The Turkish Embassy and the University of Tourism, Technology and Business Studies (UTB) in Kigali today organized an event on the occasion of the Turkish Cuisine Week, which is celebrated annually between 21-27 May.
The event included a competition on Turkish and Rwandan cuisine to promote the cultural values and traditions of each country and provided the guests with the traditional tastes of Turkish and Rwandan cuisine.
For the Turkish Ambassador to Rwanda, Aslan Alper Yüksel, the event promotes cultural values, gastronomy and tradition.
“Celebrating Turkish and Rwandan cuisine enhances collaboration and respect between cultures and peoples,” he said.
“Throughout this week, Turkish Cuisine Days are carried out around the World by Turkish Embassies and other missions under the esteemed auspices of the Turkish First Lady, Her Excellency Emine Erdoğan. It seeks to build bridges between cultures through the universal language of food. The esteemed First Ladies of both countries, Her Excellency Emine Erdoğan and Her Excellency Jeannette Kagame, have both introduced us with precious books on gastronomy. And gastronomy is much more than food. It reflects the heritage, culture and traditions. It brings people and traditions closer. Today we are delighted to taste both Turkish and Rwandan dishes prepared by UTB students in line with the spirit of cultural interaction and friendship. It is a tasty journey to understanding and respect. Because cuisines unite us, foster friendships. And needless to say the spirit of friendship between Türkiye and Rwanda is already very well established and strong”, he added.
According to UTB Vice-Chancellor John Ndahemuka, the Turkish and Rwandan cuisine competition is held for the first time at UTB.
To organize the competition, the Turkish Embassy in Kigali provided a chef who trained the students to prepare the classic recipes of Turkish cuisine.
For the Rwandan cuisine, students were trained to prepare the foods listed for the competition. Then, on the day of the competition, each student prepared his own dishes individually, effectively their own test. A jury was created to taste the dishes. This was followed by the awarding of prizes and certificates, in the presence of invited guests, students, lecturers, and staff from the Turkish Embassy in Rwanda, as well as the media.
Joël Ndayishimiye, a third-year student in Hospitality and Restaurant Management, became the best in Turkish Cuisine. His prize was a plane ticket offered by Turkish Airlines to spend time in İstanbul.
The first place for Rwandan cuisine was attributed to Teta Bélise.
“This competition means a lot. It promotes the culture of Türkiye and the host country, especially at a university dedicated to training people for the tourism sector. It is an opportunity for students to showcase their abilities and expertise. The university also demonstrates what it is capable of both within the country and abroad. A student who excels in Turkish cuisine demonstrates that he can open up new horizons,” said Vice-Chancellor Ndahemuka.
He revealed that the Founder of UTB explored with the Turkish Embassy possible ways of cooperation to support hospitality students of UTB, including scholarship opportunities. (End)