At the table, culture policy finds its center

Ebru Erke

The Türkiye Culture Route Festivals, steadily expanded by the Culture and Tourism Ministry in recent years, has reached a notable inflection point this year. What was once primarily a calendar of cultural and artistic events is now unfolding into a more layered platform, one that invites a deeper reading of cities through their gastronomic identities. It is an idea I have long defended: The most direct way to understand a city is through its table. This year, the integration of gastronomy into the festival framework places that perspective on a clear institutional footing.
At the heart of this transformation is the Lezzet Noktası Project. Developed by the Türkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency, the model moves gastronomy beyond a simple “where to eat” checklist and repositions it as a living archive of urban memory. The point is no longer just to visit a restaurant, but to understand the production chain it represents, the craft it sustains, the local ingredients it relies on and the cultural continuity it carries forward. In this context, gastronomy shifts from an act of consumption to a medium of storytelling.
Recent initiatives led by the Ministry and TGA make it increasingly clear that gastronomy is no longer treated as a secondary theme but as a strategic field in its own right. The ambition to brand Turkish cuisine, to enhance its international visibility, and to reposition Türkiye as a leading destination in gastronomy tourism is well established. Yet, what is changing now is the tangible way these ambitions are being translated into practice. Gastronomy is one of the most powerful tools through which a country can articulate not only its repertoire of flavors, but also its production capacity, geography, historical depth and way of life. Today, it stands as a primary driver of travel motivation. As Dr. Elif Balcı Fisunoğlu underscores, the objective is not simply to increase visitor numbers, but to deepen the visitor’s engagement with the destination, enrich the experience and create a lasting connection.
This is precisely where the Lezzet Noktası approach becomes significant, as a point where theory translates into practice. The gastronomic routes curated for each city guide visitors beyond a handful of central, well-known venues and open up access to different neighborhoods, layers of daily life and narratives that might otherwise remain unseen. In doing so, the urban experience expands horizontally, while the economic impact is distributed more evenly. When properly structured, gastronomy tourism does not benefit restaurants alone; it activates a broader ecosystem that extends to producers, small businesses, local markets and even agricultural production.
Another defining strength of the Lezzet Noktası selection lies in its inclusivity. The project does not limit itself to establishments traditionally labeled as “classic” or “historic.” It also embraces venues that preserve local recipes, articulate a distinct narrative, maintain consistent quality, and contribute to the evolving gastronomic language of the city. Selected by a broad committee composed of chefs, gastronomy writers, academics and industry professionals from across Türkiye, these venues pass through what can be described as a collective filter of cultural memory. At the same time, encounters between local hosts deeply rooted in their city’s culinary traditions and visiting professionals help make the transmission of knowledge and experience visible, reinforcing gastronomy’s role as a living, shared practice.
The first stop of this year’s route was Şanlıurfa. Under the guidance of Ömür Akkor, whose work is deeply informed by archaeological research, the city reveals itself not only through its contemporary flavors but within a continuum that stretches back thousands of years. Joining this route as guests were myself and chef Sinem Özler. Over the course of two days and across 34 Lezzet Noktası stops, what emerged was not simply the depth of isot, the precision of kebab craftsmanship, or the finesse of liver preparations, but the broader social memory constructed through food. From sıra gecesi traditions to geographically registered products, the experience made clear once again that Şanlıurfa’s cuisine operates as a richly layered cultural organism.
In Urfa, begin your day at Gül Tirit, open only until midday, where thin yufka bread is soaked in rich meat broth and topped with shredded meat and garlicky yogurt, creating one of the city’s most distinctive dishes.
Pirzolacı Hanif Usta is something of a hidden gem; his finely pounded veal chops, seasoned with isot, tomatoes and onions, are grilled over charcoal in individual portions with remarkable precision. For liver, my address remains Paflar Ciğer. Mustafa Paf stands as one of the city’s culinary ambassadors, and his salads, particularly the isot-infused onion salad, are as memorable as the liver itself. This season, he is also preparing keme kebabı. At the historic İpar Kadayıf, do not overlook the unsweetened menengiç coffee served alongside künefe. Cevahir Han, long regarded as one of the city’s cultural anchors, offers a comprehensive range of local dishes, from ağzı yumuk to lıklıkı köfte and traditional pan-cooked meats. Dondurmacı Zeki, with nearly a century of craftsmanship, produces only four varieties daily; they are worth seeking out before they sell out. At Astarte, chef Ali Keskin’s command of regional cuisine is evident in dishes such as isot tava, Siverek tava and seasonal specialties like çağla aşı. And at Fırfırlı Konak, a warm, family-run establishment, the courtyard offers the perfect setting to experience both the cuisine and the slower rhythm of the city.
Ultimately, what emerges from this year’s Culture Route Festivals is a clear shift: Gastronomy is finally being addressed from the position it deserves. The numbers reinforce this transformation. During the festival period, customer traffic in restaurants and cafés increased by as much as 50 percent. This surge stands as one of the clearest indicators that gastronomy, when thoughtfully positioned, can transform a city from a place of potential into a destination that actively generates demand.