Girne Municipality is organising a ‘Gastro Show’ to promote gastro tourism on Saturday 17th September.
Being aware that traditional Cypriot cuisine is gradually disappearing from our kitchens and restaurants and being replaced by ‘world cuisine’, the Municipality is holding the first ever Gastro show in the country to promote, revive and establish authentic Cypriot gastro tourism. A press conference was held at the Girne Bandabuliya (covered market) to introduce the event.
Speaking at the press conference, Mayor of Girne Nidai Güngördü reiterated the aims of the event which he believed would be a spark in establishing gastro tourism by introducing Cyprus cuisine to visitors coming to our country. A detailed research into the cuisine was also planned.
Gastro tourism was already well established in the world and he felt that it was about time that the potential of the rich Cypriot cooking was integrated into the tourism industry of the country.
Cypriot cuisine was a blend of Mediterranean and various other passing cultures. When promoting it globally it was important to preserve its authenticity and the originality of the ingredients used. To sustain the authenticity they had been cooperating with an advisory board of experts of the Cypriot kitchen, like Mustafa Şah and Zekai Altan.
Nidai Güngördü also expressed his pleasure that gastronomy departments in the universities of the country were becoming widespread. In addition to gastro shows authentic Cypriot cuisine was going to be discussed by a scientific panel. Thanking everyone who had contributed to the organisation he invited all citizens to attend.
Gourmet, chef, instructor, tourism and gastronomy expert Mustafa Şah of the advisory board to the show, congratulated the Municipality of Girne for organising the event. He stressed the importance of gastronomy in tourism industry. All over the world gastro festivals were organised and used to attract tourists. And such festivals were in great demand. He believed that the show would lead to the survival and promotion of authentic Cypriot cuisine and the development of gastro tourism in the country. It was important that all hotels and facilities in Northern Cyprus offered local flavours and products to tourists instead of flavours imported from different parts of the world. Visitors would then flock back to taste those flavours again.
Zekai Altan, a tourism researcher and writer, and another member of the advisory board, also congratulated the Municipality for organising the Gastro Show event. His wish was that it would become a regular Gastro Festival to increase tourism activity in the coming years.
Gastronomic tourism model was very common in the world but had not yet been established in Northern Cyprus. He believed that the historical setting of Girne Bandabuliya would indeed supply the spark to bring the organisation to life. He hoped that the Girne festival would become a ‘gastro brand’ in a technical and scientific sense. Participating producers would introduce authentic traditional Cypriot cuisine and also give examples of the ‘slow food movement’. A lot authentic dishes which were gradually being forgotten, like the pan cooked Lefkara and Aytotoro tavas were going to be re-introduced.
He too thanked everyone who had helped in the organisation of the event.
The show will take place between 12.00 to 22.00 in the Girne Bandabuliya. In introducing Cypriot cuisine authentic flavoured dishes will be cooked and offered hot to the attendees. Packaged local products will also be sold.
As part of the event a panel discussion on ‘Authentic Cypriot Kitchen’ will take place at the Municipality Art Gallery between 13:30 and 15:00.
Girne Municipality First Gastro Show Program
- 17th September 2022 at Girne Bandabuliya 12:00
- Opening speeches and touring the stands 12:30
- Folk dance show. (Girne Municipality Folk Dance Ensemble, outdoors) 12:45 -15:30
- Musical broadcast 13:30-15:00
- Panel on “Authentic Cyprus Cuisine” at the Girne Art Gallery 15:30
- Folk dance show. (Girne Young Art Lovers Association, outdoors) 16:00-16:45
- Classical Music concert, trio, (indoors) 16:45-17:00
- Interlude, Classical Music, trio 17:00-17:45
- Classical Music, trio, (indoors) 17:45-19:30
- Musical broadcast 19:30-20:30
- Cypriot tunes, trio (indoors) 20:30-20:45
- Interlude, Cypriot tunes, quartet 20:45-21:45
- Cypriot tunes, trio (indoors) 22:00
- Close.
Source (Turkish): Girne Municipality
