When Adana is mentioned, one of the first things that comes to mind is without doubt Adana kebab. But Adana kebab is not simply a dish; it is an important gastronomic inheritance that carries the culture, the craft, the past and the table tradition of this city.
Held on the 9th, 10th and 11th of October, the Adana Flavour Festival opened its doors for the tenth time this year. Ten years… Easier said than done. We feel the pride of seeing the steps taken to tell the world about Adana’s culinary culture turn into a great gastronomic gathering.
A registered inheritance
The fact that Adana kebab has been registered by the Adana Chamber of Commerce, with specific production standards defined for it, also shows how important this cultural inheritance is. Products are prepared under the name of Adana kebab in many different parts of the world. But anyone who wants to see the real story of this flavour, its craft, its method of production and its ancient culinary culture in the place where it belongs still has to pass through Adana.
Because Adana kebab is not merely minced meat pressed onto a skewer and cooked over fire. Behind it lie the master-apprentice relationship, the accumulation of years, the choice of the meat, the technique of preparing it, the control of the fire, and the table culture of this city.
Thanks are due
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Governor of Adana, Mustafa Yavuz, for the support and the contribution he has shown in making Adana’s gastronomic values known and in carrying the festival through successfully.
In the same way, I give my particular thanks to Ebru Koralı, who worked through the preparations day and night with great devotion. Behind organisations of this size there is a great deal of labour and sacrifice that never appears on the stage. I believe that labour deserves to be acknowledged.
More than three days
For us in Adana this festival is not just a three-day event. It is a chance to carry into the future the culinary inheritance our city has brought with it from the past. And this year’s slogan says everything: Adana, with its heat and its sweetness.
The heat of the kebab, the tang of şalgam, the fermented turnip juice, the labour of the master, the abundance of the table, the warmth of the people of Adana… All of it met at the same table. For the tenth time, Adana opened its table to the world.
Because some flavours are not only eaten; they are lived, they are told, and they are handed down from one generation to the next. Adana is exactly that kind of city of flavour.
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