Turkish Cuisine Added to University of Las Vegas Curriculum

Aegean Exporters Unions, with the participation of 6 food exporter unions under its roof, has been successfully running the "TURQUALITY Project" supported by the Ministry of Commerce for 2 years.

Aegean Exporters Unions, through an agreement with the University of Las Vegas, also secured the inclusion of Turkish cuisine in the curriculum of the William F. Harrah School of Hotel and Restaurant Management. Aegean Exporters Unions will collaborate with Izmir University of Economics on the inclusion of Turkish cuisine in the curriculum of the University of Las Vegas William F. Harrah School of Hotel and Restaurant Management. Jak Eskinazi, Coordinator President of Aegean Exporters Unions, Prof. Dr. Murat Aşkar, Rector of Izmir University of Economics, Birol Celep, Coordinator Vice President of Aegean Exporters Unions, Dr. Betül Öztürk, Director of IUE School of Applied Management Sciences, and Food Union Presidents shared the project details in a hybrid press conference. Jak Eskinazi, Coordinator President of Aegean Exporters Unions, stated: "As key elements of our strategy, we have identified: winning the hearts of local professionals and consumers and positioning Turkish food products as brand ambassadors, expanding from Las Vegas, an effective and manageable market base, to the southwest and California regions, and eventually across the entire country. For our targets at the end of four years, we have identified: creating demand in the U.S. HoReCa (hotel, restaurant, cafe) sector, developing business relationships with producers, distributors, wholesalers, retailers and chain stores and establishing sustainable partnerships, creating awareness and brand recognition through restaurant associations, food investors, food startups, tourism and hotel management schools, and culinary schools." he said.  

Collaboration with the world's second most successful and the U.S.'s most successful Hotel and Restaurant Management school

Jak Eskinazi, explaining that they planned 9 activities in the first year of the project, mentioned that they initially prepared promotional films with executive chefs from renowned hotels in the Las Vegas area. "In these promotional films, 6 different chefs used 6 different product groups in their own menus. Subsequently, we held tasting and promotion events at regular intervals, perhaps the first of its kind, in the kitchen of the University of Las Vegas School of Hotel and Restaurant Management. Groups of 15 people consisting of famous chefs, purchasing directors, distributors and academics tasted menus prepared with Turkish products by foreign chefs who are now our brand ambassadors, while Board members connected online conducted sector presentations in the online environment. Finally, we launched a partnership with the University of Las Vegas, selected as the world's second most successful and the U.S.'s most successful Hotel and Restaurant Management school, which will last 5 years." Eskinazi added that thanks to the partnership, export products and Turkish cuisine will be included in the university curriculum, and as EUE they will collaborate with Izmir University of Economics to jointly develop course contents. "One of our objectives is to introduce Turkish culinary culture and its components to current and future U.S. chefs, purchasing managers and distributors, and to increase our products' market share in the U.S. market. To introduce the recognition of our dried fruits, seafood, fruit and vegetable products, olives and olive oil, cereals, pulses, oilseeds and non-wood forest products in the U.S. market, and explain how to use them in dishes according to American taste preferences. In the coming period, in line with determined objectives, alongside work targeting wider audiences such as collaboration with e-sports teams whose popularity is growing day by day, we will continue our unique, target-specific projects to be conducted with influencers on private jets." Prof. Dr. Murat Aşkar, Rector of Izmir University of Economics, pointed out the importance of industry and university collaboration for Turkey's long-term development, stating: "It is always important to collaborate with sector leaders in order to provide education in a way that produces high value-added products within the framework of sustainability and social benefit. We are celebrating our 20th year. We are very pleased to be a stakeholder in such an international project."

Course contents will be submitted at the beginning of the first semester next year

Birol Celep, Coordinator Vice President of Aegean Exporters Unions, stated: "As part of the promotion project we are conducting, we have focused on food products including seedless raisins, dried figs, olives, olive oil, fruit and vegetable products, seafood, medicinal and aromatic plants and oilseeds, and seabass and gilthead bream, which the Aegean Region is among the world's leading countries in production and exports. We are one of the most important actors of Mediterranean-style nutrition, one of the consumption patterns related to healthy eating whose importance is increasing day by day. We wish to share with the University of Las Vegas all this knowledge, experience and expertise that we possess." he said. Stating that thanks to the collaboration, a valuable resource will be provided regarding Anatolia's wealth, which apart from being one of the world's richest culinary cultures, is an integral part of the Mediterranean diet, Celep concluded his remarks as follows:   "Similarly, we will have entered the agenda of future restaurant managers, chefs who will make purchasing decisions, and purchasing directors during their university years. In this context, last week, academics from the Gastronomi and Culinary Arts Department of Izmir University of Economics and academics from the University of Las Vegas School of Hotel and Restaurant Management came together and created a roadmap that will substantiate our collaboration. Accordingly, at the beginning of the 1st semester next year we will submit carefully prepared course contents. The University of Las Vegas will also add the contents we have provided to appropriate course curricula, spreading them over 2 semesters in the following years."

Target of USD 1 billion in cereal, pulse and oilseed exports to the U.S.

Mustafa Terci, President of the Aegean Cereals, Pulses, Oilseeds and Products Exporters Union, stated: "Anatolia, believed to be the homeland of agriculture, has many old stories to tell. Wheat was first produced in our lands 12,000 years ago. The first known mills were also in Anatolia. As a sector, we aim to more effectively introduce our industry's unique story, our sustainable and transparent production approach, our production capacity and technology through this project we are implementing in the U.S. As Turkey, we are providing detailed information and holding discussions about our sectors such as pasta, bulgur, flour, oilseeds like poppy and sesame, vegetable oils, and sugar products, which are among our most exported products. As a sector, total exports from Turkey to the world amount to USD 7.3 billion. Looking at the U.S., we are currently exporting USD 373 million and our goal is to increase this figure to USD 1 billion level through projects like this and to provide exports of higher value-added products with brand value." he said.  

The U.S. is our largest market after Germany

Hayrettin Uçak, President of the Aegean Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Exporters Union, who stated "We have products with potential supply for America such as dried tomatoes, pickles, fruit juice, grilled vegetables," said the following: "As Aegean Exporters Unions, in the Fruit and Vegetable Products sector, we exported USD 110 million to the United States of America, our largest market after Germany, in 2020. This figure corresponds to 10% of our 2021 exports. We are also hopeful about the new partnership we have established, introducing Turkish products to the chefs of the future at the very beginning of their careers, it is truly an important project. I hope and believe it will have a positive contribution to our exports in the coming periods."  

Significant potential in branded, value-added exports

Cahit Doğan Yağcı, President of the Aegean Furniture, Paper and Forest Products Exporters Union, stated: "We have shared with relevant institutions and organizations that our country, where products such as laurel, thyme, rosemary etc. are exported, has over 3,500 endemic plant species and Turkey has serious potential in these products. These products, apart from direct consumption, have become important raw material supply sources in many sectors such as cosmetics, paints, food, textiles, leather, energy, pharmaceuticals (medicine), and alternative medicine. In terms of food consumption, it is important for us to increase branded, value-added exports. Through our Turquality project, we aim to promote our sector much more effectively in the U.S., increase our brand value and thereby increase our value-added products and expand our market." he said.