delicacies including patlıcan balığı (fried eggplant), koruk ekşili bamya (okra with unripe grape juice), kabak sıyırma (scalloped zucchini), patlıcan çığırtma (sautéed eggplant), and börülce (black-eyed peas). Working together all day long, the students of the two universities prepared a special menu featuring flavors from both Ağrı and Aegean cuisines. The students earned great praise for their attentive presentations and dishes that rivaled professional chefs.

As part of the CCN Internship Program, maintained as a social impact project by CCN Holding, and in cooperation with the İbrahim Çeçen Foundation, students from the Department of Gastronomy and Culinary Arts at Ağrı İbrahim Çeçen University completed a 70-day internship in Istanbul. Coming to Izmir as part of a special experience program within the internship, the students had the opportunity to explore the city's gastronomic and cultural heritage on-site for five days. Throughout the program, the youth gained close familiarity not only with Izmir's flavors, but also with the production culture, local values, and historical background behind them.

Thanks to a program spanning from the Historic Kemeraltı Bazaar to the Tire Milk Cooperative, the Yeşilova Höyüğü excavation site to the BORSAV Alaçatı Office, the Köstem Olive Oil Museum to Şirince, the Urla Women’s Cooperative, and Teruar Urla, the students observed the region's strong bond between agriculture, production, history, and gastronomy from various angles. Meeting with local producers and authentic local culinary spots, the young chefs also experienced regional specialties such as Tire meatballs, taktak kebab, kokoreç (a popular street food dish), çöp şiş (shish kebabs), and kazandibi (caramelized milk pudding).

“WE WILL ALSO GO TO AĞRI”

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Betül Öztürk, a faculty member at the IUE Department of Gastronomy and Culinary Arts, stated that the cooperation between the two universities would continue to grow stronger, with plans for IUE students to visit Ağrı in the upcoming academic semester. Emphasizing that gastronomy is not merely the skill of preparing good food, but a profession of understanding geography, culture, history, and the people of that culture, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Öztürk said: “We find it extremely valuable for our students to have direct contact with the culinary cultures of different regions. While our guest students from Ağrı got to know the products and dishes of the Aegean, our students had the opportunity to discover the unique flavors and cultural richness of Ağrı cuisine. Producing together in the same kitchen enhanced the youth's professional skills while allowing them to experience the importance of sharing, teamwork, and drawing strength from differences.”

“A GREAT CONTRIBUTION TO THE STUDENTS”

Expressing that they carried out a very beneficial program in Izmir and that the visits greatly contributed to the students' development, Asst. Prof. Dr. Salih Çakıcı, a faculty member from the Department of Gastronomy and Culinary Arts at Ağrı İbrahim Çeçen University, said: “It is very precious for our students to bring the education they received at their own university together with different academic and professional environments in another city. Such collaborations between universities take students' education beyond the classroom. Introducing young people to new people, institutions, and ways of working in different cities helps them expand their goals for the future and view their profession from a broader perspective. I believe this meeting with Izmir University of Economics will stand as an important step in our students' professional development.”