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Students from a vocational high school in Istanbul have drawn international attention to Turkish cuisine after winning multiple medals at a major gastronomy competition and taking part in a professional exchange program in France, showing how hands-on culinary education in Türkiye is producing globally competitive young chefs.
Students at Beylikduzu Sehit Safak Evran Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School prepared 12 original dishes for the International Istanbul Gastronomy Festival, organized by the Turkish Chefs and Cooks Federation, known internationally as TASFED. The festival, now in its 22nd year, is one of the largest culinary competitions in the region. The students earned a total of 12 medals, evenly split between gold, silver, and bronze, highlighting the depth and consistency of their work.
The school offers applied training in food and beverage services, covering everything from basic kitchen techniques to world cuisine. This approach aims to ensure that students gain not only professional skills but also cultural awareness, allowing them to compete confidently both at home and abroad.
School principal Gulbanu Gungor explained that the institution operates under the idea that a profession is a lifelong skill, emphasizing strong ties between trade, tourism, and culinary education. She underlined that these interconnected fields make it possible for students to take part in complex, real-world projects.
According to Gungor, the ultimate goal is to raise hardworking individuals who can represent Turkish cuisine internationally while remaining adaptable to different culinary environments.
One of the standout students, 12th grader Hamza Yasakan, won a gold medal with a dish titled “Dongu,” meaning “Cycle.” His interest in cooking began through a family influence, and he strengthened his skills through six-month internships during earlier school years. After earlier competition success, Yasakan and his classmates qualified for an Erasmus program, a European Union-backed student exchange initiative widely recognized across Europe.
As part of this program, six students and one teacher traveled to Strasbourg, France, for a 15-day professional placement. During the stay, they cooked French dishes while also introducing Ottoman-era flavors at the hotel where they worked. Yasakan said the experience allowed them to explore local culture up close while showcasing Turkish culinary traditions in an international setting.
Another student, Melek Derin Dogan, received a bronze medal for a ravioli dish inspired by the colors of northern flowers. She described a learning process that moves back and forth between school and home, with students testing recipes in both environments.
This continuous practice, supported by teachers, exposes students to unfamiliar ingredients, regional products, and dishes from different cultures, helping them broaden their perspective.
Ela Nur Turhan, also a 12th grader, earned a gold medal with a dessert plate themed around an autumn garden. Her dish featured geographically protected ingredients such as pumpkin from Sakarya and hazelnuts from Giresun, products that carry strong regional identities in Türkiye. Alongside her studies, she works at a pastry shop, where she combines techniques learned at school with professional experience gained on the job.
Turhan also took part in the Erasmus program in Strasbourg, which coincided with the month of Ramadan. During this period, the students prepared large-scale iftar menus for several hundred guests, presenting both Ottoman and traditional Turkish dishes. She said this gave them valuable experience in mass catering and strengthened their professional confidence.
Chef instructor Beyhan Kinsun explained that culinary training at the school begins in the ninth grade with basic kitchen skills, progresses to seafood, pasta, and traditional dishes, and later covers advanced meat processing techniques. In the final year, students focus on pastry, chocolate, and dough-based products.
Kinsun emphasized that while food is often seen as a means rather than an end, the school aims to train students who treat cooking and good food as a purpose in itself. The focus remains on raising young professionals who understand Turkish cuisine deeply while being capable of working in international kitchens. He added that seeing students succeed in global competitions and earn medals is a major source of pride for the teaching staff.
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