Culinary discoveries
On these hot summer days, many people head to the mountains, to the highlands and to the north. Our neighbor, Georgia, is a very tempting destination in this regard. As a visa is not required for Turkish citizens, it becomes the perfect choice to escape to a cooler country that is so close — almost as if you were heading to the Black Sea highlands. What’s more, our culinary cultures are very similar — almost like close relatives. But this similarity can suddenly give way to stark differences; a dish that looks completely familiar may have an unusually different flavor. The reason I remembered Georgian flavors is a recent dinner that featured seven chefs, one of whom was a friend from Georgia, Tekuna Gachechiladze from Tbilisi.
During the summer months, it seems that all chefs go on a global tour. Similar to the buzz of summer concerts, there is now a similar buzz in the world of gastronomy. Famous Michelin-starred chefs take over the kitchens in summer resorts, sometimes within the country and at other times in distant lands, showcasing their skills and sharing their experiences with colleagues from distant countries. Guests, meanwhile, enjoy this diversity, tasting dishes from diverse chefs all at once. It is like taking a culinary vacation to distant lands, savoring the flavors of famed chefs in one go. But I think the best part of these multi-chef dinners is the interaction among the chefs, developing friendships, building a team spirit in the kitchen and learning from each other. For us, it is a journey of endless culinary discoveries.
