A friend of culinary culture since 1991

The Friends of the Kitchen Association conducts work in the field of gastronomy and encourages and supports individuals and organizations engaged in this field. It records local cuisines, regional dishes, and gastronomic values that constitute intangible cultural heritage; documents them under the name “Anatolian Flavors Inventory”; and creates databases. It produces and commissions all types of periodical and non-periodical, visual, and digital publications related to gastronomy. It undertakes initiatives and efforts toward the establishment of the “Turkish Cuisine Research Institute.” It prepares and implements educational programs in line with its mission. It supports educational institutions active in this field and assists students. It organizes seminars, panels, themed dinners, gastronomy fairs, conferences, tours, competitions, exhibitions, hands-on workshops, and similar events both domestically and internationally. It supports and participates in such events organized by other entities. It collaborates with private and public institutions related to gastronomy and all its related fields.

Hasan Özen, a founding member of the Kitchen Friends Association, recounts the story of the association’s founding as follows: “It was 1990. We were celebrating the 10th anniversary of Çatı, the restaurant I owned. With the aim of reintroducing our forgotten dishes to our community, I launched a cooking competition under this theme. My goal was to collect recipes that weren’t found in books, hadn’t been written down, and hadn’t made their way into professional kitchens. I invited the late Ergun Köknar, the late Tuğrul Şavkay—whom we remember with gratitude and respect—and the grand master of Turkish cuisine, Chef Aydın Yılmaz, to serve as judges. Our conversations went on for a long time, and together we found an answer to the question, “What can we do for Turkish cuisine?” We realized that those who love the kitchen and are passionate about it needed to come together. Ultimately, the decision was made to establish an association. The core idea put forward by the founding members was the preservation, promotion, and support of our cuisine.”

Board of Directors