Turkish Meze Culture – Instructor Intensive

Description

Turkish Meze Culture – Instructor Intensive is an intensive, practice-oriented culinary training programme exploring the technical and regional foundations of Türkiye’s rich meze tradition. Combining culinary heritage with chef demonstrations and guided kitchen practice, the course focuses on olive oil-based cold meze, yoghurt and tahini emulsions, hot meze production, seafood marination and regional recipe identities.

Over five training days, participants explore olive oil discipline, balanced acidity, emulsion stability, frying and baking methods, marination, service temperature and professional meze presentation. Each day includes the preparation of three representative meze dishes, followed by tasting, texture and flavour assessment, technical feedback and discussion. The course strengthens professional mise-en-place, kitchen organisation, recipe standardisation and meze table composition.

The course is aimed at gastronomy and culinary arts instructors, vocational education and training (VET) trainers, professional chefs, restaurant professionals, culinary arts students, gastronomy academics, chef trainers and professionals interested in Turkish meze culture, regional cuisine and contemporary meze service. Individual and team-based production supports the transfer of culinary techniques into professional kitchens and training environments.

MAIN TOPICS OF THE COURSE
Olive oil discipline, acidity balance and cold meze preparation.
Emulsion stability and texture control in yoghurt- and tahini-based meze.
Heat, oil and texture management in fried, baked and sautéed hot meze.
Salt penetration, marination time and texture control in seafood meze.
Regional meze identities, recipe variations, service temperature and table composition.

COURSE FEE AND PRACTICAL ARRANGEMENTS
The programme takes place in Ankara, Türkiye, from 12 to 16 July 2027 and comprises five training days and 30 instructional hours. The course fee is EUR 400 per participant, including tuition and training materials. Ingredients and standard professional kitchen equipment required for practical training are provided. Participants must bring suitable professional kitchen clothing and non-slip footwear.

Accommodation and meal options, local transportation and the precise training venue will be communicated following registration and course confirmation. Assistance with accommodation arrangements and local organisational information may be provided. Optional local cultural or gastronomy activities may be arranged according to the course schedule; any related transportation or entrance costs will be communicated in advance.

Eligible education and training professionals may use Erasmus+ mobility funding in accordance with the rules and budget conditions of their approved projects. Participants should confirm eligible costs with their sending organisation.

TRAINING TEAM AND QUALITY STANDARDS
Training is delivered by experienced culinary professionals and trainers with expertise in Turkish regional meze traditions, cold and hot kitchen techniques, olive oil cookery, yoghurt and tahini preparations, seafood marination, recipe standardisation, professional plating, vocational education and training (VET), and adult education. Practical sessions combine demonstrations, guided production, tasting and technical evaluation.

The programme follows Erasmus Quality Standards and principles of inclusive, high-quality, practice-oriented training through clear learning outcomes, professional kitchen practice, participant feedback, sensory evaluation and structured practical assessment.

PROGRAM OF THE COURSE
Turkish Meze Culture – Instructor Intensive
Course Dates: 12–16 July 2027
Duration: 5 Training Days / 30 Instructional Hours
Daily Schedule: 10:00–17:00 | Training: 6 instructional hours per day, excluding breaks
Breaks: 15-minute coffee break and 45-minute lunch break daily

DAY 1: OLIVE OIL DISCIPLINE
10:00–10:30 | Welcome and introduction to Turkish meze culture and olive oil discipline.
10:30–11:15 | Olive oil, acidity balance and cold meze preparation techniques; product evaluation and mise-en-place.
11:15–12:15 | Practical Session: Zeytinyağlı Enginar
12:15–12:30 | Coffee break
12:30–13:45 | Practical Session: Börülce Salad
13:45–14:30 | Lunch break
14:30–16:15 | Practical Session: Barbunya Pilaki
16:15–17:00 | Tasting, acidity review and daily technical evaluation.

