4 Chefs, 4 Writers, 8 Countries
Recently, Ankara witnessed a very interesting culinary and literary event on Sept. 19. Embassies of eight countries from Latin America and Europe came together under the EULAT4Culture project. Four Latin American chefs and four European writers bridged cultures together through food and literature. The unifying power of food brought together eight countries across continents, working together in Ankara.
The event was part of the EULAT4Culture (Europe and Latin America Initiative for Culture) which was initiated to put into action the Joint statement EUNIC/RIDCULT1 adopted by EUNIC at the June 2021 General Assembly in Toledo, with the purpose of fostering the contribution of culture to promoting dialogue, knowledge and exchange between the peoples of Europe and Latin America in diverse global settings. EUNIC (European Network of National Cultural Institutes) and RIDCULT (Ibero-American Network for Cultural Diplomacy) initiated this project with the support of the European Union Delegation. The influence of European countries in Latin America, especially countries such as Portugal and Spain, is of great importance. Brilliantly, the theme for the event in Ankara was chosen as food culture, which proved to be a very thought-provoking and also joyful experience. The fact that so many different cultures speak the same food language in Ankara showed that there can be similarities as well as differences.
Led by the Spanish Embassy in Ankara, this project aimed to highlight the ethical, aesthetic and sensitive value created by the blending of traditions, which lies at the bottom of both Ibero-American and European cultural identities. Both gastronomy and literature consist of the blending of ingredients which speak of mixed cultural heritages and exchanges. Contemporary literature often celebrates the place of cooking in the shaping of identities. In turn, gastronomy increasingly resorts to storytelling as a way to convey the cooking and eating experiences that go beyond the merely nutritional. Humanity is shared and constantly retold around cooking fires and kitchen tables. In order to demonstrate this scope, four chefs from Latin American countries came to Ankara and presented a culturally diverse lunch with locally sourced ingredients. Afterwards, four authors from four European countries held a panel by giving examples from the literature and food culture in their own countries. The lunch was held at the Occidental Hotel with the participation of eight embassy members, and the panel took place at Doğan Taşdelen Contemporary Arts Center in Çankaya. Proudly, it was my responsibility to present the chefs and dishes at the lunch, and then being the moderator at the panel. Honestly, the gastronomic presentation part was easy, but the moderation task with the eminent writers and academics was challenging.
4 Latin American Chefs, 4 European Authors
The driving force behind the event was the Spanish Embassy, namely Luis Fonseca Sánchez, the undersecretary of the embassy in Ankara, who carried out the project and brought together all eight countries. The event was a collective effort of four Latin American Embassies (Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica and Mexico) and three European Embassies (Greece, Portugal and Romania), and last but not least, the Portugese Camões - Instituto de Cooperação e da Língua I.P. The program was structured in two parts, the first leg being a very special “8 Hands” lunch. The chefs prepared dishes that reflect their own food culture with their own distinctive twist, using ingredients they found locally in Ankara. They practically built a cultural and gastronomical bridge between South America and Anatolia, the flavors and sometimes the techniques of dishes created a plausible culinary language that could be savored and well received by all who tasted the dishes.
Interestingly, all chefs had great experience working in European countries, hence their way to Ankara had been via several European capitals, adding a dash of continental touch to their dishes. Laura Cabrera from Mexico was the only female chef among the team. She worked as the head chef of the Sanchez restaurant opened by Rosio Sanchez, the dessert chef of the famous restaurant Noma in Copenhagen. Laura brought the Mexican warmth to the table, the Octopus Ceviche Tostada seemed to combine the Mediterranean and Mexican tastes. Chile Relleno, which she made by stuffing local green peppers, was very interesting as it was stuffed with a vegan chorizo; an oxymoron as it may seem, the famed Mexican sausage was mimicked by using a barley-based mixture with Turkish and Mexican spices. Martín Giménez Castro from Argentina, is known as a master of Terra Mare, combining the sea and the land, and currently has a very popular Ceviche Bar in Warsaw, Poland. His plate of Argentinian Sorrentino was a starter dumpling with a fish filling instead of meat. When presenting the meal, he made sure that it would not be called ravioli, an attitude which I like, as I do advocate to call mantı, the Turkish dumpling with its Turkish name as mantı, but not as Turkish ravioli or tortellini. Felipe Camargo from Colombia, who was responsible for the main course, has traveled almost all over the world in his career. His dish, Posta Negra Cartagenera, was a deeply flavored rich Cartagena-style meat rested on a delicately scented coconut rice. Juan Pedro Soto from Costa Rica handled the desserts. Coconut Flan, presented in coconut cups, put the last point on the palate with its dreamy creamy cloud-like light dessert.
In the interview part of the event, Sula Bois, who is a Greek Istanbulite, participated from Athens with a previously recorded video, talking about the diverse culinary culture of Istanbul throughout the centuries. Other speakers who participated were the Portuguese writer Rui Zink, Romanian lecturer and Professor Alina Iftime from Ankara Faculty of Language, History and Geography, and writer and journalist Ignacio Peyró from Spain, now also the director of the Instituto Cervantes in Rome. While Zink made connections between Portuguese food culture and literature, Peyró explained that the basis of the fast-food tapas tradition is an egalitarian culture that eliminates the distinction between rich and poor. It was very enlightening when İftime said that there are 2,500 Turkish words in the Romanian language and especially how we share a common culinary language and a taste palate. An issue discussed was an often “neglected and not mentioned” ingredient, and that missing secret ingredient is “time,” a crucial element in both the writing and cooking process. Time is one of the important inputs when it comes to food and literature. A good meal is a dish that is cooked slowly and takes its taste from its slow and long cooking with care. It’s like a novel written by taking the required length of time, as if brewing in the mind of the writer. Both food and literature cooked taking the rightful time, matures, gains deep flavor nuances, and becomes ready to be savored for the palate and mind.
Cooking and writing go under similar processes, and as this event proves, the food culture and literature of a country directly reflects its people, and reaches out to other peoples of countries across the globe.
