Azerbaijan’s gastro tourism showcased at Italian festival

Azerbaijan’s gastrotourism opportunities were showcased at the Terra Madre Salone del Gusto 2024 food festival in Turin, Italy, on September 26-30 with the support of the Azerbaijani State Tourism Agency, Report informs, citing the agency.

Representatives from the Azerbaijan State Tourism Agency and the Azerbaijan National Culinary Center participated in the event. They provided information at the national stand about the Slow Food travel tourism route across the Greater Caucasus Mountains, the application of the Slow Food tourism model in gastronomic tourism, and efforts to protect local biodiversity.

A menu based on the Taste Vessel catalog, featuring over 30 endangered Azerbaijani products, was presented at the festival. National sweets such as “shakarbura,” “pakhlava,” and “goghal” were showcased as elements of the national tea table.

Master chef Orkhan Mukhtarov, creator of the Slow Food menu, conducted a practical seminar on Specially Processed Meat - Roasting. Visitors also had the opportunity to taste madrasah wine and pickles made from wild plants.

During the festival, Azada Huseynova, Deputy Chairman of the Agency, met with Paolo Di Croce, Director General of the Slow Food organization, and Elena Aniere, Regional Director. They discussed potential strategic plans, including promoting the biodiversity of Azerbaijan’s southern and Karabakh regions through the Slow Food philosophy and integrating it into agri-gastro tourism.

The Terra Madre Salone del Gusto festival, held under the motto “We are Nature!”, brought together 3,000 representatives from 120 countries and featured 600 stands. The event, which attracted one million visitors, was organized by Slow Food International with sponsorship from the Italian Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Agriculture, Ecology, and Tourism.

Terra Madre (Salone del Gusto) is a biennial platform in Turin, Italy, where small farmers and entrepreneurs who prioritize ecological factors and biodiversity protection showcase their potential. Azerbaijan first participated in this festival in 2022 with a destination stand.

The Slow Food tourism travel route, created through the “Community-Based Value Chain Expansion in the Greater Caucasus Mountains” project in Shamakhi, Ismayilli, Gabala, Shaki, and Gakh, aims to support the balanced development of rural areas, promote a sustainable food system, local cuisine, and cultural heritage, and efficiently manage agro-biodiversity resources.

The global Slow Food movement, founded in Italy in 1986, aims to provide clean, delicious food for all. It preserves national and regional culinary traditions and promotes a healthier diet based on the principles of taste, cleanliness, and social justice. This movement, which supports local gastronomic traditions and food products, has expanded to include 160 countries.