DAY 2: YOGHURT & TAHINI BALANCE
10:00–10:30 | Introduction to yoghurt- and tahini-based meze traditions.
10:30–11:15 | Emulsion stability, texture and seasoning balance; ingredient preparation and mise-en-place.
11:15–12:15 | Practical Session: Haydari
12:15–12:30 | Coffee break
12:30–13:45 | Practical Session: Mütebbel
13:45–14:30 | Lunch break
14:30–16:15 | Practical Session: Atom
16:15–17:00 | Tasting, texture analysis and daily technical evaluation.

DAY 3: HOT MEZE TECHNIQUES
10:00–10:30 | Introduction to hot meze production and service traditions.
10:30–11:15 | Frying, baking, heat and oil management techniques; production planning and mise-en-place.
11:15–12:15 | Practical Session: Sigara Böreği
12:15–12:30 | Coffee break
12:30–13:45 | Practical Session: Arnavut Ciğeri
13:45–14:30 | Lunch break
14:30–16:15 | Practical Session: Karides Güveç
16:15–17:00 | Service temperature, tasting and daily technical evaluation.

DAY 4: SEAFOOD MEZE
10:00–10:30 | Introduction to Turkish seafood meze traditions and regional products.
10:30–11:15 | Marination, salt penetration, texture control and seafood mise-en-place.
11:15–12:15 | Practical Session: Lakerda
12:15–12:30 | Coffee break
12:30–13:45 | Practical Session: Octopus Salad
13:45–14:30 | Lunch break
14:30–16:15 | Practical Session: Midye Dolma
16:15–17:00 | Tasting, marination review and daily technical evaluation.

DAY 5: REGIONAL IDENTITY
10:00–10:30 | Introduction to regional meze identities and recipe variations.
10:30–11:15 | Spice, acidity, texture and regional flavour balance; meze table planning.
11:15–12:15 | Practical Session: Muhammara
12:15–12:30 | Coffee break
12:30–13:45 | Practical Session: Acılı Ezme
13:45–14:30 | Lunch break
14:30–16:15 | Practical Session: Topik
16:15–17:00 | Final meze table composition, practical assessment and certificate ceremony.

IMPORTANT NOTES
Participants must wear suitable professional kitchen clothing and non-slip footwear during practical sessions. All ingredients and standard kitchen equipment required for the scheduled training activities are provided.
Optional local gastronomy or cultural activities may be organised depending on the course schedule. Any additional transportation or entrance costs will be communicated in advance.
Total Programme Duration: 5 Days / 30 Instructional Hours.

Learning objectives

Participants will be able to:

• Explain the cultural and regional characteristics of Turkish meze and professional cold and hot service.
• Identify key ingredients, quality criteria and preparation techniques for olive oil-based meze.
• Apply acidity, salinity and flavour-balance principles in traditional meze recipes.
• Prepare yoghurt- and tahini-based meze using appropriate emulsion and texture-control techniques.
• Use frying, baking, sautéing, heat and oil management techniques in hot meze preparations.
• Demonstrate appropriate seafood handling, marination, salt penetration and texture management.
• Prepare and present the 15 named meze dishes in the five-day training programme.
• Apply mise-en-place, recipe standardisation, team coordination, service temperature and meze table composition.
• Evaluate flavour, texture, plating and production quality through tasting and technical review; transfer skills into professional kitchens and VET settings.

Methodology & assessment

The course follows an intensive, practice-oriented methodology combining short historical and regional introductions, ingredient evaluation, mise-en-place planning, chef-led demonstrations and guided individual or team-based production. Participants prepare three meze dishes per day, covering olive oil-based cold preparations, yoghurt and tahini emulsions, frying, baking, seafood marination, regional flavour balancing and professional table composition.

Assessment is continuous and practice-based. Trainers observe ingredient preparation, food handling, technical accuracy, acidity and salt balance, emulsion stability, texture, heat management, service temperature and presentation. Daily tasting, sensory analysis and technical discussions provide formative feedback. The course concludes with a final meze table composition, overall practical assessment and certificate ceremony on Day 5.

Certification details

Participants receive a Certificate of Participation and a Declaration of Attendance. A Europass Mobility document may also be provided where applicable.

Additional information

Upcoming sessions