Celebrating Ancient Flavours on a World Stage
Food has always been the most intuitive and innate language of human connection, turning regional flavours into bridges of culinary diplomacy that bring cultures together.
Mediterranean’s Premier Food Gathering
What began in 2011 with regional competitions has blossomed into one of the Mediterranean’s premier food gatherings. From its official launch in 2018 to gaining global prestige, Gastro Afyon, a platform uniting heritage, vocational training, and world-class gastronomy, returns at the end of this month for its 8th International Tourism and Flavour Festival.
Gastro Afyon’s Development Process
Gastro Afyon’s development process, which began in 2018, was strengthened in 2019 with its UNESCO Gastronomy City designation, and between 2021-2025 it transformed into a comprehensive gastronomy organisation with increasing national and international participation. This process is a significant example of success in revealing the economic, tourism, cultural, and educational value of Afyonkarahisar’s rich culinary culture.
The Visionary: Chef Hamza Kalkan
At the heart of this movement is Chef Hamza Kalkan, President of the Afyonkarahisar Professional Chefs Association and a UNESCO Commission member. Dedicating his career to preserving ancient recipes, Chef Hamza bridges the professional culinary world with cultural preservation, connecting chefs, producers, and young talents.
“We started this journey with the ‘7 Regions, 7 Flavors’ competitions back in 2011. In 2018, the Gastro Afyon phenomenon truly began to sweep through. Guided by our UNESCO City title and etched into history with Guinness World Records, we continue to carry our ancestral culinary heritage into the future.”
– Chef Hamza Kalkan, Founder & President of Gastro Afyon
A UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy
Afyonkarahisar’s 2019 UNESCO Creative City designation placed its centuries-old culinary identity on the world map. Renowned for its unique food culture, Afyon relies on ancient ingredients like poppy seed oil, finely ground bulgur (göce), over 20 distinct eggplant creations, and the traditional Sıra Yemeği, a sequential feast concluding with digestive sour okra.
What to Expect This Year
Building on a legacy of Guinness World Records, including a 114-meter Turkish delight and a 1,930 kg sausage-and-egg dish, this year’s festival that is scheduled to take place on 2, 3, and 4 October 2026, features live cooking face-offs, masterclasses, and hands-on workshops. Visitors can sample protected delicacies like Afyon sucuğu, clotted cream (kaymak), and haşgeşli bükme while exploring panels on the future of food.
See you there!
About Afyonkarahisar
Afyonkarahisar has been home to many civilisations, since the earliest periods of history. Read more on our Archives. Here’s your link: https://wweav.com/samyati-may-2024/ (Page 40-44)
