The Turkish Embassy in Cairo hosted an elegant gala dinner in May 2026 as part of the celebrations marking Turkish Cuisine Week, welcoming more than 120 distinguished guests from the worlds of diplomacy, politics, culture, arts, and business.
The high-profile gathering drew strong interest from members of the diplomatic community in Egypt alongside prominent Egyptian public figures. Among the notable attendees were former Egyptian Deputy Foreign Minister and Senator Hamdi Loza, Senator Hazem Omar, Prince Mohamed Ali, Pakistani Ambassador Aamer Shouket, as well as a wide range of actors, actresses, singers, business leaders, former politicians, lawyers, and former governors.
The Turkish Cousine Week also hosted Ambassadors of Germany, EU, Singapore, Umman, Spain and Brazil over a Turkish dinner with same concept.
The evening offered guests an immersive culinary journey through Türkiye’s rich gastronomic heritage. The menu, curated by Erin Pekmez, chef at the Turkish Embassy in Cairo, featured traditional Turkish specialties including Çeşme-style soup, assorted stuffed vine leaves and dolma, mantı, çiğ köfte, keşkek, slow-cooked tandoor meat, and baklava.
Turkish Ambassador to Cairo Salih Mutlu Şen delivered the opening remarks of the evening, followed by a presentation by embassy officials highlighting the 2026 theme of Turkish Cuisine Week: “Heritage on One Table.”
In his speech, Ambassador Şen emphasized that Turkish Cuisine Week was launched in 2022 under the patronage of Emine Erdoğan, wife of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. He noted that Turkish cuisine represents a deeply rooted culinary tradition that integrates sustainability, seasonality, local production, and waste reduction into everyday life.
The ambassador also underlined that the Turkish Embassy in Cairo has organized Turkish Cuisine Week annually since 2022, reflecting Türkiye’s broader efforts to promote cultural diplomacy through gastronomy.
Throughout the evening, speakers stressed that Turkish cuisine is far more than food, it is a living reflection of a shared culture shaped by hospitality, community, and collective memory across centuries. Echoing the idea that “the dining table is humanity’s oldest language of communication,” the event highlighted how Turkish table culture creates a powerful social space connecting generations, regions, and civilizations.
The presentation further explored the historical depth of Anatolia, which has hosted countless civilizations over centuries, resulting in a layered culinary identity shaped by cultural interaction and historical continuity. Traditional cooking methods such as tandoor cooking, dough kneading, fermentation, and long-duration preparation techniques were presented as forms of inherited knowledge passed down through generations.
Guests were also introduced to the symbolic meanings behind several dishes served during the event. Keşkek was described as a ceremonial dish symbolizing solidarity and collective production, while mantı reflected the culinary influence of migration and intercultural exchange. Dolma was presented as a shared gastronomic language across cultures, and baklava as a symbol of craftsmanship, patience, and inherited tradition. Çiğ köfte was associated with community sharing and social cohesion, while tandoor cooking embodied the relationship between fire, time, and transformation.
The final segment of the evening focused on the growing role of gastronomy in cultural diplomacy. Organizers emphasized that shared meals serve as a universal instrument for dialogue between societies, fostering intercultural understanding and creating genuine human connections beyond borders.
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