Abosede Ruth, a 25-year-old Nigerian, has been enrolled for four months in a culinary school in the southeastern province of Gaziantep.
She plans to open a restaurant in Canada upon completion of the eight-month training and an eight-month internship program.
While talking about her plans, she said: “I love cooking and tasting. I want to be a big chef and I want to open a restaurant in Canada.
“I mostly like cooking dolma, kebab, pasta, pilaf and eggplant kebab. This is a marvellous place, I love my trainers and friends. They are all very nice to me.”
Chef Cengiz Özkan, one of the numerous trainers at the Culinary Arts Center Academy (MUSEM) in Gaziantep, said Ruth would gain capabilities in no fewer than 500 recipes by the end of the training program.
Cengiz said: “Initially she only knew classical Turkish meals such as kebab and döner, but now she has learned how to prepare almost all of the main local dishes” and added that she would soon start working on the international cuisine.
The Mayor of Gaziantep, Fatma Şahin, recalled that the city has joined the list in the gastronomy category of UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network.
UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network was launched in 2004 and it comprises 246 cities worldwide. The network aims to foster international cooperation with and between cities that are committed to investing in creativity as a major tool for sustainable urban development, social inclusion and cultural vibrancy.
