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The 9th International Taste of Adana Festival wrapped up after three days under the theme “From Generation to Generation,” drawing crowds to Merkez Park (Seyhan Central Park) to sample local classics and watch young chefs and runners take the spotlight.
On the final day, visitors moved from stall to stall to try Adana’s best-known flavors—kebap (minced meat kebab cooked over charcoal), ciger (grilled liver), sirdan (a stuffed sheep stomach unique to Adana), and salgam (a fermented turnip and carrot drink).
Local operator Cihangir Korkmaz said the festival “was packed from start to finish,” noting that business owners left satisfied and already looked ahead to the next edition.
The festival began with a courtyard procession and the ceremonial lighting of the mangal, the charcoal grill that anchors Turkish barbecue culture.
Governor Yavuz Selim Kosger said traditions should move “from generation to generation” and cast the event as a bridge to carry Adana’s cuisine forward.
He added, “With God’s permission, we will become a gastronomy city this year,” and underlined plans to grow gastronomy tourism across a wider route linking Adana with Hatay, Gaziantep, Mersin, Sanliurfa and Kahramanmaras.
Deputy Mayor Gungor Gecer said Adana has become a cultural and tourism hub as well as an industrial and agricultural center, adding that every dish tells a story in this cuisine.
At the “High School Young Chefs Competition,” students competed both individually and in teams. Ihsan Sabanci Girls Vocational and Technical High School student Yagmur Serenkili took first place with bamya dolmasi (okra stuffed and simmered).
In team events, Ceyhan Biliciler Tourism Vocational and Technical High School—Silanaz Yasar, Batin Arda Kirgecer, and Erdem Kafali—earned top marks with a menu of balkabagi dolmasi (stuffed pumpkin), kuzu incik (slow-cooked lamb shank) served with salgamli humus (hummus accented with salgam), and Karatas kiddesi (a local specialty from the coastal district of Karatas). Prizes were awarded to the top performers.
The “Taste Festival Run,” held for the second time at Cukurova University, brought together 263 participants across age groups for a 7-kilometer course (4.34 miles), with some pushing strollers along the way.
Azat Demirtas, Mervan Haykir and Baris Demirtas led the men’s podium, while Songul Berikol, Adina Vakhidova and Nursel Karatas took the top three in the women’s field. Winners received cash awards.
Officials said Adana’s culinary identity—known for more than five hundred dishes—can power a broader tourism master plan if managed and presented carefully.
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