A remarkable discovery that will shed light on world history was made during archaeological excavations in Konya. Traces of cooking were found in studies conducted in Çatalhöyük, which is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The findings revealed that the first known food preparation and cooking activities in history began on these lands. The stone hearths, burnt seed residues and kitchen arrangements found in the excavation site bear traces of a food culture that developed along with settled life. Experts state that the people living in Çatalhöyük were not only hunters and gatherers, but also had highly developed techniques in food preparation. This shows that the origins of the culinary culture were laid in Konya. The findings once again revealed how rich Konya has a past not only historically but also gastronomically. With its wide range from etli ekmek to tirit, from okra soup to höşmerim, Konya cuisine still keeps a tradition that is thousands of years old alive today. This historical heritage, which forms the cornerstone of Konya's culinary culture, proves that the city is not only a gastronomy center but also an important starting point of world culinary history.

“Its Food Should Be Introduced as Much as Çatalhöyük’s”

Konya Chefs Association Honorary President, Konya Gastronomy Chefs and Tourism Association (TUGAFED) General President and our University Tourism Faculty Gastronomy and Culinary Arts Department Head Assoc. Prof. Dr. Yılmaz Seç drew attention to the fact that Konya cuisine is at a very good point, especially in terms of variety. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Yılmaz Seç stated that there are more than 18 businesses under the name of Konya Cuisine within the borders of Konya province, and stated that they do not make the same food. Seçkin said, “Even though it is Konya cuisine, when you enter the business, the food changes. For example, there are 2-3 businesses in Konya that make tandoori soup. Also, Konya’s tirit has reached an incredibly important point. In fact, there are even places that only make tirit. If a business is opened for a single type of food, it means that this is a really popular product. Therefore, we are at a very good point in terms of food variety as a city. We have only one shortcoming, and that is; we have great difficulty in introducing Konya cuisine to people coming to Konya from outside. What needs to be done in this regard should be discussed. For example, when I was in Istanbul the other day, I saw that promotions were put up about Çatalhöyük. But there was nothing about Çatalhöyük food. There are posters hanging up in Istanbul and at the airport stating that the Çatalhöyük Welcome Center has been built. People who see this are also curious. It is a very nice thing, but as I said, if a special promotion study called Çatalhöyük Cuisine was done, you would provide more incentive for people to come to Konya. Especially right now, in the summer, which is the season of festivals. We have entered the months. We need to make good use of these times when tourists come to Konya the most. For example, Gastrofest was held in Konya twice. We did not do it recently, Adana did it and got ahead of us. In fact, when a festival is held in Adana, buses depart from some districts of Konya. There is a great economy going on there. They also inform the agencies that they will hold the festival. This is how they attract tourists,” he said.

Konya Receives Geographical Indication for 85 Products

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Yılmaz Seç, who stated that there are more than 350 types of dishes specific to Konya, gave information about a few of them. Seç stated that Konya cuisine is not only about meat bread and okra soup, and said, “For example, eggplant is not a registered product, but it definitely has to be in Konya cuisine. Sac arası, wedding pilaf, tandır kebab, oven kebab are also indispensable for us. In addition, we have a çirli dish that has become quite prominent recently. Çirli dish, which started to be made on the Akyokuş side of Konya, is also made as a wedding dish by Turkmens in Çumra. In addition, apricot stew is made at weddings in Karapınar. In fact, some businesses offer this product to customers. Ildız Kökü dish is also very delicious and stands out as a product specific to Konya. As a city, we already have 6-7 types of dishes only in terms of wedding food. We have an incredibly rich cuisine. But in recent years, we have come to a much better point. We have received geographical indications for 85 dishes as Konya. Among these is Güneyik salad, which I like the most and think should definitely be in businesses. In addition, when green plums are grown, calla dish also needs to be made. Konya attracts attention with nearly 350 types of food. However, there are also defenses that Konya cuisine should only consist of the city center. However, Konya cuisine is a whole with its 31 districts and therefore the culinary culture of the districts should be studied in detail. There are Kurds, Laz, Circassians in our districts and when they first came to Konya, they brought their culinary culture with them. Therefore, we definitely need to record them and add them to Konya cuisine. For example, one of the most famous dishes of Mevlevi cuisine is hassaten lokma. When you look at its basic origin, it actually resembles Uzbek pilaf. If you do not include it in your cuisine just because it is Uzbek pilaf, it will be a weakness of your cuisine. In fact, the richest in Turkey is Istanbul cuisine. Because it is a capital city. Since there were sultans there at the time, vegetables, fruits and cooks from many different countries came. Therefore, it is very natural for Istanbul to be rich in terms of cuisine. Konya also has a rich cuisine because it was the capital of the Seljuk State. However, it is not possible to disrupt the structure of dishes that are unique to Konya. There may be places that do not want it. For example, there are those who argue that the inside of the sac should definitely be empty. However, if a tourist comes here from out of town and wants to eat the sac with pistachios, that is what should be done. In other words, you need to accept that there may be changes in the kitchen,” he explained.

The First Chefs Came Out of Çatalhöyük

Yılmaz Seç, who mentioned that they were working on Çatalhöyük cuisine together with the Konya Metropolitan Municipality Tourism Branch Directorate, said that they were trying to provide an experience for tourists coming to Çatalhöyük. Assoc. Seçkin said, “The excavations conducted here revealed what foodstuffs people living in that period consumed and many stoves, ovens, pots, pans and storage areas were found. Of course, it can be determined with analyses what was cooked and stored in these pots and pans. In fact, due to the carbon traces that emerged on the skeletons found in Çatalhöyük, especially on the chests of women, it is thought that the first cooks in the world were women in Çatalhöyük. Because men generally went hunting. In fact, carbon traces were also found on elderly men living in this region. In other words, it is understood that the person who could not go hunting cooked or helped. Therefore, it is possible to say that Çatalhöyük is the center of the world in terms of cooking. We already need to be able to market this and promote and advertise it more. We even have kitchens in Çatalhöyük. Therefore, it is necessary to include people in this business. I think that it is important to write and identify which foodstuffs were identified and how they were consumed after scientific studies and to give people an experience. We can only develop Çatalhöyük cuisine in this way.”

Konya is Running for the Top

Yılmaz Seç, who stated that Konya is in the second place after Gaziantep in terms of culinary richness, announced that Konya is running for the top. Seç added the following in his final words: “Konya is competing for the championship in terms of geographical indication. While Gaziantep is currently the city with the most geographical indication products, we are in the second place. But our work on this issue continues. As Konya, we are competing for the championship in terms of geographical indication. I think we will soon become the champion. Because Konya has a very large area and there is a lot of diversity in its food culture. Recently, we have received the geographical indication of 5-6 more products or dishes. For example, I was very happy that the Seydişehir watermelon received the geographical indication. I also think that this is qualified to receive EU registration.”

We would like to thank Konya’nın Sesi Gazetesi and Tuba Kaya.